Ruthless City sail into the last eight

HOLDERS Manchester City eased into the Champions League quarter-finals for a seventh successive season with a routine 3-1 win over FC Copenhagen.

Early Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez goals put City on their way and the prolific Erling Haaland netted his 29th of the season as Pep Guardiola’s side completed a 6-2 aggregate success at the Etihad Stadium.

Copenhagen showed some spirit and pulled one back through former Celtic man Mohamed Elyounoussi but there was never any doubt City would be going through to the last eight.

Guardiola hailed his side’s progress, saying: “The numbers are there, the consistency in this competition. We’ll await the draw and we welcome the opponents we are going to face.”

The City boss made seven changes from the side that beat Manchester United in Sunday’s derby with match-winner Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, John Stones and Bernardo Silva among those on the bench.

That suggested Guardiola already had half an eye on this weekend’s crunch Premier League trip to Liverpool and his selection was vindicated inside five minutes as Akanji volleyed them ahead.

The defender went forward for a corner and was almost nonchalant in the way he swung out his boot to meet Alvarez’s cross with a sweet strike.

Alvarez doubled the lead four minutes later after a calamitous error by goalkeeper Kamil Grabara.

Alvarez first picked out Rodri, who thumped a header against the bar. The ball was half-cleared and the Argentinian curled in a shot.

Grabara should have claimed it but the ball slipped through his fingers and into the net.

For all City’s dominance, the hosts were caught out by a rare Copenhagen break on the half-hour.

Elyounoussi broke down the left, found Orri Oskarsson inside the box and then took his backheel return to slot a fine goal beyond Ederson. That at least gave Copenhagen’s vociferous following something to savour but City were hardly unsettled.

Haaland restored a two-goal advantage on the night on the stroke of half-time when he controlled a lofted Rodri pass, cut inside and then buried a low shot inside the near post.

City eased off in the second half, although they almost added another in stoppage time when Rico Lewis hit the bar.

NORSE POWER: Manchester City players mob Erling Haaland after the Norwegian superstar netted the home side’s third goal of the evening.