The days when Pep Guardiola’s rivalry with Jose Mourinho was toxic are long gone. They may never clash again. But for a few minutes, they were linked again. A grateful Guardiola, who cursed his old enemy in the past, said he would send the Portuguese a message to thank him. It was Mourinho’s Benfica who spared Manchester City a return ticket to the Champions League’s knockout play-offs. Some of the cheers at the Etihad Stadium came long after the City players had left the pitch. They greeted Benfica’s fourth goal against Real Madrid; scored, improbably, by goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin. The 15-time European champions were down to nine men, condemned to ninth place by defeat.
The manner of it bemused the City team, by then watching in the dressing room, waiting as their fate was determined. “We didn’t know Benfica needed a goal to qualify so when the goalkeeper goes up, we say, ‘why you go?’ because Madrid can equalise and we are out,” smiled Guardiola. “But it was a good strategy for Jose.” And a good outcome for Guardiola.
City had kicked off in 11th and climbed as high as fifth at one stage in the night. They eventually clung on to eighth. They may yet rue not finishing higher, and the points they dropped in the north of Norway. Theirs could be the toughest of last-16 ties. They at least take the direct route there, albeit in an unorthodox way: victorious in the Bernabeu and losing in the Arctic Circle. But beating Real ultimately had more significance than being beaten by Bodo/Glimt.
They remedied some of the damage done there. City were professional, their triumph emphatic, albeit aided by Galatasaray’s insipidness. City needed to win and for three other results to go their way; two, given that Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle were playing each other. City entered the top eight inside eight minutes and without scoring and went two ahead inside half an hour. And yet their ending was nervy. “With a bit of drama, we did it,” said captain Bernardo Silva.
Their reward is a rest. Jeremy Doku had spoken of the importance of giving City a couple of midweeks off in February. He then ensured their fixture list will be emptier until March. “A big miss,” said Guardiola. The Belgian limped off before half-time. Until then, he had been electric, setting up two goals. He has added precision to his pace, the ability to pick a pass to his capacity for solo runs.
Doku’s injury was one of the few blights on City’s night. Erling Haaland got back on the goal trail, with a first in open play in 10 games. Rayan Cherki offered further evidence of why he looks such an astute signing, with a third in the Champions League this season.
There were encouraging performances across the pitch. With Rodri suspended, Nico O’Reilly deputised, drew a fine save with a thunderbolt and provided a comparison with City’s Champions League-winning skipper. Ilkay Gundogan made his first return to the Etihad Stadium, granted the captain’s armband by Galatasaray and a standing ovation by many City fans when he went off; but he had looked ineffectual and off the pace.
With O’Reilly in midfield, Rayan Ait-Nouri got a rare start at left-back and flourished going forward while defensively he was not troubled by another City old boy; Leroy Sane was anonymous. A successor, in Doku, was altogether brighter.
Haaland ended his drought with a delicate dink over Ugurcan Cakir. “A fantastic, fantastic goal,” said Guardiola. It stemmed from a defence-splitting pass from Doku, showing he is much more than just an irrepressible dribbler. The winger was playing as one of City’s No 10s in a 4-2-2-2 formation and this was a playmaker’s pass.
Haaland could have got on the scoresheet even sooner, flying in to head Ait-Nouri’s lovely cross wide. “I love a lot that he misses one clear [chance] and after that [he has] the composure to make his incredible touch,” said Guardiola. For Haaland, it was a 56th Champions League goal in as many games.
For Doku, there was soon a second assist of the evening as he teed up Cherki to drive in a shot. Tellingly, Gundogan afforded one of his replacements too much space to shoot. City could have scored more thereafter – and perhaps would have done had Doku stayed on, with Phil Foden struggling as his replacement – but Omar Marmoush directed a shot straight at Cakir.
Then Guardiola brought on Nico Gonzalez for a first appearance in three weeks. It helped that there was little prospect of a comeback. Victor Osimhen directed two shots at Gianluigi Donnarumma but the abiding image of his night was when he seemed through on goal and was instead dispossessed by Matheus Nunes.
City had a second-string defence, but they were rarely troubled. Galatasaray had beaten Liverpool but produced a limp performance, lacking in intensity and intent. They have an eclectic assortment of results; given their talent and cost, they could have finished higher than 20th. City, though, could look down on Real, Internazionale and PSG in the table. “Considering how many top, top teams are out of the top eight, I know how difficult it is,” said Guardiola. And yet the destination may be the same.
His side met Real in the play-offs last year. They could meet them yet again; but at least it would be in the last 16.
