Manchester City vs Copenhagen summary: Haaland double, score, goals, highlights, Champions League 22/23

Peeeep peeep peeeeep! Donatas Rumsas doesn't add any time on, and that's that at the Etihad. Manchester City have utterly breezed past Copenhagen, and Erling Haaland has taken his goal tally for the club to 19 in 12. Decent.

City now have nine points from nine in Group G - and Borussia Dortmund's win in Seville means Pep Guardiola's men are now eight points clear of third. They can wrap up their last-16 place when they visit Copenhagen next week.

Trailing Dortmund by five points, the Danes look to be in a straight fight with Sevilla for the group's Europa League spot.

Thanks for joining!

Released by Gómez's angled ball, Wilson-Esbrand bursts forward into space to cross from the left. He fizzes in a low ball towards the penalty spot, where Palmer can't quite connect. Copenhagen get it behind for a corner, which City work to Gómez on the edge of the box. He shoots powerfully towards the top corner, but Grabara does well to parry!

Mukairu thunders down the right at pace, beating one, and then another. In space to cross, he lays it back to the top of the box.... where Palmer has tracked back to reclaim possession.

Grealish is so close to getting a sixth! From the right, Mahrez lifts a ball onto the boot of the England international, who's lurking with goalscoring intent at the top of the D. He sidefoots his volley towards Grabara's left-hand corner, but the ball flies just, just wide!

It's now 4-1 to Dortmund in Seville. Julian Brandt scored for the Germans a few minutes ago.

Copenhagen replace Lerager with Christian Sorensen.

Twice Copenhagen go as close as they have done all night. First, Haraldsson drives forward towards the City area, before slipping it left to Mukairu. He has peeled off into space to shoot, but can't beat Ederson; his strike is deflected off target for a corner.

From the corner, Lund Jensen gets a firm header to the delivery and sends it downward, but also sends it wide.

Sevilla pulled one back against Dortmund early in the second half, by the way; Youssef En-Nesyri got the goal for the Andalusians. No more goals since then in Seville, so the visitors are still heading for victory.

Grealish plays a little reverse ball into the path of Álvarez, who's arriving to his left at pace. The Argentine takes a touch and advances into the Copenhagen box, but has to take his shoot from quite an acute angle. He pings his effort back off the post, and Copenhagen escape conceding a fifth - for now, at least.

City are stroking it about like a keep-ball drill in a training session. We don't really need these last 20 minutes, to be honest.

Copenhagen make two more changes. Diks and Claesson make way for Peter Ankersen and Paul Mukairu.

City also shuffle their pack, replacing Silva with another youngster. Josh Wilson-Esbrand is on for his first appearance in the Champions League.

Grealish is brought down outside the Copenhagen box by Lerager, and City have an enticing free-kick chance. Gündogan also stands over it, but it's Mahrez who strikes - and strikes into the wall.

The Copenhagen fans are making some impressive noise in the away end. 

Hungry Haaland's UCL goal guzzling

That really is some stat.

Manchester City replace Cancelo with Rico Henry Lewis. He's had some Premier League game time already, but this is his first Champions League appearance for the club.

Penalty for Manchester City!

When Cancelo delivers the ball into the box from the right, Stamenic pretty much rugby tackles Laporte at the back post. Donatas Rumsas has no hesitation in awarding a spot-kick.

Palmer carries the ball forward and lets fly from range, but Grabara saves well to deny the 20-year-old. His shot was heading into the top corner.

At the other end, Ederson gets what must surely be his first action of the night. From the right wing, Johannesson pings over a dangerous low cross that Kristiansen gets something on, but Cancelo does enough to get in the way. The ball bounces through to the City goalkeeper.

Grealish knocks it back to Gündogan, who's five yards outside the box in the left-hand channel. He opens up his body and looks to curl a shot past Grabara and into the far corner, but his strike is too close to the goalkeeper.

Peeeep! Back underway in Manchester.

The teams are back out at the Etihad, and there's a half-time change for both teams. Haaland will have to satisfy himself with two goals, as he's been replaced by City youngster Cole Palmer.

Copenhagen, meanwhile, have replaced Karamoko with Valdemar Lund Jensen.

Dortmund in charge at the Pizjuán

In Seville, Dortmund are 3-0 ahead at half time. Jude Bellingham and Karim Adeyemi added two more just before the break to put the Germans all but out of sight.

(Photo by CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP)

Haaland (third left) steers the ball home from close range for his second goal of the night.

(Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Peeep peeep peeeep! No time added on at the end of the first half. It's been one-way traffic. City could very easily have had four or five.

There's a chance for Silva! City work the ball to the Portuguese in space in the Copenhagen box, but the Portuguese lifts it over the bar. 

That's the best moment the visitors have created. Damary thumps a high, curling ball from the left over to the back post. Gómez doesn't deal with it, and for a second Karamoko has the chance to get on the end of it. He hesitates, though, and the ball flies out for a goal-kick.

Copenhagen keep it for a bit, but there's never even a suggestion that they might get anywhere near Ederson's goal. 

Back come City, and...

Dortmund ahead in Seville

Borussia Dortmund are leading Sevilla 1-0 in Group G's other game tonight, by the way. Raphael Guerreiro gave the visitors the lead after just five minutes at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. So as it stands, City and Dortmund are putting real daylight between themselves and the group's other two teams.

Cancelo shoots from range, but fires well over the bar. 

Copenhagen enjoy a brief bit of respite when they keep possession for a relatively sustained period of time, but quickly City are pinning the Danes back once more. Silva lays the ball back into the box, where Haaland is in the mood for another goal. He takes one touch to steady himself, before unleashing a powerful hit at goal - but Grabara manages to block!

There was also a fine, curling Grealish shot a minute or so that Grabara did very well to turn around the post. City are creating so many moments of attacking danger that it's a struggle to keep up.

More City attempts on goal. Gündogan gets the ball out of his feet and lets fly from the edge of the box, but Grabara parries. A minute later, Mahrez tries his luck from 20 yards or so, but he sends his strike wide.

A couple more City openings to tell you about. First, Haaland rises highest to nod a right-wing cross towards goal, but can only direct his header straight at Grabara. A moment later, Copenhagen get themselves in a terrible tangle as they try to bring it out from the back. Haaland wins it when Grabara gets his throw-out all wrong, but Grealish can't get his shot away when Silva cuts it back from the byline, and the visitors survive.

Haaland adds to ridiculous UCL goal figures

Football stats specialists Opta note that Haaland is only the third player to score in his first three Champions League appearances for an English club.

The Norwegian now has 27 goals in 22 career Champions League games - a tally that brings him level with Barça legends Rivaldo and Luis Suárez.

As I mentioned pre-match, Haaland is now also guaranteed to own the record for goals scored in a player's first 30 Champions League appearances, having overtaken Ruud van Nistelrooy's 26 in 30. Who knows how many he'll have in another eight games' time.

Bernardo Silva hits the post! In the couple of minutes since Haaland's opener, City have continued to utterly dominate possession, and they so nearly double their lead.

Grealish releases Silva into space on the left-hand side of the box. His low shot beats Grabara at the near post, but not the post itself. Nobody can gobble up the loose ball when it rebounds back into the box, and Copenhagen clear.

Now there's a shooting opportunity for Cancelo, right on the edge of the Copenhagen area. He hooks his effort well past Grabara's right-hand post, though. Haaland sticks out a leg to try to direct Cancelo's shot goalwards, but can't make any contact.

As is likely to be the case for much of tonight, it's all City ball in the opening three minutes or so. Cancelo releases Álvarez into space on the right wing, where he wins a corner.

The corner finally falls to Laporte outside the box, some 25 yards out. "Shoooooot" shout the fans, and shoot he does - but it's a weak effort, and it's easily blocked.

Peeep! Lithuanian referee Donatas Rumsas gets us underway in Manchester.

Minute's silence for Indonesia stadium tragedy victims

The teams are out at the Etihad Stadium, which is given the Champions League anthem its customary booing.

Before kick-off, there'll be a minute's silence as a mark of respect to the victims of the stadium disaster in Indonesia at the weekend.

Landmark appearances for Dias, Mahrez

City's Ruben Dias makes his 100th appearance for the club tonight, while for Riyad Mahrez it will be game number 200 for the club.

soccer

Real Madrid vs Shakhtar Donetsk live online: score, stats and updates, Champions League 22-23

By the way, we also have live-text coverage of Real Madrid's Group F clash with Shakhtar Donetsk. You can follow the action at the Bernabéu with my colleague Roddy Cons.

First meeting since UEFA Cup era

Manchester City and Copenhagen's last meeting came in the UEFA Cup in 2008/09, the final season before the competition was rebranded as the Europa League.

Drawn together in the last 32, City won 4-3 on aggregate thanks to a second-leg double from Craig Bellamy, after a 2-2 draw in the Danish capital. 

Mark Hughes’ men then beat another Danish side, Aalborg, in the following round, before losing to Germans Hamburg in the quarter-finals.

Copenhagen turn to Neestrup after bad start

Neestrup has only been in charge at Copenhagen for a couple weeks. The 34-year-old took over at the Danish champions when Jess Thorup was sacked late last month, in the wake of a really poor start to the season.

Copenhagen are down in sixth in the Danish Superliga, eight points off leaders Nordsjaellund, having won just six of their 11 league games this season. The sixth of those victories came against Aarhus at the weekend, in Neestrup's first game at the helm.

The coach, who began a brief, injury-wrecked playing career at Copenhagen, had been assistant to Thorup at Parken Stadium.

(Photo by Lindsey Parnaby / AFP)

What the coaches said: Jacob Neestrup, Copenhagen

Saving best for Europe:

"In recent months we have delivered some of our strongest performances in European matches, but it is of course important that we carry our form over to the Superliga and perform there too.”

City and Haaland:

"Everyone can see that Manchester City are a handful, who have a number of world-class players, but they are a class team regardless of who they select. I am particularly impressed that they play strongly as a collective, and they are very systematic, both when defending and attacking.

"Erling Haaland is perhaps the best striker in the world right now, so we have to try to limit his opportunities to finish, but we don't just focus on him. We also have to prepare for 10 others who make up their strong team unit, and which we have to face up to with our collective effort."

(Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images)

What the coaches said: Pep Guardiola, Man City

Copenhagen: 

“I know the quality they have. They don’t just play long balls up to the striker, they have the ability to play, and the courage to play. They have many things. I am surprised how many things they do so well.

“My expectations are more humble than the media who expect us to win. I am not this type of manager - never, ever. I have a lot of respect - they won the league last season.”

Haaland:

“At his age, no one can compete with him. No one. The numbers speak for themselves. Inside the locker room and on the pitch, we see things that aren't stats that make us happy he is here.”

(Photo by Matt McNulty - Manchester City/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)

First City start of the season for Laporte

Pep Guardiola makes five changes to the City side that began the Manchester derby, and a notable inclusion is that of Aymeric Laporte, who makes his first start of the season following summer surgery. 

Ruben Dias also returns to partner Laporte at the heart of the hosts’ defence, while Sergio Gómez, Riyad Mahrez and Julián Álvarez also come into the team. Striker Álvarez, who arrived from River Plate in the close season, is given his first Champions League start for City.

Nathan Aké, Manuel Akanji, Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden make way, as does the injured Kyle Walker.

As for Copenhagen, boss Jacob Neestrup also makes five changes. 

Kamil Grabara, Victor Kristiansen, Lukas Lerager, Isak Bergmann Johannesson and Mamoudou Karamoko are in for the visitors, who lost captain Carlos Zeca to a season-ending knee injury at the weekend.

Copenhagen team news

Copenhagen's starting XI has been confirmed, too. The visitors go with: Grabara, Diks, Vavro, Khocholava, Kristiansen, Stamenic, Lerager, Johannesson, Claesson, Karamoko and Daramy.

Manchester City team news

Manchester City's team is in. It is: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Gómez, Gündogan, Silva, Mahrez, Grealish, Álvarez and Haaland.

Haaland ripping up the records

Following City’s weekend thumping of United, a fellow who has been getting rather a lot of attention is Erling Haaland (it’s going to be something of a feature of this season and many more beyond, one feels). He scored another three against the Red Devils, to take his goal tally so far for City to a frankly ludicrous 17 in 11. 

That haul includes three in two in the Champions League, after an opening-night double against Sevilla and an impossibly acrobatic winner against Dortmund, his former club, last time out. In his career, Haaland now has 26 goals in 21 Champions League games - a record - and he can carry on rewriting the history books tonight.

With nine games to go until his 30th appearance in the competition, the 22-year-old needs just one more goal to beat Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record number of strikes by a player in his first 30 Champions League outings.

See also: Haaland isn't human

(Photo by Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)

SOCCER

Manchester City vs Copenhagen: times, TV and how to watch online

If you're wondering how you can tune in to the game at the Etihad on TV or online, might I point you in the direction of this useful guide on how and where to watch, put together by my colleague Fidel Rubio.

Copenhagen take 1,200-strong contingent to City

There will be around 1,200 Copenhagen supporters at the Etihad Stadium tonight.

Manchester City vs Copenhagen: welcome

After giving Manchester United a firm walloping in the derby on Sunday, Manchester City now have the chance to take a fairly sizeable step towards the Champions League last 16 when they host Copenhagen tonight.

City have six points from six so far in Group G, after thrashing Sevilla and edging past Borussia Dortmund on matchdays one and two.

Pep Guardiola’s men face a Copenhagen side who, competing in the Champions League proper for the first time since 2016/17, are still looking for their first win of the campaign. They sit third, two points behind Dortmund, after losing to the Germans and drawing with Sevilla. 

The Etihad Stadium might not be the most promising of spots for the Danes to seek out a maiden victory in Group G: City are unbeaten in their last 21 Champions League home games. But, as the late Jimmy Greaves used to say, it's a funny old game. So who knows? 

Kick-off is at 8pm local time (3pm ET/12 noon PT).