Soccer

Champions League: Man City and Real Madrid earn passage through to quarter-finals

Manuel Akanji, Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland strike for Pep Guardiola’s side as Vinicius Jr and Willi Orban trade blows in Manchester

FC Copenhagen's Danish midfielder Oscar Højlund vies with Manchester City's Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic and Manchester City's English midfielder Micah Hamilton. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images

Wed Mar 6 2024 - 22:21
Champions League: Manchester City 3 FC Copenhagen 1

Holders Manchester City cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-1 victory over FC Copenhagen on Wednesday in their last-16 second leg, a 10th consecutive win in the competition that wrapped up a 6-2 aggregate triumph.

City, who started the game with a two-goal cushion, took care of business early with first-half goals by Manuel Akanji, Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland.

Akanji scored with City's first chance, volleying in Alvarez's corner in the fifth minute. Alvarez scored his own four minutes later, thanks to calamitous goalkeeping by Kamil Grabara, who let the City forward's shot slip through his hands seconds after Rodri pinged an effort off the crossbar.

Former Southampton player Mohamed Elyounoussi pulled one back for the Danish champions in the 29th minute but City's goal-scoring machine Haaland slotted home a low, hard shot through two defenders seconds before halftime, his 29th goal of the season across all competitions.

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Real Madrid 1 RB Leipzig 1

Real Madrid withstood an onslaught from RB Leipzig to secure a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their last-16 tie that sent them through to the quarter-finals with a 2-1 aggregate victory on Wednesday.

RB Leipzig were arguably the better side and missed several gilt-edged chances. But Real Madrid increased the tempo in the second half and ultimately did enough to secure qualification for the next round despite several chances missed by their opponents.

Bidding for a record-extending 15th Champions League title, Real took the lead thanks to a Vinicius Jr strike from a counter attack in the 65th minute.

But Leipzig’s Willi Orban levelled the score three minutes later with a header to set up a tense final few minutes that included a strike that hit the crossbar by Dani Olmo.

Both City and Madrid will find out their opponents in the draw on March 15th.

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