PEP GUARDIOLA said before the game that a win here would be ‘medicine’for their recent woes.
So a Gabriel Jesus hat-trick and what turned out to be a comfortable victory in Croatia could be just what the doctor ordered for Manchester City.
Gabriel Jesus scored a stunning hat-trick in Croatia
City looked distinctly under the weather early on – coming into the game on the back of just two wins from seven matches in all competitions.
And things took a turn for the worse as Spanish youngster Dani Olmo thumped in an early volley to give the home side the lead.
Yet a treble from Jesus should ensure they are back in rude health ahead of a key run of games on the domestic front, starting at Arsenal on Sunday.
The Brazilian forward certainly doesn’t suffer from travel sickness.His last 15 goals have all come away from the Etihad now.
And Phil Foden lifted spirits further by adding a late fourth – after having a hand in all three of the other goals.
It would have been easy for City to sit back here and allow the slide to continue.
After all they already knew they had qualified for the last 16 for a seventh year in a row – and had done so in top spot.
So the Etihad boss made eight changes to the team who were beaten disappointingly in the Manchester derby on Saturday.
Yet the game did matter for the home team who were fighting it out with Shakhtar Donetsk and Atalanta for second place and they got off to a perfect start.
A cross from the right from Damian Kadzior dropped over the head of young defender Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo thumped a volley past Claudio Bravo into the roof of the net.
It was a super finish from the young kid from Barcelona’s academy who is being watched by some of Europe’s top clubs.
The Brazilian was deadly in front of goal to take the matchball
Phil Foden scored the fourth in City’s convincing win
Guardiola knows all about him – although he was just a kid at the Nou Camp when Pep was in charge there.
It means City have kept only one clean sheet in their last 12 matches and that is a stat which will worry Guardiola ahead of a busy period.
As will their habit of conceding the first goal in matches.
Olmo blazed another effort just over after a flick on from Mislav Orsic – who also forced a smart save out of Bravo.
City were having all the possession but struggling to create chances – however they pulled level in controversial fashion.
Dinamo’s Emir Dilaver and Peter Stojanovic were down injured but neither were fouls and the visitors chose to play on – much to the anger of the noisy home crowd.
Phil Foden led the attack before the ball ended up with Riyad Mahrez who hung up a cross from the right that was nodded in at the back post by Jesus.
The home side, predictably, were furious with Arijan Ademi booked for squaring upto City skipper for the night Nicolas Otamendi.
But the goal stood and it means the last 12 goals scored by Jesus have all come away from the Etihad.
There was more controversy on the stroke of half-time as Amer Gojak appeared to clearly elbow Rodri in the face near the dug-out.
Dani Olmo smashed the visitors ahead after 10 minutes
Man City finished top of group C to book their spot in the round of 16
Amazingly the Spanish referee gave nothing and there was no intervention from VAR. Even Kojak would have struggled to get to the bottom of that mystery.
City seemed to have more purpose after the break and had the game sewn up within the first 10 minutes of the re-start.
They took the lead in irresistible style with a goal straight out of the Guardiola manual.
Some neat one touch passing from Benjamin Mendy and Foden opened things up for Jesus. After a little shimmy he finished effortlessly with a little curler past Dominik Lubakovic.
And four minutes later it was the same combination again as Mendy and Foden once again teamed up down the left hand side.
The French defender’s cross found Jesus who turned in at the back post to complete his hat-trick and claim the match-ball.
Trust Jesus to start shining so brightly as the Christmas decorations start to go up around the world.
He could even have had a fourth – nodding over the bar after another great cross by Mendy.
Goal three was the 500th goal scored by City during Guardiola’s 199 match reign – 95 more than any other English club have managed in the same period.
Three-and-a-half years in charge and its rarely been dull for fans of this club.
They didn’t have to wait long for number 501 either. Some quick passing from Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo ended with Foden slotting in from close range.
It was no more than the England Under 21 star deserved for his all round display.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
