February 14, (THEWILL) – Manchester City took a big step towards the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals with a comfortable 3-1 victory away at FC Copenhagen on Tuesday, in the first leg of their last 16 tie.
The defending champions controlled proceedings from the start at the Parken Stadium, dominating possession and creating multiple chances. Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring in the 11th minute before Magnus Mattson briefly equalised for the Danish side. However, Bernardo Silva restored City’s lead right before half-time.
Despite Copenhagen’s famously loud and intimidating home crowd, Pep Guardiola’s men looked unfazed. City continued to dictate play in the second half although they failed to fully capitalise on their total dominance, scoring just once more through Phil Foden near the end.
The tie looks all but settled ahead of the return leg in Manchester in three weeks. Barring a shocking collapse, City should have no issues confirming their spot in the last eight. The main concern will be a first-half injury to Jack Grealish, which could see the winger miss some upcoming games.
Overall though, City delivered the professional performance expected of the defending champions. They weathered an unexpected Copenhagen storm in the first half to ultimately cruise to victory and show why many consider them among the top favourites to lift the trophy again this season.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
