Haaland Ends Drought as Manchester City Reach Champions League Last 16

Norwegian strikes as City avoid play-off round with win over Galatasaray

Erling Haaland ended his long wait for an open-play goal as Manchester City secured a crucial 2-0 victory over Galatasaray, sealing their place in the Champions League last 16.

Haaland opened the scoring — his first from open play in ten appearances — before Rayan Cherki doubled City’s advantage prior to half-time at the Etihad Stadium.

Thanks to results elsewhere, Pep Guardiola’s side finished eighth in the league phase, avoiding the play-off round that eliminated them last season and easing their schedule for the months ahead.

Relief for City — and Haaland

There was late tension as City waited for confirmation from other grounds, but news of Real Madrid’s defeat at Benfica ensured the reigning 2023 champions had done enough.

The only blemish on an otherwise positive evening was an injury to Jérémy Doku, who was outstanding early on and created both goals before limping off to join an already lengthy injury list.

Fast start pays off

City began at pace and nearly struck inside three minutes when Rayan Aït-Nouri picked out an unmarked Haaland, who headed wide.

Seven minutes later, the striker made no mistake. Doku burst past his marker and slipped Haaland through on goal. The Norwegian outpaced Abdülkerim Bardakci and calmly chipped Uğurcan Çakir to open the scoring.

City pressed for a second, with Çakir tipping over a fierce effort from Nico O’Reilly, before Doku struck again down the left. The Belgian danced into the box and cut the ball back perfectly for Cherki, who took a touch and swept home to make it 2-0.

Moments later, Doku’s night ended prematurely after picking up a knock following a series of heavy challenges in recent matches.

Galatasaray push after the break

Galatasaray, backed by a loud travelling support and featuring former City players İlkay Gündoğan and Leroy Sané, offered little before the break aside from a tame effort from Victor Osimhen.

The visitors improved after half-time, with Osimhen twice testing Gianluigi Donnarumma, while City’s Omar Marmoush slipped at a key moment when shaping to shoot.

The second half was disrupted by a lengthy stoppage following a clash of heads between Tijjani Reijnders and Davinson Sánchez, both of whom returned with heavy bandaging.

Job done

The tempo dipped late on, but City saw out the result comfortably to confirm qualification and avoid two extra European fixtures next month.

With Haaland back among the goals and knockout football secured, Guardiola’s side can now turn their focus to competing on all four fronts — even if Doku’s injury casts a slight shadow over an otherwise successful night.