Man City closed in on the Champions League semi-final berth on Tuesday evening with a convincing 3-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland gave Pep Guardiola’s side a convincing lead ahead of the second leg tie that will played at the Allianz Arena on April 19th.
With just 28 minutes on the clock, Rodri gave City a well-deserved lead as he struck in from almost 23 yards to score his first ever Champions League goal.
City’s second came in the 70th minute after Jack Grealish dispossessed Dayot Upamecano before putting the ball into the path of Haaland who chipped the ball for Silva to head in.
Seven minutes later, Haaland turned from goal provider to goal scorer when he was found by John Stones to volley in from close range.
That goal took Haaland’s goal tally to 45, making him the Premier League player who has scored the most goals in all competitions in a single season ever.
Man City could have won by a much wider margin but were denied by Bayern keeper Yann Sommer, who made six incredible saves.
He incredibly stopped Gundogan in the opening half by sticking out his foot before parrying away Nathan Ake’s powerful shot to the corner earlier in the closing half.
The Swiss also did brilliantly to tip wide Ruben Diaz, Rodri and Julian Alvarez efforts late on in the game for the game to end 3-0.
Bayern’s best goalscoring attempts fell to former City winger Leroy Sane, who sent in several powerful shots from outside the box, but Ederson Morales, the City custodian was alert to divert them away.
This results means City hand Bayern their first loss in the Champions League this season. The German side had won each of their eight UCL games this season including the two games against PSG in the last 16.
Manchester City XI: Ederson, Akanji, Stones, Ruben Dias, Ake, Rodri, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Grealish, Haaland.
Bayern Munich XI: Sommer, Pavard, De Ligt, Upamecano, Davies, Kimmich, Goretzka, Musiala, Gnabry, Coman, Sane
