UEFA Champions League: Manchester City take control following 3-0 win over Bayern Muninch in first-leg of QF
Apr 12, 2023
Manchester [UK], April 12 : Manchester City registered a 3-0 win against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie at home in Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
In the early stages of the match, Jack Grealish lifted up the spirits of the home crowd and in-form striker Erling Haaland also had two chances, which were far from his best and could not be converted.
Rodri's curling shot in the 27th minute gave City the early advantage they were looking for as he set his left-footed shot wide of the far post and the ball was sent curling into the top corner, with Yans Sommer's scrambling going to waste.
Rodri's curling shot from distance in the first half gave Pep Guardiola's side the lead against the German champions before Bernardo Silva headed in a second after the interval. Leroy Sane tested Ederson repeatedly in between but Bayern's defensive frailty was clear.'
At half-time, scoreline read 1-0 in favour of the home side.
In the 70th minute, Silva's turn to score arrived as he received a pass from Haaland and sent it past the keeper with a header. Yans tried to keep it out of the nets, but could not.
In the 76th minute, Haaland made full use of opportunity and freedom in the box to score, latching onto John Stones' header and he cushioned the shot beyond Yans.
Following his side's win, Pep Guardiola, the Man City boss remarked that the win was not comfortable at all and left him "emotionally destroyed."
"It was not comfortable at all. I am emotionally destroyed! I have 10 more years today. It was such a demanding game. For 55 to 60 minutes, it was a tight game, for parts, they were better than us. From the start of the second half, they were better. We could not control them. But we adjusted something and we were better. It is an incredible result. But we have to do something in Munich at a little bit better and not to suffer too much. We will try to do it," said the manager.
"I have been there many times. I know this team is special. To knock out these top teams you need two top games not one. I know exactly what we have to do there. If we do not perform well, they can score one, two or three. I know that and the players know it. It is an incredible result but we have to do our game with a huge, huge personality because otherwise these are top clubs and teams. Here, we have our chances, in our stadium, we are something special this season. We have our momentum, we are clinical and have that weapon. But it is the same for Munich."
"I have been there, you have not been there. I have been there for three years. I know what it means for the people, we are going there to score goals and try to win the game. If not, it will be so difficult," concluded the manager.
Thomas Tuchel, the Bayern boss said, "This does not feel like a 3-0 but it is a 3-0 and it is a huge, huge task now to turn this around. We are realistic but we will not give up. It will not be over until we are in the shower.
About Rodri's goal he said, "If City gets this sort of goal it gets really, really difficult."
"The reaction was great during the first half. In the second half, it was even better. In the period where the goal could give us a huge boost of confidence, the opposite happened."
He saw Upamecano's error as the turning point in the match.
"The second goal shifted the momentum when it was our momentum. It was an individual mistake, a decision-making mistake and at the highest level in world football it is brutal. This is a mistake that should not happen at this level in this part of the field. Clearly, we were not rewarded for our efforts," concluded the boss.
The second leg of the tie will place in Munich on Wednesday, April 19.