Manchester City enjoyed the perfect warm-up for Sunday's crucial Premier League trip to Liverpool as they cruised past Copenhagen to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for a sixth successive season.
2023/2024 UEFA Champions League
3-1
Ahead by two goals from the first leg in Copenhagen three weeks ago, any lingering hopes of a shock were ended within nine minutes as Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez found the net.
Erling Haaland went joint top of the tournament scoring charts alongside Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe as he netted his sixth of the campaign - and 29th in all competitions - as City scored a third before half-time after the visitors had pulled one back.
The Norwegian, who Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reminded everyone Manchester United could have signed in 2019 on the 'Stick to Football' podcast, has scored in three successive games for the first time since October.
It is good news for City boss Pep Guardiola before the Anfield encounter.
Match Events
5' GOAL! Man City 1-0 Copenhagen (Akanji)
9' GOAL! Man City 2-0 Copenhagen (Julián Álvarez)
29' GOAL! Man City 2-1 Copenhagen (Mohamed Elyounoussi)
45' CLOSE! Nunez hits the post
48' GOAL! Man City 3-1 Copenhagen (Haaland)
64' Oskarsson nearly scores for Copenhagen!
69' Sub! Stones replaces Ruben
Line-ups
Man City XI: Kovacic, Ederson, Ruben Dias, Akanji, Rodri, Haaland, Julián Álvarez, Matheus Nunes, Josko Gvardiol, Oscar Bobb, Rico Lewis
Subs: Carson, Walker, De Bruyne, Stefan Ortega, Ake, Stones, Bernardo, Foden, Sergio Gómez, Micah Hamilton, Mahamadou Susoho, Jacob Wright
Copenhagen XI: Ankersen, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Vavro, Scott McKenna, Kevin Diks, Grabara, Orri Óskarsson, Elias Achouri, Elias Jelert, William Clem, Victor Froholdt
Subs: Nicolai Boilesen, Christian Sörensen, A. Cornelius, Runarsson, Birger Meling, Jordan Larsson, Magnus Mattsson, Roony Bardghji, Oscar Höjlund, Oscar Buur