Man City breeze to Champions League Round of 16 with ease

Pep discusses why it was crucial for Haaland to begin versus Young Boys.

Pep Guardiola chats with the press about John Stones' physical predicament and the significance of having Erling Haaland on his squad at Manchester City. (0:46)

Rob Dawson, Correspondent, reported on November 7, 2023 at 11:22 PM.

Manchester City completely dominated Young Boys during the first half of their match on Tuesday, effectively securing their place in the UEFA Champions League group stage after only four games.

Pep Guardiola aims to clinch the lead in Group G. However, with a perfect record of 12 points out of 12, City will once again make it to the knockout rounds in the upcoming year for the 11th year consecutively.

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After making it to the semifinals for the past three years, Manchester City's main goal is to qualify from their group. This is a small step towards bigger achievements, such as winning trophies. Many people may assume that bigger teams can easily advance from their group stage after watching Guardiola's team play. However, just before Manchester City's match at the Etihad Stadium, Barcelona lost to Shakhtar Donetsk in their Group H match. This serves as a reminder that every game counts and no team should be underestimated.

Out of all the teams participating in this season's group stage, City is amongst the elite three holding an unbeaten record of success. Furthermore, they are the first team to secure their spot in the Round of 16. It's highly likely that they will continue to excel and make it to the final showdown at the iconic Wembley Stadium in June, with a high chance of coming out on top.

Guardiola expressed his utmost joy on qualifying with two games remaining. He highlighted how some might perceive the group stage to be a walk in the park, but in reality, it requires effort. He added that in life, there are expectations, and one must perform when it matters the most.

At times, we must confront the inclination individuals hold towards us. The critical factor is that this takes place when others acknowledge our qualifications. We must remember that our work isn't complete yet - we need to emerge as the top team in our group and have the second leg of the last 16 on our own turf. We still have work to do, but we've taken the first stride towards qualification, which has left me thoroughly impressed.

City practically secured their victory against Young Boys in their return fixture after defeating them 3-1 in Switzerland a couple of weeks ago. Phil Foden further solidified their lead by dodging around Ulisses Garcia and scoring a goal, bringing the score to 2-0, just before the end of the first half.

Erling Haaland managed to score a penalty 20 minutes ago. Guardiola felt at ease enough to substitute John Stones with Nathan Aké. The upcoming City match will be against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Prior to the game, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Julián Álvarez were granted a break for the night.

Haaland was not expected to play due to an ankle injury he got during the Bournemouth match, where his team won 6-1. Despite the injury, he was able to score the third goal after half-time. This goal made it impossible for the Swiss champions to make a comeback. Additionally, Sandro Lauper was shown a second yellow card and was sent off, making it clear that the game was over.

The manager Raphael Wicky was content when Haaland left the game early, as his team was behind 3-0 and missing one player. However, Mauricio Pochettino may be concerned about facing a fresh and rested Haaland when Chelsea meets them this weekend. Even though Haaland doesn't receive the same amount of admiration he used to get at this time last year, he has already scored 15 goals in 17 games during this season at the age of 23.

Guardiola praised the talent of the player in both the six and 18-yard boxes. He observed how the player moved and expressed satisfaction with his performance during training on Monday. The player was in good spirits and even took a break to rest before playing again on the upcoming Sunday.

We're missing some gentleness or tenderness in the final move or shot within the penalty box today. We didn't perform well in that area, but the other aspects were exceptional.

For countless years, our team has been known for maintaining a consistent level of performance. We hold ourselves to a very high bar, which has allowed us to remain in the top-tier of English football and advance past the group stage of the Champions League.

The Premier League and Europe are concerned that Manchester City is gaining momentum. Despite losing three out of four games, they have now won five games consecutively. In September and October, they could not keep a clean sheet in six games, but in the last three games, they have managed two clean sheets.

During the match against Young Boys, City had complete control and the opposing team didn't even attempt to make a shot on goal. In fact, they couldn't even manage to earn a corner. It's not surprising that City was able to extend their incredible winning streak to 23 matches at home. The only English football team to have achieved a longer run was Sunderland over 130 years ago between 1890 and 1892. It's nothing to be ashamed of being dominated by City at the Etihad.

The team from the City haven't suffered a defeat in their own stadium since 2018, making their performance appear simple. They still have some challenging competitions ahead, but they are getting better and better.