With a double in Tuesday's 3-0 victory over Swiss team Young Boys, Erling Haaland put doubts about his fitness to rest as Manchester City surged into the Champions League knockout stages.
With two games remaining, Pep Guardiola's squad has won all four of their Group G games, guaranteeing their spot in the round of 16.
Despite suffering an ankle injury during the first half of City's 6-1 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday, Haaland was able to start at the Etihad Stadium.
The striker from Norway further demonstrated that there was no persistent injury problem by raising his total of Champions League goals to an incredible 39 in 34 games.
He gave City the lead with a penalty kick in the first half and doubled the advantage with a spectacular long-range attempt after Phil Foden's stunning goal doubled the lead for the holders.
In the second part of a lopsided match, Young Boys had Sandro Lauper sent off, continuing City's remarkable run of winning all 23 of their home games in 2023.
Since 1891 and 1892, Sunderland has won 24 straight home games, setting an English record.
Guardiola can choose to rest players in the next two group games and focus on the Premier League matchups against Tottenham and Crystal Palace, as City has also gone undefeated in their previous 17 Champions League games.
When Manuel Akanji hurt himself during the pregame warm-up, Kyle Walker had to step in as the Swiss defender, which was a setback to Guardiola.
However, a fortnight ago, City trounced Young Boys 3-1 in Bern, and the treble winners quickly restored their dominance.
AFP
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