Now Manchester City must make use of these free midweeks. Watching a couple of European matchdays from the sofa can be no bad thing for a squad who seem to be routinely missing around a half-dozen players at any given time.
Fatigue has been a big word around City recently and the idea of a packed February cannot have appeared massively appealing for a manager who is creeping closer to breaking point with each passing muscle knock – Jeremy Doku the latest to succumb with a fresh calf problem.
Sixteen points and a middling goal difference always did look like a safe target for any club with aspirations of the Champions League’s top eight, and missing the playoff that took City this time last year, and even with defeats by the unfancied pair of Bayer Leverkusen and Bodo/Glimt, Pep Guardiola engineered a passage to the last 16.
Fairly nervelessly until the final moments, when goals elsewhere threatened to conspire against them and City’s players were left checking results from elsewhere on iPhones after this had finished.
Erling Haaland was on target as Man City booked their place automatically in the Champions League last-16
They were watching inside the dressing room as Real Madrid tried to force a draw at Benfica, in what would have disastrous ramifications, only to find goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin score and send Jose Mourinho on one of those famous touchline runs.
‘Of course,’ Guardiola said when asked if he’ll send Mourinho a message of thanks. ‘We didn’t know Benfica needed a goal. We saw the goalkeeper and said, “why did you go up” but it was a good strategy for Jose.’
What this all says about this Swiss format, only in its second season, is another discussion entirely. Certainly two reverses – some would argue embarrassing reverses, although don’t mention that to Guardiola – don’t necessarily scream the sort of record a team securing a bye might manage but then City can only navigate what is in front of them. Inter, Real, Benfica or Bodo await in the knockouts.
Pep Guardiola’s side must make use of the free weeks after avoiding the play-offs, as they fight against fatigue and injury
Incredibly, City were fourth in the table at half time, up seven places as they led by two goals and as Galatasaray supporters who had infiltrated the home ends – and conservatively, there were hundreds of those – were loudly bemoaning their lack of bite among themselves. Such little bite that the Turks showed no teeth whatsoever.
Doku made both goals and then worryingly had to come off as a result of Davinson Sanchez going through the back of him once Rayan Cherki had given Ugurcan Cakir the eyes for the second a minute before the half hour.
Operating more central these days, Doku claimed earlier in the week that he feels extra unpredictability to his game. Which, given even he doesn’t know what’s coming next half the time, is some admission.
Here he was in a box midfield, in behind the strikers with Cherki, sending Sanchez for a spin inside the box when laying on for the maverick Frenchman.
Sanchez hadn’t been that dizzy in these parts since Ilkay Gundogan dumped him on his backside when scoring against Tottenham in a clip that went viral during Project Restart.
A full circle moment, Gundogan was sold a dummy himself by Doku for the opening goal on 10 minutes. Inside the centre circle, Doku feinted and slotted Erling Haaland through with precision.
Jeremy Doku joined Man City’s injury list after creating Man City’s two goals against Galatasaray
From there, Haaland galloped forward and dinked the goalkeeper in a way that made you forget he’d missed a sitter in the first few moments and that he hadn’t registered a goal from open play for well over a month.
Ironically it felt like a night that the outgoing Oscar Bobb might have flourished in one of those pockets occupied by Doku and Cherki. Bobb was at the Etihad Stadium to say goodbye to his team mates before driving down to London overnight ahead of a medical with Fulham.
He’s going for £27million, although confirmation as to whether that is a permanent transfer or a loan with an obligation to buy has yet to surface.
Rayan Cherki doubled Man City’s lead in the 29th minute, with the hosts eventually easing into the last-16 despite surprise defeats by Bayer Leverkusen and Bodo/Glimt
Either way it is a shame that Bobb’s career at City has ended this way, with there being a sense of what might have been were it not for last season’s leg break. Without his winner at Newcastle United this time two years ago, City wouldn’t make history by lifting four consecutive top flight titles so that is not a bad line to top the obituary.
Bobb was watching a side with so much more to give. City were again dazed and confused after the break, as they have been in so many matches recently. Victor Osimhen forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a smart low save, Galatasaray sensing joy through City’s soft centre.
Guardiola hopped and bawled. ‘We missed too many clear chances,’ he said. ‘We had incredible problems defensively with lack of players but the situation we have is up front.’
City were almost inviting Galatasaray to force a way back into the game. Some of the building from the back looked aimless as the visitors began to locate more space to play without puncturing City.
Eyes were diverted away with more regularity, pitch invaders with Kurdistan flags and shamefully, one of Galatasaray’s contingent in the away enclosure chucking a flare at home fans, tens of police moving in to diffuse tensions as objects flew and seven arrests made.
