Man City v Young Boys LIVE: Champions League result and reaction as City cruise into knockouts
Man City 3-0 Young Boys: City qualified for the knockout stages with two games to spare after brushing aside their Swiss opponents
Manchester City qualified for the Champions League knockout rounds with a comfortable and comprehensive victory over Swiss side Young Boys at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola decided to risk starting Erling Haaland for the game after the striker was subbed off early at the weekend. It proved a great decision as the Norwegian opened the scoring, converting a penalty won by Matheus Nunes being brought down in the box.
City never looked uncomfortable and when the second goal went in, netted by a lovely finish from Phil Foden after he received a cross field pass from Jack Grealish, the hosts knew the game was done.
Sandro Lauper made a tough night more difficult for the visitors by getting himself sent off after accumulating two yellow cards but the last word went to Haaland. He added City’s third with a glorious strike across the box that saw the ball rocket into the far top corner.
Relive the Champions League action below plus get the latest odds and tips for this match right here:
HT Man City 2-0 Young Boys
As things stand, Manchester City confirm their place in the Champions League knockouts this evening. The holders are on course to continue their perfect start to this season’s campaign.
Outclassed Newcastle left on the brink of anticlimactic Champions League exit
Newcastle United waited 20 years to play in the Champions League again and it feels safe to predict that it will not take them two decades to return, but an adventure threatens to end early. As Borussia Dortmund did a double over Eddie Howe’s team, the destroyers of Paris Saint-Germain could see their own hopes in ruins. The casualties from the group of death might include Newcastle, and if so, this may go down as a game too far, rendering their task too tough.
They had beaten Manchester United and Arsenal with weakened teams but there was no treble. Dortmund had been eviscerated by an Englishman, after Harry Kane’s hat-trick in Der Klassiker, but not an English club. Newcastle found it altogether harder than Bayern Munich to prosper at the Signal Iduna Park. If Newcastle are a buying club and Dortmund a selling one, the Bundesliga side may derive particular pleasure from the identity of two of their three goalscorers over 180 minutes that have transformed the group: Felix Nmecha, bought when Jude Bellingham was sold, at St James’ Park and Niclas Fullkrug, perhaps a belated replacement for Erling Haaland, in the rematch.
This competition has the capacity to reward the unlikely lads, as Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff had shown for Newcastle, but they do not have a monopoly on tales of endearing rises from relatively humble origins. Fullkrug was more accustomed to scoring in the German second division but, at 30, he had a first Champions League goal to add to the two he scored in last year’s World Cup. Julian Brandt, the classiest player on the pitch, completed victory on home soil and Dortmund, so timid in their opening night defeat to PSG, have seven points in three games since then, the six accrued against Newcastle forged from sweat.
Outclassed Newcastle left on the brink of anticlimactic Champions League exit
Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Newcastle: The injury-hit Magpies face an uphill task to reach the knockout stages after a frustrating loss in Germany
HT Man City 2-0 Young Boys
Half-time! Man City 2-0 Young Boys
45+1 mins: A simple half of football is falling into place perfectly for Manchester City who are on the verge of qualifying for the knockout rounds.
They’ve won every game in the Champions League so far and are two goals to the good against a Young Boys side that are hanging in there, trying not to concede too many goals.
GOAL! Man City 2-0 Young Boys (Foden, 45+1)⚽️
45+1 mins: Lovely goal from Phil Foden.
Jack Grealish receives it on the inside left channel. He comes inside then pings a ball over to Foden on the opposite side of the pitch.
Foden brings it under control, takes on Ulisses Garcia, skips around the defender then nestles the ball into the back of the net from the right side of the penalty area.
Man City 1-0 Young Boys
45 mins: One minute to play at the end of the first half.
Man City 1-0 Young Boys
41 mins: Oh this is new. Young Boys have a bit of possession and work it nicely up the pitch. It gets flicked to the far side of the box where Merchack Ella brings it under control.
He looks for Cedric Itten in the middle but the pass is intercepted. City clear the ball as far out as Jack Grealish who is then brought down illegally.
Man City 1-0 Young Boys
38 mins: Manchester City have created eight attempts so far with five on target. They’ve only scored once though which is to Young Boys’ credit. They’ve been okay defensively but have offered nothing in attack.
Man City 1-0 Young Boys
35 mins: Chance! Phil Foden knocks a beautifully weighted pass into the box for an overlapping run from Kyle Walker. Walker gets to the ball and whips a cross to the back post where Saidy Janko dinks the ball into the knee of Erling Haaland.
Haaland still turns it towards goal but there’s no power in the shot and Anthony Racioppi scoops it up without too much trouble.
Man City 1-0 Young Boys
32 mins: There’s a nice tempo to the game for Manchester City. It’s like a training ground drill where they keep the ball and find new ways to get into the box.
Rico Lewis flicks one over the top and picks out Erling Haaland but he can’t find a teammate with a cutback and the ball is cleared away.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies