Match ends, Manchester City 3, FC Bayern München 0.
Man CityManchester City3Bayern MunichBayern Munich0
Manchester City took a giant stride towards the Champions League semi-finals with an outstanding performance to overpower Bayern Munich at Etihad Stadium.
Erling Haaland, inevitably, was on target with his 45th goal of the season to make him the highest scorer in all competitions in a single campaign since the Premier League began 30 years ago, surpassing Mohamed Salah and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
City, however, gave a powerful all-round team display and Bayern, under new coach Thomas Tuchel, face a mountainous task to turn this quarter-final around in the second leg at the AllianzArena.
"Emotionally I'm destroyed," said Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. "I have aged 10 more years. It was so demanding a game. It was not comfortable.
"Now I have to relax - a day off for the guys, prepare for Leicester [in the Premier League on Saturday]."
Rodri broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion with a curling left-foot drive into the top corner after 27 minutes while Bayern had chances of their own, especially former City forward Leroy Sane, who brought a vital save out of Ederson early in the second half.
City were always a threat and extended their lead with 20 minutes left, Haaland crossing perfectly for Bernardo Silva to head home after Jack Grealish stole possession off Dayot Upemecano.
Haaland was not to be denied himself and he pounced for City's third six minutes later, getting on the end of John Stones' headed knockdown to sweep a finish past Bayern keeper Yann Sommer.
"It was an incredible result but I know a little bit what can happen in Munich," added Guardiola, who managed Bayern Munich from 2013 until 2016, winning three league titles and two domestic doubles.
"If you don't perform really well they are able to score one, two, three. I know that, the players know that.
"It's an incredible result, but we have to do our game with huge, huge personality. If we don't do our game anything can happen.
"To knock out these teams you have to have two good games, not just one."
Man City deliver complete display
Haaland's record breaking will capture the headlines as the 22-year-old Norwegian's voracious appetite for goals shows no sign of being satisfied.
This, however, was much more than a one-man show as Guardiola's side had outstanding performers in all areas as they go in pursuit of the one major trophy that has remained tantalisingly out of reach during the manager's years of huge success at Etihad Stadium.
City have had mishaps before in the Champions League and will face either holders Real Madrid or Chelsea in a potentially hazardous last-four assignment if they complete what should be the formality of the second leg in Munich, but they look in perfect shape.
And in Haaland, they have the goal machine that gives an already outstanding side an added edge amid the fine margins of Europe's elite competition.
They also have a midfield powerhouse in Rodri, whose goal set them on their way, while they defended with real resilience, Nathan Ake continuing an outstanding season with a faultless performance.
Bernardo Silva showed all his creative powers as well as scoring the crucial second goal while Jack Grealish's tireless performance was exemplified by the manner in which he nicked the ball off Upamecano in the build-up to that goal.
Three goals and clean sheet was a fair reward for City's superiority and it will surely now take something extraordinary to stop them taking their place in another semi-final.
Tuchel faces uphill task
Thomas Tuchel declared his delight at being back in England for this Champions League quarter-final, having recently succeed Julian Naglesmann at Bayern Munich, but there was not much else for the former Chelsea manager to be happy about on this rain-sodden Manchester night.
Tuchel's task is to get Bayern back at Europe's top table and his constant agitation in the technical area was an indicator of how big his task is. The Bundesliga is almost taken for granted at Bayern but this fiercely ambitious club wants more and they were well beaten here.
This outstanding coach has proved his quality in the past but he will need to be a miracle worker to get Bayern out of the hole they fell into at Etihad Stadium.
"I try to not allow my players to focus on the result," Tuchel said. "I think it is not a deserved result, it does not tell the story of this match.
"We played with personality, courage and a lot of quality but we didn't get the rewards we deserved.
"This does not feel a 3-0 but it is a 3-0. It is a huge task to turn it around but we will not give up."
Player of the match
Bernardo SilvaBernardo Silva
with an average of 8.59
Manchester City
Avg
- Squad number20Player nameBernardo SilvaAverage rating
8.59
Squad number16Player nameRodriAverage rating8.46
Squad number5Player nameStonesAverage rating8.43
- Squad number3Player nameRúben DiasAverage rating
8.40
- Squad number10Player nameGrealishAverage rating
8.34
- Squad number9Player nameHaalandAverage rating
8.34
- Squad number6Player nameAkéAverage rating
8.26
Squad number17Player nameDe BruyneAverage rating7.93
- Squad number25Player nameAkanjiAverage rating
7.88
- Squad number19Player nameÁlvarezAverage rating
7.81
Squad number31Player nameEdersonAverage rating7.80
Squad number8Player nameGündoganAverage rating7.80
Bayern Munich
Avg
- Squad number27Player nameSommerAverage rating
6.59
Squad number10Player nameSanéAverage rating6.10
- Squad number6Player nameKimmichAverage rating
5.40
- Squad number11Player nameComanAverage rating
5.22
- Squad number5Player namePavardAverage rating
5.13
- Squad number19Player nameDaviesAverage rating
4.98
- Squad number4Player namede LigtAverage rating
4.97
- Squad number8Player nameGoretzkaAverage rating
4.92
- Squad number7Player nameGnabryAverage rating
4.78
- Squad number42Player nameMusialaAverage rating
4.73
- Squad number17Player nameManéAverage rating
4.26
- Squad number25Player nameMüllerAverage rating
4.18
- Squad number22Player nameJoão CanceloAverage rating
4.05
- Squad number2Player nameUpamecanoAverage rating
3.55
Line-ups
Man City
Formation 3-2-4-1
- 31Ederson
- 6Aké
- 3Rúben Dias
- 25Akanji
- 5Stones
- 16Rodri
- 8Gündogan
- 17De BruyneSubstituted forÁlvarezat 68'minutes
- 10Grealish
- 20Bernardo SilvaBooked at 48mins
- 9Haaland
Substitutes
- 2Walker
- 4Phillips
- 14Laporte
- 18Ortega
- 19Álvarez
- 21Gómez
- 26Mahrez
- 32Perrone
- 33Carson
- 80Palmer
- 82Lewis
Bayern Munich
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 27Sommer
- 5PavardBooked at 88mins
- 2Upamecano
- 4de Ligt
- 19DaviesBooked at 49minsSubstituted forCanceloat 80'minutes
- 6Kimmich
- 8Goretzka
- 11Coman
- 42MusialaSubstituted forManéat 69'minutes
- 10Sané
- 7GnabrySubstituted forMüllerat 80'minutes
Substitutes
- 17Mané
- 20Sarr
- 22Cancelo
- 23Blind
- 25Müller
- 26Ulreich
- 35Schenk
- 38Gravenberch
- 39Tel
- 40Mazraoui
- 44Stanisic
- Referee:
- Jesús Gil Manzano
- Attendance:
- 52,257
Match Stats
Home TeamMan CityAway TeamBayern Munich
- Possession
- Home44%
- Away56%
- Shots
- Home17
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home9
- Away4
- Corners
- Home8
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away8
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Manchester City 3, FC Bayern München 0.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jack Grealish (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Bernardo Silva.
Booking
Benjamin Pavard (FC Bayern München) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Benjamin Pavard (FC Bayern München).
Post update
Jack Grealish (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Erling Haaland (Manchester City).
Post update
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Yann Sommer.
Post update
Attempt saved. Rodri (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Julián Álvarez with a cross.
Post update
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Dayot Upamecano.
Post update
Offside, FC Bayern München. Joshua Kimmich tries a through ball, but Leroy Sané is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt missed. Julián Álvarez (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Jack Grealish.
Substitution
Substitution, FC Bayern München. João Cancelo replaces Alphonso Davies.
Substitution
Substitution, FC Bayern München. Thomas Müller replaces Serge Gnabry.
Post update
Foul by Benjamin Pavard (FC Bayern München).
Post update
Jack Grealish (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt saved. Leroy Sané (FC Bayern München) header from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Joshua Kimmich.
Post update
Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Erling Haaland (Manchester City).
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Comments
Join the conversation
Going away to Bayern for the second leg, nothing is certain. But that was outstanding.
Thumbs up - Yes
Thumbs down- No
Can say a complete performance from City today.
Fingers crossed for KDB.
After the shambles week in week out of Premier League referees.
In all seriousness, brilliant game against a European giant :)
City were brilliant, Bayern playing without a proper striker were never going to get anywhere.
There's only probably Real that could pose City a threat in this tournament now.
City are definitely the team to beat.
Would be good if English clubs can win all 3 of the European comps.