Sergio Aguero netted his second hat-trick in as many European appearances this season and Kelechi Iheanacho came off the bench to complete the scoring in stoppage-time, crowning the type of serene victory City have seldom enjoyed in the continent’s premier competition.
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Yet their supporters have always seemed lukewarm towards the competition, with attendances often disappointing and their antipathy towards organisers UEFA, due to a number of grievances, well known.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola warned supporters the club can not achieve success in the Champions League unless they start fully embracing the competition. “I think it’s not a big, big problem, but it happened just two days ago”.
“We’ll see, we’ll talk to the doctors. Every time we play better and better”.
‘Tomorrow at three o’clock we start again. “Tough challenges are waiting for us but we are excited to prove ourselves and do our best”.
“Obviously the Champions League is not easy, but our objective is to try to get where we got last season – the semi-final”.
“I think the biggest compliment I can give him is the impact he’s had on that team so early – you can see when they play he’s stamped his authority on that team”.
“We can not make something good in the Champions League in the up-coming years without them”.
“Our players deserve the stadium completely full and hopefully against Barcelona and Celtic it it going to happen”.
It was a commanding display from City, who have now won all seven of their games under Guardiola this season.
“To play with the quality that he has – both feet, intelligence, doesn’t lose the ball, really good when he arrives in the box – he has such a lot of qualities that are going to help us a lot. He is a special, special player”, said Guardiola.
Guardiola has been charged with the task of delivering a first Champions League trophy to City after taking over at the Etihad in July.
Bench including. Ibe, Afobe, Wilshere, Mousette, would offer real attacking threat later in game when city begin to tire, assuming we are still in the game.
City new boy Ilkay Gundogan deputised for Silva in midweek but Guardiola is unsure whether the German is ready for two games in a week, while defender Vincent Kompany definitely remains out.
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Summer signing Gundogan has yet to play for City because of a dislocated knee. I think we were on top from the first minute until the end.
