I noticed what Pep Guardiola did vs FC Copenhagen and it sets Man City standard

I noticed what Pep Guardiola did vs FC Copenhagen and it sets Man City standard

These are the moments you may have missed from Manchester City’s comfortable Champions League night against FC Copenhagen.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola gives instructions to Julian Alvarez (obscured) and Josko Gvardiol

Pep Guardiola issues instructions to his Man City players during the tie with Copenhagen

Manchester City had started thinking of Sunday’s huge Premier League clash at Liverpool when he rested seven big names for the Champions League last-16 second leg vs FC Copenhagen.

 

 

Those seven big names can all expect to start at Anfield, and Pep Guardiola would have given even more thought to the weekend after seeing City go two goals ahead after just eight minutes to put four aggregate goals between themselves and a premature exit from Europe. Erling Haaland cancelled out Mohamed Elyounoussi’s well-taken goal before the break to maintain that lead at the break.

 

The second half saw no further goals as Guardiola used the opportunity to give Rodri and Ruben Dias a rest ahead of the Liverpool clash – with City marching on safely into the quarter-finals.

 

These are the moments you may have missed from City’s Champions League win:

 

Chairman watches the warm-ups

 

It’s not unusual to see chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the Etihad, especially for big games, but it is rare to see him pitchside. 25 minutes before kick-off at the Etihad Stadium, Al Mubarak could be seen standing just behind the City dugout in the Tunnel Club seating area, showing Andriy Shevchenko and other VIP guests around. The pair spent a few minutes looking around before withdrawing back into the hospitality areas – presumably for a hot tea or bovril before kick-off.

 

Closest to the chairman was a high-quality bench that included Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden – most of who were taking part in a rondo that lacked the usual intensity. Those players may know they were being rested for Liverpool, and all being well would not take part on Wednesday – but would probably have upped the tempo if they realised who was keeping a close eye.

 

Foden had peeled away from the group to exchange long passes with fellow local lad Jacob Wright. It was a slightly-more intense approach to warming up, but not by much. After the starters went back to the dressing room, the subs enjoyed a crossbar challenge before joining them. Guardiola’s teamsheet – and the toned down nature of the substitutes’ warm-up – supported the idea that the likes of Walker, Stones, Ake, Bernardo, De Bruyne and Foden were already on the teamsheet at Liverpool on Sunday.

 

Guardiola’s intensity doesn’t care for the scoreline – or injuries

Even after City raced into a two-goal lead on the night and four-goal lead on aggregate, Pep Guardiola wasn’t letting up. When Mateo Kovacic was clattered and went down holding his chest there was a little concern from his teammates. Guardiola used the time to call over Ederson for some instructions, and when Kovacic got up and returned to the sidelines, the manger didn’t check to see how he was but instead drilled into the midfielder some tactics.

 

 

Sergio Gomez was introduced at half-time, with Guardiola delaying the Spaniard’s introduction for some more instructions – with City 6-2 up on aggregate by this point. The manager was prowling the touchline all night, and looked agitated when Ederson gave the ball away in front of goal at the start of the season half, and later when Josko Gvardiol conceded possession in a dangerous area.

 

He stressed the quality of Copenhagen in his programme notes, and praised his side’s ability to consistently reach the last-16 of the Champions League (11 seasons in a row) and the quarter-finals (now eight in a row). It’s maybe no surprise, then, that he wanted to get the most out of a second half with no drama in it. Cameos from Sergio Gomez and Micah Hamilton will teach him plenty about his fringe players, while Oscar Bobb and Rico Lewis also completed 90 minutes.

 

Away fans noisy but City have last laugh

If quarter-final places were decided on who sung the loudest, then Copenhagen would be in the last eight instead of City. Their fans were in place 90 minutes before kick-off and were loud throughout. Not even conceding two early goals disrupted their songbook, and were bouncing away long before Mohamed Elyounoussi scored to send them into raptures. That was at 5-2 down on aggregate, imagine if they were in the tie.

 

 

In truth, this had all the ingredients of a flat Etihad Stadium before kick-off. Sandwiched in between huge games against Manchester United and Liverpool, and with City all-but booking their place in the next round three weeks ago, there was no jeopardy in this game and if fans are opting to save money ahead of the run-in, this is a safe one to miss. Champions League home games can also have less buzz about them early in the competition as more tourists and non-regulars can get tickets. It’s nobody’s fault, but reflective of City’s success.

 

Copenhagen jokingly mocked City fans when the Etihad was empty at 6.30pm singing ‘is this a library’, and repeated the ditty in the first half. ‘2-0 to the library’ replied the City fans. After making it 3-1 on the night before the break, the second half was a non-event, and even the Copenhagen enthusiasm waned. With half an hour to go, fans in the top tier of the East and West Stands found more entertainment in shining the torches on their phones to each other – rubbing in just how comfortable this tie eventually became for City.

 

A final insult – ‘why are you still here?’ – came from the home end, before the Copenhagen players and fans serenaded each other at full time. They might have won the singing, but it’s City who march on with far more exciting European nights awaiting.

 

Ederson’s full time gesture

After City’s passage to the last eight was secured, both sides came together to swap shirts and shake hands. Norwegian El Younoussi could be seen in an animated conversation with compatriot Oscar Bobb, with Haaland also sharing some words with his international teammates. Away from them, one young fan had run onto the pitch in search of Haaland, with stewards quick to apprehend him.

 

Before they could whisk the youngster away, Ederson stopped them and made sure to hand his shirt to the fan, who looked delighted as four stewards all twice his size were needed to march him back to the stands. Ederson and Haaland could be seen joking about the incident at full time amid minimal celebrations as attention quickly turned to Liverpool on Sunday.

 

Nunes’ freak injury

With the game dwindling down, Matheus Nunes fell innocuously and stayed down. Replays showed that he fell awkwardly on his finger and dislocated one digit that sat perpendicular to his others. Physios strapped the fingers back up and Nunes was replaced, walking around the pitch back to the dugout. Passing Phil Foden, warming up, Nunes stopped to show his teammate the damage while Ruben Dias grimaced in response.

 

It’s not the kind of injury that will keep Nunes out for long, and he was not expected to start at Anfield anyway. Another promising showing on the wing from the Portuguese has seen him become a reliable alternative, and his versatility will help Guardiola during the run-in. Work on his end-product, and he will prove to be a very useful asset to City in the coming months.