UNITED KINGDOM: Young Boys was defeated by Manchester City by halftime on Tuesday, and after just four games, their group stage season in the UEFA Champions League is over. While Pep Guardiola will aim to lead Group G, Manchester City will be interested in the knockout stages come January for the eleventh consecutive year after they have already earned 12 points out of a possible 12.
An hour before the game at Etihad Stadium began, Barcelona, who had advanced to the semifinals the previous three years, was defeated by Shakhtar Donetsk in Group H. Being one of the three clubs with a perfect record in the group stage this season, Manchester City is the first team to advance to the Round of 16, and it is improbable that they will be the team left standing following the June final at Wembley Stadium.
Despite many saying it’s simple, Guardiola stated his satisfaction at qualifying with two games remaining in the group stage. He underlined that they still had work to do to secure the second leg in the round of sixteen at home and to finish at the top of the group. Guardiola expressed his admiration for the initial step towards qualification, saying he had to combat the inclination that things are simple for people.
In Switzerland, Manchester City overcame Young Boys 3-1, and in the rematch, they led 2-0 thanks to a goal from Phil Foden. Guardiola started Nathan Aké in place of John Stones and rested Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Julián Álvarez ahead of their match at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.
Haaland was hurt after leaving with an ankle issue, but he still scored the third goal in a 6-1 victory over Bournemouth. Sandro Lauper’s second yellow card meant the Swiss champions had little chance of a comeback. Although Haaland’s early departure satisfied manager Raphael Wicky, Mauricio Pochettino might be worried about his absence at Chelsea. Haaland has significantly increased his goal total from the previous season, with 15 goals in 17 games thus far.
Guardiola said he feels good and is ready to play while praising Manchester City’s talent at the six- and eight-yard box positions. He did point out that the club needs to get better at the 18-yard box activity and last touch, though.
City’s ability to stay in the Premier League and earn a Champions League spot can be attributed to their consistency and high standards. The Premier League and Europe are concerned about City’s recent troubles, which include five straight victories and six games without a clean sheet.
With a commanding performance against Young Boys, City extended their home-winning streak to 23 games, breaking Sunderland’s record set 130 years earlier. The club is making it look easy as they prepare for more difficult tests because they haven’t lost a Champions League game at home since 2018. The only other elite team to accomplish this feat is Sunderland.
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