Mueez Ajao
– Manchester City took a giant stride towards the Champions League semi-finals with an outstanding performance to overpower Bayern Munich at Etihad Stadium.
– Erling Haaland, inevitably, was on target with his 45th goal of the season to make him the highest scorer in all competitions in a single campaign since the Premier League began 30 years ago, surpassing Mohamed Salah and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
– City, however, gave a powerful all-round team display and Bayern, under new coach Thomas Tuchel, face a mountainous task to turn this quarter-final around in the second leg at the AllianzArena.
Also Read: Rampant Man City destroy Bayern at the Etihad
– “Emotionally I’m destroyed,” said Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. “I have aged 10 more years. It was so demanding a game. It was not comfortable.
– “Now I have to relax – a day off for the guys, prepare for Leicester [in the Premier League on Saturday].”
– Rodri broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion with a curling left-foot drive into the top corner after 27 minutes while Bayern had chances of their own, especially former City forward Leroy Sane, who brought a vital save out of Ederson early in the second half.
– City were always a threat and extended their lead with 20 minutes left, Haaland crossing perfectly for Bernardo Silva to head home after Jack Grealish stole possession off Dayot Upemecano.
– Haaland was not to be denied himself and he pounced for City’s third six minutes later, getting on the end of John Stones’ headed knockdown to sweep a finish past Bayern keeper Yann Sommer.
– “It was an incredible result but I know a little bit what can happen in Munich,” added Guardiola, who managed Bayern Munich from 2013 until 2016, winning three league titles and two domestic doubles.
– “If you don’t perform really well they are able to score one, two, three. I know that, the players know that.
– “It’s an incredible result, but we have to do our game with huge, huge personality. If we don’t do our game anything can happen.
– “To knock out these teams you have to have two good games, not just one.”
