Pep Guardiola often bemoans the schedule so Manchester City entering the last 16 directly and miss the home-and-away knockout playoff round pleased the manager.
City ended in eighth place due to Benfica’s 4-2 win against Real Madrid, the Portuguese being led by his old adversary, José Mourinho, to whom Guardiola will be happy to offer a thank you message.
“Of course,” he said, City’s dressing room having been transfixed by the later finish at Estádio da Luz. There, Anatoliy Trubin’s 97th-minute header squeezed Benfica into the playoffs, with the goalkeeper being in Real’s area initially puzzling.
“We were all there so we didn’t know Benfica needed a goal to qualify so when the goalkeeper goes up, we say: ‘Why you go?’ But it was a good strategy for José,” the Catalan said.
City will face one of Real Madrid, Inter, Bodo/Glimt or Benfica in the last 16. The draw to determine their opponents on 27 February, with Guardiola’s side guaranteed to be at home in the second leg.
The victory came from Erling Haaland’s opener and Rayan Cherki’s second, each before the break. Yet a sour note came with Jérémy Doku’s injury on 36 minutes, after a tussle with Davinson Sánchez, and the winger is likely to miss the trip to Tottenham on Sunday. “I think so,” Guardiola said. “He is a calf [problem] – he felt something.”
Of what was a patchy display against Galatasaray, he said: “The first half was better than the second. Really pleased. Hopefully we can arrive in March for the next round at our best.”
Haaland scored for only a second time in eight matches when sprinting on to Doku’s defence splitter, then coolly chipped Ugurcan Cakir, the visiting No 1.
Okan Buruk’s side arrived as the Turkish champions of the past three seasons and Super Lig leaders by three points, having lost one of 19 games in the competition this term.
Buruk’s configuration was a 4-4-1-1 featuring Victor Osimhen as the No 9, and the City old boys Ilkay Gündogan and Leroy Sané in central and right midfield respectively.
City are no longer the slick unit that scythes their foes open as illustrated by Doku, then Nico O’Reilly unloading at range, Bernardo Silva hoofing the ball straight up and Cherki being mugged near his area. Guardiola was furious and with Osimhen forcing Gianluigi Donnarumma into a low save, City’s second goal was welcome. Doku, zipping about everywhere, popped up on the left, squared to Cherki, and in space in the area beat Cakir to the goalkeeper’s right with ease.
Rayan Cherki (centre) centre wheels away in celebration after doubling the home side’s lead. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA
After half an hour City had risen to seventh place. Yet Guardiola, without the suspended Rodri and having again dropped Phil Foden, was unhappy – Cherki the focus of his ire. When Doku limped off after the tussle with Sánchez Foden entered, but when the ball broke to Matheus Nunes from a Cherki corner the defender dawdled and allowed Osimhen to charge towards goal. An anguished Guardiola watched as Nunes recovered but here was further sloppy football from City.
Better was Rayan Aït-Nouri’s slaloming run that took him along the left: he picked out a free Foden but he scooped over and at the whistle for the break Guardiola strode off.
Rayan Cherki celebrates scoring Manchester City’s second goal with Matheus Nunes and fellow goalscorer Erling Haaland (right). Photograph: Scott Heppell/Reuters
Scores elsewhere meant City began the second half in the princely place of fourth – yet in the same odd mode, an Aït-Nouri high ball smashed back from halfway for some reason, the latest jarring sight.
When Nathan Aké’s distribution proved equally aimless, Guardiola delivered a verbal volley, and a period yet to have any rhythm was disrupted by three pitch invaders holding flags.
Burak’s team were on top. A foray down their left claimed a corner, Gabriel Sara dipped it in but Osimhen’s header was simple for Donnarumma. A Turkish goal and City would be jittery and the visitors, in burgundy and orange, enjoyed the control to force one.
When Cherki dropped deep and passed around the corner to Omar Marmoush along the left it was a rare attack from City – a quaint state of affairs for Guardiola’s team. So, too, a hopeful long ball up to Haaland. The centre-forward found Marmoush who, if his touch was better, might have scored City’s third.
Instead, Osimhen nearly did – his shot had Donnarumma repelling smartly and Guardiola brought on Tijjani Reijnders for Marmoush.
Nico González replaced Cherki for the closing minutes yet a clumsy Haaland pass caused Guardiola, again, to hold his head.
A strange evening, then, for City and one that Guardiola will surely use to lecture his charges on what not to do.