Manchester City 2 Galatasaray 0
Erling Haaland opened the scoring for Manchester City (Nick Potts/PA)
City had kicked off in 11th and climbed as high as fifth at one stage in the night. But they slipped down the standings. When Sporting CP got a late winner against Athletic Bilbao, City dropped to eighth, just the right side of the dotted line, waiting for injury time in the Estadio da Luz. Two Real red cards later, City had got into the last 16.
They had done it the unorthodox way: victorious in the Bernabeu, losing in the Arctic Circle but beating Real ultimately had more significance than losing to Bodo/Glimt.
The drama came elsewhere. City were professional and emphatic, albeit aided by Galatasaray’s insipidness. City needed to win and for three other results to go their way; two, given that Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle were playing each other. City entered the top eight inside eight minutes without scoring and went two ahead inside half an hour. And yet they ending was nervy. They clung on to eighth.
Their reward is a rest. Jeremy Doku had spoken of the importance of giving City a couple of midweeks off in February. He then ensured their fixture list will be emptier until March. The Belgian limped off before half-time. Until then, he had been electric, setting up two goals. He has added precision to his pace, the ability to pick a pass to his capacity for solo runs.
Doku’s injury was one of the few blights on City’s night. Erling Haaland (left) got back on the goal trail, with a first in open play in 10 games. Rayan Cherki offered further evidence of why he looks such an astute signing, with a third in the Champions League.
There were encouraging performances across the pitch. With Rodri suspended, Nico O’Reilly deputised, drew a fine save with a thunderbolt and provided a comparison with City’s Champions League-winning skipper. Ilkay Gundogan made his first return to the Etihad Stadium, granted the captain’s armband by Galatasaray and a standing ovation by many City fans when he went off; but he had looked ineffectual and off the pace.
With O’Reilly in midfield, Rayan Ait-Nouri got a rare start at left-back and flourished going forward while defensively he was not troubled by another City old boy; Leroy Sane was anonymous. A successor, in Doku, was altogether brighter.
Haaland ended his drought with a delicate dink over Ugurcan Cakir. It stemmed from a defence-splitting pass from Doku, showing he is much more than just an irrepressible dribbler. The winger was playing as one of City’s No 10s in a 4-2-2-2 formation and this was a playmaker’s pass.
For Haaland, it was a 56th Champions League goal came in his 56th match. It also took him level with Ruud van Nistelrooy in the competition’s all-time charts. He could have got on the scoresheet even sooner, flying in to head Ait-Nouri’s lovely cross wide.
For Doku, there was soon a second assist of the evening as he teed up Cherki to drive in a shot.
Tellingly, Gundogan afforded one of his replacements too much space to shoot. City could have scored more thereafter – and perhaps would have done had Doku stayed on, with Phil Foden struggling as his replacement – but Omar Marmoush directed a shot straight at Cakir. Yet as the game petered out, Pep Guardiola could at least introduce a fit-again Nico Gonzalez for his first appearance in three weeks.
It helped that there was little prospect of a comeback.
Victor Osimhen directed two shots at Gianluigi Donnarumma but the abiding image of his night was when he seemed through on goal and was instead dispossessed by Matheus Nunes.
City, without the banned Rodri, the ineligible Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo, plus five injured players, had a second-string defence, but they were rarely troubled. Galatasaray had beaten Liverpool but they have an eclectic assortment of results; a team of some talent, acquired at a considerable cost have taken them into the knockout stages of this competition for the first time in 12 years. And yet this side perhaps should have finished higher up the table. This was a limp performance, lacking in intensity and intent.
They will nevertheless get at least two more games. So will City. They faced Real in the play-offs last year. They could play them again now; but at least it would be in the last 16. (