Manchester City cruised through their game at home to CSKA Moscow on Tuesday, with the 5-2 scoreline indicative of their dominance. The win means Manuel Pellegrini's team are through into the Champions League knockout stages with a couple of games to spare, joining group leaders Bayern Munich in the round of 16.
Manchester City vs. CSKA Moscow: Final score 5-2, City cruise through to knockout stages
Manchester City have qualified for the Champions League knockout stages with a comfortable 5-2 win at home to CSKA Moscow.
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The tone for the match was set inside the first couple of minutes, when Zoran Tošić blatantly tripped David Silva in the box and City were awarded a penalty. Sergio Agüero stepped up and dispatched the ball into the top corner, with CSKA getting off to just about the worst start possible. They did, however, respond reasonably well, and Seydou Doumbia should've drawn them level from inside the area less than 10 minutes later.
Unfortunately CSKA’s resistance was short-lived. A moment of brilliance from Agüero after 20 minutes saw him roll defender Aleksei Berezutski with a single touch, before nonchalantly stroking the ball just inside Igor Akinfeev’s far post. The hosts were in total control, with their Russian opponents only ever threatening with snapshots from distance.
On the half-hour CSKA coach Leonid Slutsky must’ve been fearing a Norwich-style 7-0 hammering, after City found the net for the third time. Surprise, surprise, Agüero was heavily involved again, playing a delicious low cross from the right into the box for Álvaro Negredo to tap beyond Akinfeev. The visitors looked at serious risk of disintegrating.
However, they managed to pull one back against the run of play in stoppage time at the end of the first half, seconds after Negredo and Silva both failed to take their clear-cut opportunities at the other end. Midfielder Pontus Wernbloom did well to slip his teammate Seydou Doumbia through, who rounded Costel Pantilimon and slotted into an open goal.
Any hopes that goal may have given them of getting back into the game in the second half were quickly dashed by City's fourth, just over five minutes after the restart. Yaya Touré's ball over the top of the CSKA defence was cushioned down by Samir Nasri, leaving Negredo to slot into an open goal to seal his brace.
City were cruising, though conceded a penalty themselves just inside the final 20 minutes. Gaël Clichy hauled down Doumbia in the area, with the striker stepping up to convert the spot-kick. It was no more than a consolation for CSKA, with Negredo restoring City’s three-goal advantage with a smart stoppage time header on James Milner’s cross.
Manchester City: Pantilimon; Clichy, Nastasić, Demichelis, Zabaleta; Silva (Kolarov 66’), Touré, Fernandinho (Milner 46’), Nasri (Navas 77’); Negredo, Agüero.
Goals: Agüero (pen. 3’, 20), Negredo (30’, 51’, 92’).
CSKA Moscow: Akinfeev; Schennikov, Ignashevitch, Berezutski, Nababkin; Milanov (Elm 46’), Wernbloom; Musa (Zuber 45’), Honda (Vitinho 78’), Tošić; Doumbia.
Goals: Dounbia (46’, pen. 71’).
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