"Pep Guardiola often bemoans the schedule so for Manchester City to enter the last 16 directly and miss the home-and-away knockout play-off round will please. The manager, though, was clearly unhappy with the team performance that set up the victory and progression due to a troubling sluggishness and doing what annoys him most: failing to play the high-octane way that he drills into his players."
"Erling Haaland's opener - only a second in the striker's last eight matches - and Rayan Cherki's second, each before the interval, were slickly taken but they derived from slack Galatasaray defensive work. Throughout, Guardiola yelled at the side to step up concentration and tempo but for some reason this did not occur. As a perfectionist this will trouble him, yet for now, City have avoided two extra games which is a definite boon."
"His players began in a stadium made noisy by the vociferous travelling support who nearly witnessed Haaland score in front of the 2,600 fans in their section behind Ugurcan Cakir's goal. Rayan Ait-Nouri 's cross offered the No 9, goalless from open play in his last seven outings, a plum chance to head past Galatasaray's No 1 but he somehow failed to hit the target."
Manchester City secured direct qualification to the Champions League last 16 and avoided the home-and-away knockout play-off round. Pep Guardiola expressed dissatisfaction with the team's sluggishness and lack of the high-octane style he demands. Erling Haaland opened the scoring and Rayan Cherki added a second before halftime, both goals stemming from slack Galatasaray defending. Guardiola repeatedly urged greater concentration and tempo, yet the players did not respond consistently. The match featured 2,600 travelling City supporters and a missed header by Haaland before his eventual composed finish. Galatasaray lined up 4-4-1-1 under Okan Buruk and largely chased the game.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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