Man City 3-0 Marseille: Sergio Aguero scores on return from injury as Pep Guardiola's side end Champions League group stage on a high

Match report as Sergio Aguero scored on his return from injury to help Manchester City to a 3-0 win over Marseille; Pep Guardiola named a much-changed side with City already Group C winners; Ferran Torres and Raheem Sterling were also on target

Nick Wright

Comment and Analysis @nicholaspwright

Thursday 10 December 2020 06:05, UK

Sergio Aguero marked his return from injury with a goal as Manchester City rounded off their Champions League group campaign with a 3-0 win over Marseille at the Etihad Stadium.

The 32-year-old, who has been recovering from knee surgery this season and suffered a setback against Olympiakos two weeks ago, poked home from close range (77) after coming on as a second-half substitute for only his fifth appearance of the campaign.

Earlier in the half, Ferran Torres had opened the scoring with his fourth Champions League goal of the season when he slid home from a deflected Riyad Mahrez pass (48) as City, who were already guaranteed top spot in Group C, swiftly put a subdued first-half showing behind them.

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Raheem Sterling, another second-half substitute, then rounded off the victory with a close-range finish of his own (90) after a low cross from Torres had bounced into his path off Marseille defender Alvaro Gonzalez.

The victory was ideal preparation for Saturday's Manchester derby, with Pep Guardiola able to make nine changes from the side that faced Fulham in City's last game, handing a Champions League debut to back-up goalkeeper Zack Steffen as they made it five wins from six group games.

How City secured another win

City's much-changed side dominated possession from the outset and should have taken the lead in the eighth minute, when Fernandinho forced a turnover deep in Marseille territory and Bernardo Silva played in Mahrez.

The Algerian steadied himself with only Steve Mandanda to beat, but the Marseille goalkeeper made a fine save, blocking his low, left-footed effort with an outstretched boot.

Player ratings

Man City: Steffen (7), Walker (7), Garcia (6), Laporte (7), Ake (7), Fernandinho (7), Gundogan (6), Bernardo Silva (7), Mahrez (6), Foden (6), Torres (8).

Subs used: Stones (7), Sterling (7), Aguero (7)

Marseille: Mandanda (5), Sakai (6), Alvaro (5), Balerdi (6), Nagatomo (6), Kamara (6), Gueye (6), Sanson (5), Thauvin (5), Payet (6), Germain (5).

Subs used: Rongier (6), Ake (6), Strootman (6), Benedetto (6), Cuisance (6)

Man of the match: Ferran Torres

City continued to pin Marseille back and went close again just four minutes later, when a wicked free-kick from Ilkay Gundogan was headed narrowly over the bar by Aymeric Laporte.

It seemed only a matter of time until the hosts made the breakthrough at that point, but Marseille soon began to improve, forcing some chances of their own.

Valere Germain diverted a free header wastefully wide from an excellent Dimitri Payet cross, and Payet then had a superbly-taken goal ruled out for offside after Phil Foden had lost possession in City's half.

Guardiola had been forced into a change by then, with John Stones replacing the injured Eric Garcia, and the England international made a vital intervention soon after coming on when he diverted a Florian Thauvin cross out for a corner from inside City's six-yard box.

Marseille looked the more likely side to score as half-time approached, with Steffen making a smart stop from Pape Gueye after the Marseille midfielder had taken a cross on his chest and fired towards goal from an acute angle, but City immediately improved following the restart.

It took just three minutes for Torres to hit the opener, the Spaniard showing impressive alertness to latch onto Mahrez's deflected pass and fire the ball past Mandanda.

The half-time introduction of Sterling for Gundogan allowed City to play with far greater width and Aguero then doubled the hosts' advantage just 11 minutes after he had replaced Mahrez.

The Argentine had barely had a touch up until then, but in trademark fashion he was in the right place at the right time to poke the ball over the line after Nathan Ake's downward header was blocked by Mandanda following a Foden corner.

Aguero will hope the goal earns him a starting spot against Manchester United at Old Trafford, but one player whose place in the side is surely not in question is Sterling, who found the net for the second successive game when he bundled home City's third.

They now head into the last 16 - and to Old Trafford - on a high.

Opta stats: City progress with record haul

Manchester City have now progressed as group winners in each of their last four Champions League campaigns. They amassed 16 points this season - the joint-most by an English side in the competition along with Arsenal in 2005-06, Manchester United in 2007-08 and Tottenham in 2017-18.
Among Spanish players, only Raúl (eight) scored more Champions League goals before turning 21 than Manchester City's Ferran Torres (six, level with Cesc Fàbregas).
Manchester City conceded just one goal in the Champions League group stages this season, the joint-fewest by any side in a single group stage in the competition and the fewest by an English side in the group stage since Manchester United in 2010-11.

What's next?

Manchester City return to Premier League action against Manchester United in Saturday's Manchester derby at Old Trafford, live on Sky Sports Premier League HD from 5pm ahead of kick-off at 5.30pm.