Manchester City beat AEK Athens 5-1 at the Etihad in the Champions League. They scored twice in the first half, answered a second-half goal immediately, and added two more late on.
City Take Control Early
City got going in the 12th minute and led 1-0 early. They doubled their lead in the 34th minute and went into halftime in full control. AEK made two substitutions at halftime, and they came out with more purpose, scoring in the 52nd minute to make it 2-1 and briefly cause a ripple of nerves in the stadium.
City Respond in Style
The response was swift. Just five minutes later, in the 57th minute, City scored again to make it 3-1, and the doubt disappeared. They added a fourth in the 65th minute and a fifth in the 76th minute, rotating the squad with a series of substitutions as AEK ran out of ideas.
Key Stats
City had 59% of the ball and 14 shots, six of them on target, with eight corners to AEK’s three. AEK had 11 shots, but only three on target, so Gianluigi Donnarumma was rarely tested. City picked up a single yellow card, in the 59th minute, and AEK had none.
Star Names on Show
City’s lineup featured Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden, Enzo Fernández, Elliot Anderson, Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol and Rico Lewis, with Donnarumma in goal. AEK’s side included Lovro Majer, Luka Jović, Răzvan Marin and João Mário, with Alberto Brignoli in goal.
What It Means
This is the response City needed after their 4-2 home defeat to PSG last week, which was their first loss in the competition this season. It also follows a 3-2 win over Ipswich in the league on Saturday, and they head into the November trip to RB Leipzig with real momentum. For AEK, the early goals made it a long night, though they showed some life with their goal at the start of the second half.
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