Manchester City eased through to the Champions League semi-finals as a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich proved more than enough to set up a last-four tie with Real Madrid.
Taking a three-goal advantage to Munich, Pep Guardiola’s side just needed to avoid a second-leg disaster to secure a clash with the defending champions, and they did just that in comfortable fashion.
Erling Haaland missed a first-half penalty, but he got himself on the scoresheet after the break to put the result beyond doubt, ensuring Joshua Kimmich’s late consolation from the spot had no impact on City’s European progression.
The treble remains on for the Champions League favourites, who now turn their attention to an FA Cup semi-final against Sheffield United before Arsenal arrive at the Etihad for a potential Premier League title decider.
Bayern caused City plenty of problems early on down the right, with Kinglsey Coman having the beating of Nathan Ake, but it was straight through the middle that their first big chance came. Jamal Musiala slid a pass through, Leroy Sane was away but his dinked effort rolled wide of the far post.
The hosts’ hopes of a miraculous comeback appeared over when Haaland was clean through and brought down by Dayot Upamecano, the referee Clement Turpin wasting no time in brandishing the red card. However, he had been fooled by the late offside flag from his assistant, with the sending off sheepishly rescinded as Bayern survived.
Turpin though showed no desire to give up on his efforts to make this a miserable night for Upamecano, who had a torrid time in Manchester and was not enjoying home comforts much more, as a penalty was awarded for handball that seemingly nobody had appealed for. Haaland was made to wait before taking it, and when he did he blasted the spot-kick over the bar.
Even with all the fun and games there was still only two minutes added on, though that was nearly enough for Bayern to eat into the deficit. Eric Choupo-Moting had a backheel blocked from a few yards out, before the City shirts then flew in to deny Coman on the rebound. Bayern’s first-half display deserved a goal at the very least, but they returned to the dressing room with breaching City’s defence three times still the minimum requirement.
Coman went close in the second half too, firing a ball across the face of goal that was palmed out by Ederson, but seconds later it was City taking the lead the on the night, and Bayern’s charge was swiftly halted.
The ball was booted up the pitch, Haaland nodded it down to De Bruyne and the Belgian slid the pass back through to his team-mate. This time it wasn’t Turpin that proved Upamecano’s downfall but rather his footing, as he slipped to allow Haaland through and the finish duly followed.
That knocked the stuffing out of Bayern, even if they were gifted a way onto the scoresheet in the closing stages. Manuel Akanji was penalised for handball as Sadio Mane chipped the ball onto his arm from point-blank range, a call that beat a competitive field to be crowned worst decision of the night. Kimmich fired the spot-kick down the middle, but Bayern’s race had long been run.
