Manchester City have warmed up nicely for Anfield. Warm in the sense that most of the main protagonists spent all or some of Wednesday night under blankets.
City earned the right by how they performed in Copenhagen three weeks ago, an almost flawless away display in Europe where they strangled high octane opposition in a stadium that has consumed others.
Earned the right to make seven changes, start a couple of teenagers and still breeze into the Champions League’s last eight for a seventh consecutive year, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United the only other English team to have managed that before. It’s 10 wins on the bounce, something previously achieved by just Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Some company.
And they’ve now scored at least three times in all of this season’s eight fixtures, in defence of a crown they had toiled to lift for so long. One thing is for sure, when the draw for the quarters is made a week on Friday, all of them will be desperate to avoid Pep Guardiola’s City.
There are bigger tests on the horizon after cantering to dispatch Copenhagen. While Sunday afternoon on Merseyside will not define the league campaign, affording Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden a night off at this stage of such an important competition is a great luxury. Guardiola admitted, for what feels like the first time, that he had an eye on Liverpool when picking the team.
Erling Haaland matched Sergio Aguero’s Champions League goals tally in Man City’s 3-1 win over Copenhagen
Manuel Akanji had opened the scoring early on in the game with a brilliant close-range finish
Julian Alvarez was fortunate in scoring his second after Copenhagen stopper Kamil Grabara made a shocking error
Fortunately for him, he has hunger in the ranks, with Oscar Bobb impressive and Rico Lewis his usual steady self, while Julian Alvarez and Mateo Kovacic played smart. Other academy products, Micah Hamilton and Jacob Wright, entered for their third and second appearances.
Oh, and Erling Haaland scored. Obviously.
Whether Copenhagen’s 2,300 travelling supporters actually entertained the notion of upsetting Europe’s hierarchy as they supped the cheap Taddy lager in Exchange Square’s Oyster Bar is somewhat debatable. Maybe some did. The general mood from the Danish champions, who only lie in third in the Superliga this season, is that this felt like an exercise in futility but an exercise they will embrace nevertheless.
All of it went inside nine minutes. The hope, a vague hope. They still sang behind that goal, because why wouldn’t you, and some of those from Scandinavia who’d shelled out for posh seats behind the benches celebrated every tackle or clearance in a slightly loud, embarrassed fashion.
The hope squirmed through Kamil Grabara’s gloves, not even an eighth of the way into this second leg. Julian Alvarez’s goal but really it belonged to the former Liverpool goalkeeper. Alvarez’s initial corner had been headed against the bar by Rodri, an unmarked Rodri at the back post, cleared back out to the Argentine and he decided to hit an area around the near post.
Grabara, wearing a mask, ought to have eaten it. Instead his fingers buckled during the attempt at catching, that painfully slow-motion moment when ball dribbles over line and goalkeeper turns helplessly. Grabara wore a look of sorrow, not Zorro.
And City were two up then, 5-1 on aggregate. The first was ridiculously simple, an Alvarez outswinging corner aimed at Manuel Akanji. Peter Ankersen’s marking was nowhere near tight enough, eight yards out, and Akanji calmly side-footed a volley into the corner in the fifth minute. A controlled finish that left City’s No 9 nodding in approval.
The Etihad lulled. At one point, City held the ball for an entire five minutes without their visitors touching it. And the trouble is, when things feel that easy then the intensity and will drops – even in the interim.
Mohamed Elyounoussi netted for the visitors on 29 minutes to give them a brief glimmer of hope
Pep Guardiola and Co prepared for their trip to Anfield at the weekend in perfect fashion
The holders go into the hat for the next round as perhaps the team to beat for their rivals
A dislocated finger for Matheus Nunes was the only real injury of note for the champions
So when they gave up possession high up the pitch and Jacob Neestrup’s side transitioned quickly over halfway, Mohamed Elyounoussi dangerously breaking for Ederson’s area, Copenhagen were in. The ex-Southampton winger, playing through the middle here, swapped passes with Orri Oskarsson and slipped into Ederson’s corner. Game on? Probably not.
Definitely not by first-half stoppage time, Haaland dumping Nottingham Forest loanee Scott McKenna on his behind and powered into the near corner. A landmark goal for Haaland, who equalled Sergio Aguero’s European record of 41 goals in this competition.
Aguero, arguably the greatest natural goalscorer in Premier League history, took 79 matches to reach that total. Haaland’s done it in 37. For a man who there is little new to say, Haaland does manage to regularly find himself involved in mind-bending statistics.
Notorious for his caution when it comes to these nights, often paying the ultimate respect to occasions that should pose City no tangible problems, even Guardiola realised the tie was done. Rodri – who had assisted Haaland, just like during the Manchester derby – was hooked, Sergio Gomez given a run out in his place. If ever there was evidence that City were relaxed, this was it.