By JACK GAUGHAN
Published: 17:22 EST, 28 January 2026 | Updated: 17:22 EST, 28 January 2026
Now Manchester City must make use of these free midweeks. Watching a couple of European matchdays from the sofa can be no bad thing for a squad who seem to be routinely missing around a dozen players at any given time.
Fatigue has been a big word around City recently and the idea of a packed February cannot have appeared massively appealing for a manager who is creeping closer to breaking point with each passing muscle knock.
Sixteen points and a middling goal difference always did look like a safe target for any club with aspirations of the Champions League’s top eight, and missing the playoff that took City this time last year, and even with defeats by the unfancied pair of Bayer Leverkusen and Bodo/Glimt, Pep Guardiola engineered a passage to the last 16.
Fairly nervelessly until the final moments, when goals elsewhere threatened to conspire against them and City’s players were left checking results from elsewhere on iPhones after this had finished.
What that says about this Swiss format, only in its second season, is another discussion entirely. Certainly two reverses – some would argue embarrassing reverses, although don’t mention that to Guardiola – don’t necessarily scream the sort of record a team securing a bye might manage but then City can only navigate what is in front of them.
Incredibly, City were fourth in the table at half time, up seven places as they led by two goals and as Galatasaray supporters who had infiltrated the home ends – and conservatively, there were hundreds of those - were loudly bemoaning their lack of bite among themselves. Such little bite that the Turks showed no teeth whatsoever.
Jeremy Doku made both goals and then had to come off, potentially as a result of Davinson Sanchez going through the back of him once Rayan Cherki had given Ugurcan Cakir the eyes for the second a minute before the half hour.
Erling Haaland was on target as Man City booked their place automatically in the Champions League last-16
Pep Guardiola's side must make use of the free weeks after avoiding the play-offs, as they fight against fatigue and injury
Jeremy Doku joined Man City's injury list after creating Man City's two goals against Galatasaray
Operating more central these days, Doku claimed earlier in the week that he feels extra unpredictability to his game. Which, given even he doesn’t know what’s coming next half the time, is some admission. Here he was in a box midfield, in behind the strikers with Cherki, and sent Sanchez for a spin inside the box when laying on for the maverick Frenchman.
Sanchez hadn’t been that dizzy in these parts since Ilkay Gundogan dumped him on his backside when scoring against Tottenham in a clip that went viral during Project Restart. A full circle moment, Gundogan was sold a dummy himself by Doku for the opening goal on 10 minutes. Inside the centre circle, Doku feinted, went in the opposite direction and slotted Erling Haaland through with precision.
From there, Haaland galloped forward and dinked the goalkeeper in a way that made you forget he’d missed a sitter in the first few moments and that he hadn’t registered a goal from open play for well over a month.
Ironically it felt like a night that the outgoing Oscar Bobb might have flourished in one of those pockets occupied by Doku and Cherki. Bobb was at the Etihad Stadium to say goodbye to his team mates before driving down to London overnight ahead of a medical with Fulham. He’s going for £27million, although confirmation as to whether that is a permanent transfer or a loan with an obligation to buy has yet to surface.
Either way it is a shame that Bobb’s career at City has ended this way, with there being a sense of what might have been were it not for last season’s leg break. Without his winner at Newcastle United this time two years ago, City wouldn’t make history by lifting four consecutive top flight titles so that is not a bad line to top the obituary.
Bobb watched a side with so much more to give. City were again dazed and confused after the break, as they have been in so many matches recently. Victor Osimhen forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a smart low save, Galatasaray sensing joy through City’s soft centre. Guardiola hopped and bawled, Omar Marmoush and substitute Phil Foden particular focuses of the Catalan’s ire.
Rayan Cherki doubled Man City's lead in the 29th minute, with the hosts eventually easing into the last-16 despite surprise defeats by Bayer Leverkusen and Bodo/Glimt
The lack of control in the middle had almost led to Nico Gonzalez being introduced around the hour but City tried to hang on for a little while longer before introducing a midfielder whose injury absence kept prolonging further and further. In the current climate of their fitness issues, and Rodri still not at the races physically, leaving Gonzalez to warm up for as long as possible felt wise.
City were almost inviting Galatasaray to force a way back into the game. Some of the building from the back looked aimless as the visitors began to locate more space to play without puncturing City.
Eyes were diverted away with more regularity, pitch invaders with Kurdistan flags and shamefully, one of Galatasaray’s contingent in the away enclosure chucking a flare at home fans, tens of police moving in to diffuse tensions as objects flew.