London (AFP) – With their huge advantage taken in the first leg in Lisbon (5-0), Manchester City quietly managed the return match (0-0) to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
To take no risk, Pep Guardiola had lined up an eleven certainly relieved of Kevin de Bruyne, Rodri or Jack Grealish, but with Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez or Raheem Sterling on the ground, the offensive power of the Citizens remained very high.
Only the young CJ Egan-Riley, 19, a pure product of the training center, was entitled to a first tenure in C1 on the right flank of the defense.
Over the minutes, the score did not move, Guardiola took the opportunity to spare Foden, who came out at the break, replaced by James McAtee, also 19, before offering the last quarter of an hour in the cages to veteran Scott Carson ( 36 years).
Carson’s last and only appearance at this level of the competition was in April 2005, for Liverpool.
As for the match itself, there were hardly more chances than suspense.
Foden warmed up Adan’s gloves well in the 24th minute and Sterling missed his lob during a face-to-face encounter shortly before the break (38th).
We thought the game might come alive when Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring just after returning from the locker room, but the VAR got involved to identify an offside which resulted in the cancellation of the goal and diving back the match in torpor.
Carson will still have had a good save to make in the 76th, in front of a Paulihno who then came to hit him on his way.
But City will gladly be satisfied with this qualification at little cost in terms of energy spent, while they must try to resist the onslaught of Liverpool launched in their pursuit in the league.