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Showing posts with the label champions

Man City 3-0 Young Boys: Player ratings as European champions qualify for knockout stages

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Manchester City qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League with a 3-0 victory over Young Boys on Tuesday evening. In an incredibly straightforward first half for the European champions , Erling Haaland's penalty and Phil Foden's delightful run and finish put Man City two goals ahead at the break, with Young Boys failing to produce even a single shot as they struggled to cope with their hosts. Young Boys were reduced to ten men early in the second half, shortly after Haaland had hammered home a wonderful effort from outside the box. Man City sauntered to the finish line, qualifying with two games to spare in Group G. How the game unfolded If Man City's 6-1 weekend trouncing of Bournemouth was anything to go by, Young Boys would need divine intervention to get something from their trip to the Etihad Stadium. The evidence of the opening six minutes also suggested this was the case, Rico Lewis seeing his close-range effort cleared off the line after an incisiv...

RB Leipzig 1-3 Man City: Player ratings as substitutes seal win for European champions

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Manchester City beat a spirited RB Leipzig side 3-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday evening to put themselves firmly top of Group G. City were utterly dominant throughout the first half, passing the hosts to death and looking incredibly assured at the back. The treble-winners went into the break with a 1-0 lead after Phil Foden converted Rico Lewis' tempting cross from the right flank, striking the ball into the turf on its way to the top corner. The second half was not as straightforward for Pep Guardiola's men though, Lois Openda levelling the scoring shortly after half-time with a calm finish that struck the inside of the post on its way in. But it was the man of the moment Julian Alvarez who rose from the bench to find an important late goal for City, curling a wonderful strike beyond the Leipzig goalkeeper. Jeremy Doku would put the icing on the cake in added time, with Alvarez setting up the former Rennes man for his first European goal for the Cityzens. Guardiola...