Man City VS Copenhagen Live Football Score 11-10-2022
John Stones remained injured for Manchester City after missing training on Monday and then he was not in the 21-man squad that travelled to Denmark. City take on FC Copenhagen on Tuesday in the Champions League knowing three points will see them qualify for the last 16 with two games to spare, and leave them one win from winning the group. Stones has not featured since limping off playing for England at the end of last month holding his hamstring. Pep Guardiola initially said he could be back in ten days to a fortnight from his press conference ahead of the derby win over Manchester United which would have given him a return this week, but he remains absent. Speaking after the Premier League win over Southampton on Saturday, Guardiola said: “We are very pleased with [Akanji], now I discover today when we went three at the back and we needed him on the right, with the absence of Kyle and John, who I don’t know when he’ll be back. [Stones] is getting better, not training, hopefully he’ll come back and feel better.”
With Stones out, along with Walker and Kalvin Phillips, City took their remaining 21 first team players to Denmark on Monday, with youngsters Rico Lewis, Josh Wilson-Esbrand and Cole Palmer getting more senior experience as part of the group. City have no players at risk of suspension. Just three players have picked up one booking each in the opening three group games, with the Blues taking maximum points from those fixtures. City, Champions League runners-up two seasons ago, have won all three of their matches in this season’s competition, scoring 11 times and only conceding once. Striker Erling Haaland has got five of those 11 Champions League goals, but manager Pep Guardiola would not be drawn on whether he would rest the Norway international, who has scored 20 goals in 13 games since his £51.2m summer transfer from Borussia Dortmund. “I am going to decide what is the team selection,” said Guardiola. “I have to speak with the players, physios and doctors and decide what is the best, then we will see. “It’s true that in the last 25-30 minutes when games are tight, that is when fatigue and the risk of injuries rises. But lately we were lucky to score goals in the first half and at the beginning of the second, then after we can rotate.
“But it’s not just to rest players for fatigue but to involve everyone. I like it when everyone can be involved in the team and play as best as possible and reach the best level.” Copenhagen are bottom of the group with one point from their three matches – a 0-0 home draw against Sevilla in their second game. Match report as two goals from Erling Haaland – one with his first touch of the game – and further strikes from Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez help Manchester City ease to Champions League Group G victory over FC Copenhagen at the Etihad Stadium The Norwegian netted with his first touch of the game and doubled the lead inside the first half for his 19th goal in just 12 appearances for the club. An own goal by David Khocholava and a Riyad Mahrez penalty heaped further misery on the Danes in a one-sided game before Julian Alvarez made it five late on with his first Champions League goal after fine work by Jack Grealish. It was that easy for City.
Haaland was substituted at half-time with the match already won and Pep Guardiola’s side progressing serenely into the knockout stages having now picked up nine points from their first three games. They top Group G, eight points clear of Sevilla in third place. Going into the seventh minute of the game, Copenhagen could not have kept Haaland quieter. He had yet to touch the ball. But Joao Cancelo’s cross was deflected into his path and he lashed the shot right-footed beyond Kamil Grabara and into the net. The chances kept coming for City but the away side were grateful when they fell to others. Grealish had a couple of shots saved, while Ilkay Gundogan was denied well by Grabara. The problems came when the ball fell to the most lethal finisher in the land. That is what happened when the goalkeeper could only parry Sergio Gomez’s shot into his path and Haaland measured the ball into the vacant net. The only man who could deny him his hat-trick was Guardiola – hooking him in favour of Cole Palmer at the interval.
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