MANCHESTER CITY have one foot in the Champions League semi-finals after Pep Guardiola’s side dominate Bayern Munich at the Etihad.
Rodri opened the scoring inside thirty minutes with a cracking strike to beat Yann Sommer in the Bayern net.
Bernardo Silva made it two after getting on the end of a superb Erling Haaland cross.
The Norwegian goal machine then got on the score sheet himself to make it three and give Bayern Munich a mountain to climb in the second leg.
- Match result: Man City 3-0 Bayern Munich
- Man City XI: Ederson, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Stones, Rodri, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Grealish, Haaland
- Bayern Munich XI: Sommer, Pavard, Upamecano, de Ligt, Davies, Kimmich, Goretzka, Musiala, Sane, Coman, Gnabry
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
Stay up to date with all the action from the Etihad…
City in control of own destiny
Many City head into their next run of games knowing that five wins would put them fully in control of their season.
With Arsenal heading to the Eithad for a crunch encounter and their reverse fixture in Munich coming up, it could be a pivotal moment of the season for the Spaniard’s team.
Based on tonight’s performance, it would be a brave man who would bet against them winning all five games.
Pep talk gives edge over Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel will feel that his opposite number has got one over him this evening with his side heading back to Munich with their tails between their legs.
They had an air of confidence about them in the first half until Rodri’s wonder strike put the hosts ahead.
Bayern will be looking for divine intervention if they have any hopes of reaching the semi-finals as they will need to overturn a three-goal deficit.
Credit: EPA City in classic Guardiola mindset
Man City are hitting form just at the right time as they look to chase down league leaders Arsenal heading towards the end of the season.
This victory against Bayern Munich will only boost their confidence heading into the business end of the season.
It is a common trait of a Pep Guardiola side that hit a run of form when it is most needed of them.
He has turned this side into serial winners and they will be confident that they can get the job done when they travel to Germany for the second leg.
Spaniard picks the perfect moment
Rodri had never scored a goal in the Champions League for Man City going into tonight’s game.
It was his goal that opened the scoring this evening, immediately after Bayern almost took the lead themselves.
After his wonder strike, he bossed the midfield and controlled things for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Grealish haunts Tuchel and Bayern
Jack Grealish has been in red-hot form since the World Cup in Qatar.
He continued that this evening as he proved to be the thorn in Bayern Munich’s side.
The Man City wide man put in a man of the match performance tonight.
FT: Man City 3-0 Bayern Munich
These are the European nights Man City fans have dreamed of.
Dispatching the German champions Bayern Munich with ease.
The atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium is off the scale.
FT: Man City 3-0 Bayern Munich
The referee brings the game to a close.
City resist the Bayern onslaught towards the end to maintain their three goal lead to take into the second leg.
What a performance tonight by Pep Guardiola’s side.
Man City 3-0 Bayern Munich
90+2. Bayern are still coming forward trying to get some form of consolation.
A goal for the Germans would change the perspective of this tie.
It seems a daunting task to beat Pep Guardiola’s side by three goals in Germany the way they are playing at the moment.
Man City 3-0 Bayern Munich
90. City are looking like they will have a three goal lead to take to Munich for the second leg.
It is a huge ask of Tuchel’s side to turn this tie around.
They will need the sort of miracle that saw Liverpool beat Barcelona 4-0 to progress.
We are going to have three additional minutes added here.
Man City 3-0 Bayern Munich
88. Kimmich is booked for a heavy tackle on Grealish.
He is lucky to just see yellow as caught the Man City man quite high up the leg.
This has been a bad night at the office for the German champions.
Credit: PA Man City 3-0 Bayern Munich
86. Upamecano plays a wayward backpass to his keeper.
Sommer cannot keep it in play, gifting City another corner.
Rodri meets the cross with a great header which Sommer somehow tips over the bar.
World class goalkeeping there.
Man City 3-0 Bayern Munich
84. City are forced onto the backfoot as Bayern attack with a ball through the middle towards Sane.
As it looks like he may get there before Ederson, Stones intervenes.
Great play from the City defender.
Man City 3-0 Bayern Munich
82. The ball is played to Alvarez who is about thirty yards out.
He tries his luck with Sommer scrambling.
The ball goes inches wide with the keeper nowhere near it.
Man City 3-0 Bayern Munich
80. Bayern look to bring on Muller and Cancelo.
Gnabry and Davies are the ones to make way.
He is given a feisty reception by the home fans.
Man City 3-0 Bayern Munich
78. What a night this is turning into for Pep Guardiola and his team.
The ball is dinked over to the back post and Haaland volleys it past Sommer to make it three.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are in real trouble here.
Credit: Reuters
Goal – Erling Haaland (Man City)
Man City 2-0 Bayern Munich – Alvarez chance
76. This is all Man City at the moment.
Alvarez looks to pass one into the bottom corner but Sommer makes a brilliant save down to his left.
The corner is swung in by City but it is half cleared by Bayern.
Man City 2-0 Bayern Munich
74. The visitors have it all to do now.
They will not want to go back to Germany with such an uphill task for the second leg.
City on the other hand will want to add more.
Man City 2-0 Bayern Munich
72. Man City are in the ascendency now.
Bayern are self-destructing at the moment.
Upamecano looks like he wants the ground to swallow him up right now.
Man City 2-0 Bayern Munich
70. Grealish does brilliantly to dispossess Upamecano.
He feeds it to Haaland on the left who looks like he is surely going to shoot but he chips it towards the back post.
The arriving Bernardo Silva heads it passed Sommer.
Great header.
Goal – Bernardo Silva (Man City)
Man City 1-0 Bayern Munich
68. De Bruyne is on the end of another rough challenge.
Guardiola seems to be getting Alvarez to warm up.
Davies puts a good ball in from the left but Grealish flicks it clear.
Alvarez comes on to replace De Bruyne.
Credit: Reuters Man City 1-0 Bayern Munich
66. Bayern are pressing and win a corner as Sane comes over to take it.
De Bruyne is the man who heads it away at the near post.
It seems Sadio Mane may be coming on to join us for the visitors.
Man City 1-0 Bayern Munich
64. De Bruyne is down and receiving some attention.
As he slid to keep the ball in play he seemed to twist his right knee.
He seems okay to continue but is still off the field.
Man City 1-0 Bayern Munich
62. Man City are looking to pass their way through the visitors.
The neat one-touch passing is opening the Germans up.
De Bruyne and Grealish are causing all the problems.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
