Manchester City qualified for the Champions League knockout rounds with a comfortable and comprehensive victory over Swiss side Young Boys at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola decided to risk starting Erling Haaland for the game after the striker was subbed off early at the weekend. It proved a great decision as the Norwegian opened the scoring, converting a penalty won by Matheus Nunes being brought down in the box.
City never looked uncomfortable and when the second goal went in, netted by a lovely finish from Phil Foden after he received a cross field pass from Jack Grealish, the hosts knew the game was done.
Sandro Lauper made a tough night more difficult for the visitors by getting himself sent off after accumulating two yellow cards but the last word went to Haaland. He added City’s third with a glorious strike across the box that saw the ball rocket into the far top corner.
Relive the Champions League action below plus get the latest odds and tips for this match right here:
Manchester City vs Young Boys live
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Erling Haaland back with a bang as Manchester City progress in Champions League
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Manchester City beat Young Boys 3-0 in the Champions League group stages
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53’ RED CARD – Lauper collects a second yellow and is sent off (MCI 3-0 YB)
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51’ GOAL! – Haaland blasts a beautiful finish into the top corner (MCI 3-0 YB)
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45+1 GOAL! – Foden slots home a lovely goal (MCI 2-0 YB)
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23’ GOAL! – Haaland slots home the spot kick (MCI 1-0 YB)
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22’ PENALTY! – Nunes is brought down in the box (MCI 0-0 YB)
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16’ SAVE! – A double save from Racioppi keeps City at bay (MCI 0-0 YB)
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6’ CHANCE! – Benito blocks Lewis’ effort and denies him an opener (MCI 0-0 YB)
Manchester City FC 3 – 0 BSC Young Boys
Erling Haaland back with a bang as Manchester City progress in Champions League
22:20 , Mike Jones
Erling Haaland shrugged off injury to score twice as holders Manchester City reached the Champions League last 16 with a comfortable 3-0 win over 10-man Young Boys.
The prolific Norwegian took his tally for the season to 15 with a penalty and a long-range strike as City eased past the Swiss champions at the Etihad Stadium to secure their fourth successive Group G win.
Phil Foden also got on the scoresheet as City, securing their place in the knockout stages for an 11th successive season, overran opponents who failed to muster a single shot and had Sandro Lauper sent off in the second half.
Typically, it was Haaland who stole the show having overcome the ankle problem that forced him off against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Erling Haaland back with a bang as Manchester City progress in Champions League
FT Man City 3-0 Young Boys
22:13 , Mike Jones
Reaction from Man City’s Jack Grealish who told TNT Sports: “Every year we have so many games. Obviously, we are not in the Carabao Cup now, but most of the time we are in all the competitions. To qualify with two games to spare, that is what we wanted to do.
“He [Pep Guardiola] gives us so much. In my opinion, he is the best manager in the world. He has shown that over the years. But you can have the best manager in the world, you also need the team.
“And that is what we have, a brilliant team on the pitch but also off the pitch we have a brilliant team that is so close. We love being with each other every day and playing with each other.”
FT Man City 3-0 Young Boys
22:08 , Mike Jones
Young Boys failed to attempt a shot on target in this game, it’s the first time they failed to attempt a shot on target in a game in the Champions League since facing Manchester United on 27th November 2018.
Full-time! Man City 3-0 Young Boys
21:52 , Mike Jones
90+3 mins: There’s the whistle. Manchester City secure the points and secure qualification for the knockout rounds of this season’s Champions League campaign.
They’re through with two fixtures to spare.
Man City 3-0 Young Boys
21:49 , Mike Jones
90 mins: Three minutes of added time to play. Will City score again?
Man City 3-0 Young Boys
21:47 , Mike Jones
88 mins: Foden brings the ball into the box from the right then gives it to Phillips. He scuffs a shot and Oscar Bobb recovers the ball. A loose touch brings it back to Phillips on the edge of the six yard area and he can’t control the ball meaning it bobbles out of play.
Man City 3-0 Young Boys
21:43 , Mike Jones
85 mins: Close! Nunes almost scores a screamer. Grealish has moved into a more central area and is controlling City’s play. He slides a pass across the edge of the box and sets up Nunes for a first time shot.
Nunes runs onto the ball and smokes it over the top.
Man City 3-0 Young Boys
21:41 , Mike Jones
82 mins: Pep Guardiola has been wanting his side to keep the tempo and energy levels high. He’s probably after more goals to be fair.
Grealish feeds the ball out to Doku on the left. He dances his way into the box then shoots and curls his effort into the hands of the goalkeeper.
Man City 3-0 Young Boys
21:37 , Mike Jones
78 mins: Jeremy Doku comes on for City and will have a touch over 10 minutes to impress. He’s made a great start to his time in Manchester, can he score again tonight?
Man City 3-0 Young Boys
21:33 , Mike Jones
75 mins: Shot!
Jack Grealish fires a pass across the front edge of the box and finds Phil Foden. He takes a touch then rattles his shot over the top of the goal.
Man City 3-0 Young Boys
21:31 , Mike Jones
72 mins: Chance! Phil Foden carries the ball into the box from the right and flicks the ball to Matheus Nunes. He tips the ball to Rico Lewis who manages to knock it back to Mateo Kovacic.
Kovacic shoots but pulls his effort wide of the target.
Man City 3-0 Young Boys
21:28 , Mike Jones
69 mins: Jack Grealish carries the ball down the left wing and eases towards the box. He drops his shoulder, threatens to come inside and wins a free kick as he’s brought down.
The free kick is work around the edge of the box before coming back to Grealish. He shoots and hits the closest defender.
Man City 3-0 Young Boys
21:25 , Mike Jones
66 mins: Man City win a free kick right in front of goal. It’s about 30-yards out which could be too far to take a shot from. Matheus Nunes takes it but chips the ball into the box.
Phil Foden wins it in the air and nods it down into the middle of the box. There’s none of his teammates around and Young Boys clear their lines.
Man City 3-0 Young Boys
21:20 , Mike Jones
63 mins: Kyle Walker and Erling Haaland are taken off the pitch with Kalvin Phillips and Oscar Bobb introduced for the remainder of the match.
Man City 3-0 Young Boys
21:17 , Mike Jones
60 mins: An hour played at the Etihad Stadium and Manchester City are in firm control of this match. They’ll be qualifying for the knockout rounds tonight and can use the remaining two Champions League games to rest and test out other members of the squad.
Pep Guardiola is preparing a couple of changes on the sidelines as Racioppi denies Foden a second goal.
Man City 3-0 Young Boys
21:15 , Mike Jones
56 mins: Chance! Rico Lewis is fed the ball and takes it to the byline before pulling a pass back into the middle of the box. Erling Haaland lets the ball run on and it comes to Jack Grealish who shoots but picks out the goalkeeper!
RED CARD! Sandro Lauper is dismissed!
21:12 , Mike Jones
Man City 3-0 Young Boys
53 mins: Things are going from bad to worse for Young Boys. Sandro Lauper launches into a tackle on Nathan Ake. He goes over the top of the ball and catches the man earning himself a second yellow card.
Young Boys are down to 10 men.
GOAL! Man City 3-0 Young Boys (Haaland, 51’)⚽️
21:10 , Mike Jones
51 mins: What a strike this is!
Manchester City come down the right side and work the ball up to Rico Lewis. He dinks it on to Erling Haaland who checks to the left then rattles a blistering strike across the box and finds the far top corner!
Man City 2-0 Young Boys
21:05 , Mike Jones
48 mins: Mateo Kovacic picks out Matheus Nunes with a short forward pass that splits the Young Boys midfield. Nunes takes over and drives into the box before going for goal himself and prodding the ball out of play in an attempt to find the far bottom corner.
Second half! Man City 2-0 Young Boys
21:03 , Mike Jones
Nathan Ake is introduced at half-time for Manchester City and he replaces John Stones. City are two goals up and quickly pick up where they left off in the first half, despite Young Boys being the ones to get the game restarted.
HT Man City 2-0 Young Boys
21:02 , Mike Jones
As things stand, Manchester City confirm their place in the Champions League knockouts this evening. The holders are on course to continue their perfect start to this season’s campaign.
Outclassed Newcastle left on the brink of anticlimactic Champions League exit
20:58 , Mike Jones
Newcastle United waited 20 years to play in the Champions League again and it feels safe to predict that it will not take them two decades to return, but an adventure threatens to end early. As Borussia Dortmund did a double over Eddie Howe’s team, the destroyers of Paris Saint-Germain could see their own hopes in ruins. The casualties from the group of death might include Newcastle, and if so, this may go down as a game too far, rendering their task too tough.
They had beaten Manchester United and Arsenal with weakened teams but there was no treble. Dortmund had been eviscerated by an Englishman, after Harry Kane’s hat-trick in Der Klassiker, but not an English club. Newcastle found it altogether harder than Bayern Munich to prosper at the Signal Iduna Park. If Newcastle are a buying club and Dortmund a selling one, the Bundesliga side may derive particular pleasure from the identity of two of their three goalscorers over 180 minutes that have transformed the group: Felix Nmecha, bought when Jude Bellingham was sold, at St James’ Park and Niclas Fullkrug, perhaps a belated replacement for Erling Haaland, in the rematch.
This competition has the capacity to reward the unlikely lads, as Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff had shown for Newcastle, but they do not have a monopoly on tales of endearing rises from relatively humble origins. Fullkrug was more accustomed to scoring in the German second division but, at 30, he had a first Champions League goal to add to the two he scored in last year’s World Cup. Julian Brandt, the classiest player on the pitch, completed victory on home soil and Dortmund, so timid in their opening night defeat to PSG, have seven points in three games since then, the six accrued against Newcastle forged from sweat.
Outclassed Newcastle left on the brink of anticlimactic Champions League exit
HT Man City 2-0 Young Boys
20:54 , Mike Jones
Half-time! Man City 2-0 Young Boys
20:49 , Mike Jones
45+1 mins: A simple half of football is falling into place perfectly for Manchester City who are on the verge of qualifying for the knockout rounds.
They’ve won every game in the Champions League so far and are two goals to the good against a Young Boys side that are hanging in there, trying not to concede too many goals.
GOAL! Man City 2-0 Young Boys (Foden, 45+1)⚽️
20:47 , Mike Jones
45+1 mins: Lovely goal from Phil Foden.
Jack Grealish receives it on the inside left channel. He comes inside then pings a ball over to Foden on the opposite side of the pitch.
Foden brings it under control, takes on Ulisses Garcia, skips around the defender then nestles the ball into the back of the net from the right side of the penalty area.
Man City 1-0 Young Boys
20:45 , Mike Jones
45 mins: One minute to play at the end of the first half.
Man City 1-0 Young Boys
20:41 , Mike Jones
41 mins: Oh this is new. Young Boys have a bit of possession and work it nicely up the pitch. It gets flicked to the far side of the box where Merchack Ella brings it under control.
He looks for Cedric Itten in the middle but the pass is intercepted. City clear the ball as far out as Jack Grealish who is then brought down illegally.
Man City 1-0 Young Boys
20:38 , Mike Jones
38 mins: Manchester City have created eight attempts so far with five on target. They’ve only scored once though which is to Young Boys’ credit. They’ve been okay defensively but have offered nothing in attack.
Man City 1-0 Young Boys
20:37 , Mike Jones
35 mins: Chance! Phil Foden knocks a beautifully weighted pass into the box for an overlapping run from Kyle Walker. Walker gets to the ball and whips a cross to the back post where Saidy Janko dinks the ball into the knee of Erling Haaland.
Haaland still turns it towards goal but there’s no power in the shot and Anthony Racioppi scoops it up without too much trouble.
Man City 1-0 Young Boys
20:34 , Mike Jones
32 mins: There’s a nice tempo to the game for Manchester City. It’s like a training ground drill where they keep the ball and find new ways to get into the box.
Rico Lewis flicks one over the top and picks out Erling Haaland but he can’t find a teammate with a cutback and the ball is cleared away.
Man City 1-0 Young Boys
20:29 , Mike Jones
29 mins: Erling Haaland gets up to full pace as the ball is played down the right side. Mohamed Camara is tasked with sticking with the big forward and does a fine job.
He tracks Haaland into the box, blocks the pass and sees the rebound off the Norwegian and out for a goal kick.
Man City 1-0 Young Boys
20:26 , Mike Jones
26 mins: That goal gives Manchester City the cushion that they need to qualify tonight. A draw will be enough for them as it stands but three points will guarantee it.
It may also open the floodgates against Young Boys who look like they’re outclassed tonight.
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Young Boys (Haaland, 23’)⚽️
20:24 , Mike Jones
23 mins: Haaland steps up and slots the ball into the bottom left hand corner. City lead!
Penalty to Man City!
20:23 , Mike Jones
Man City 0-0 Young Boys
22 mins: Sandro Lauper sticks a leg into a tackle on Matheus Nunes and hacks the midfielder down inside the box. Young Boys give the hosts a penalty and Erling Haaland is stepping up to take it.
Man City 0-0 Young Boys
20:22 , Mike Jones
19 mins: Walker gives the ball to Foden on the right wing. He slips it inside to Nunes who threads a pass into the box and gives it back to Foden.
He’s got a couple of players ahead of him and pulls it back to Lewis who is dispossessed.
Man City 0-0 Young Boys
20:17 , Mike Jones
16 mins: Save! Kyle Walker is the man to take the free kick and he nails a low effort around the wall. Anthony Racioppi leaps to the left and palms the shot away but sends it to Phil Foden.
Foden follows up with a shot of his onw but Racioppi jumps back to his right, sticks out a hand and keep this effort out as well!
Man City 0-0 Young Boys
20:16 , Mike Jones
15 mins: Mateo Kovacic and Erling Haaland combine wonderfully to work the ball through the middle before the City midfielder is brought down on the edge of the box.
City win a free kick in a very dangerous area as Loris Benito, who made the foul, is put in the book.
There’s a few City players lining up to take this set piece…
Man City 0-0 Young Boys
20:13 , Mike Jones
12 mins: Oh. Matheus Nunes is given the ball with a simple pass into the midfield. He spins towards goal then drives past three defenders to carry the ball to the edge of the box.
The final pass is terrible though and he overhits the ball as he looks to feed it across to Haaland.
Man City 0-0 Young Boys
20:12 , Mike Jones
9 mins: Close! Kyle Walker flicks the ball over the top as Erling Haaland makes a run into the box. He brings the ball under control and holds off Mohamed Camara.
Haaland fizzes off a shot from a tight angle and pings the ball into the hands of goalkeeper Anthon Racioppi.
This match won’t stay level for very long.
Man City 0-0 Young Boys
20:08 , Mike Jones
6 mins: Chance! Rico Lewis needs to score.
A reverse pass from Mateo Kovacic slips the ball into the box for Jack Grealish who holds it up then pokes a pass into Lewis who is wide open.
He side-foots a shot at goal but Loris Benito leaps in front of the ball and makes the block! Great defending.
Man City 0-0 Young Boys
20:05 , Mike Jones
3 mins: Rico Lewis is played into the right hand side of the box and turns with the ball. He threads it back to Mateo Kovacic who dinks a pass over to Phil Foden.
Foden has a sight at goal but decides to pass instead and lifts his short cross over everyone’s heads and out for a goal kick.
Kick off! Man City 0-0 Young Boys
20:01 , Mike Jones
Manchester City get the match started and knock the ball nicely around the back line. It comes out to Phil Foden on the right wing and he’s taken out but a strong tackle.
Manchester City vs Young Boys
19:57 , Mike Jones
Here come the teams.
Kyle Walker is starting for Manchester City and is a late replacement for Manuel Akanji in the line-up. The Champions League anthem is played and the players look ready to go.
Kick off is up next…
Manchester City vs Young Boys
19:52 , Mike Jones
It’s a rainy night in Manchester but that won’t bother Pep Guardiola’s men who are hoping to clinch qualification for the knockout rounds this evening.
Swiss side Young Boys are their opposition and will hope to improve on their 3-1 defeat from last time out.
Manchester City vs Young Boys
19:48 , Mike Jones
Pep Guardiola’s side have won their Champions League group for six successive seasons.
City went on to win the Champions League for the first time in 2022/23, beating Inter 1-0 in the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul thanks to a second-half goal from Rodri.
They had finished top of Group G before knockout wins against RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and holders Real Madrid with the final victory bringing Guardiola level with Zinédine Zidane and Bob Paisley to three European Cup wins as a coach in total.
Only Carlo Ancelotti has more with four.
Manchester City vs Young Boys
19:42 , Mike Jones
Man City’s only previous games against a Swiss club before this season came in the 2017/18 Champions League round of 16, when they won the first leg 4-0 at Basel thanks to two Ilkay Gundogan goals and one each from Bernardo Silva and Sergio Aguero.
Pep Guardiola’s side progressed despite a 2-1 home second-leg defeat.
This is City’s 13th successive Champions League group appearance; they have featured every season since 2011/12 and have reached the knockout stages in each of the last 10 campaigns.
Rico Lewis on Kyle Walker’s impact
19:36 , Mike Jones
Rico Lewis took the pre-match press conferenc alongside Pep Guardiola and reflected about playing alongside Kyle Walker saying: “When I came in, I was playing full-back. I was stood next to him [Kyle] and that helped me a lot.
“I don’t need too much information in one game. He is one of the best full-backs to play in the Premier League, so anything I can take from him [is great].
“He’s always been a captain with the armband or without. He plays with so much passion so it was a no brainer that he could be captain. Everyone has that leadership.”
Pep Guardiola wants Manchester City stars to be ‘angry’ if they are not picked
19:30 , Mike Jones
Pep Guardiola hopes anger at missing out can fuel more sensational performances like that of Jeremy Doku at the weekend.
Doku took centre stage as Manchester City thrashed Bournemouth 6-1 to return to the top of the Premier League on Saturday, opening the scoring and setting up four other goals.
That came after Jack Grealish was preferred to him for last week’s derby victory over Manchester United, and manager Guardiola now wants the England midfielder, in turn, to come back firing.
Pep Guardiola wants Manchester City stars to be ‘angry’ if they are not picked
Guardiola looking to secure knockout rounds qualification
19:22 , Mike Jones
If Manchester City earnback-to-back wins against Young Boys, it would be the 11th consecutive season they had made it through the group stages of the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola says that alone serves as the perfect incentive for his players to try and sela qualification tonight.
“Incredible. We have to try tomorrow to finish,” the City boss said in a pre-match press conference on Monday. “Of course We have two more opportunities but when you have the chance to finish and qualify for the next stage in February it means a lot for the club and the staff from Roberto Mancini’s side and Manuel Pellegrini.
“For many years being qualified is such a success for the club and being there is such a success for the Club. It’s really, really good.
“We will try to be calm and prepare for the game Tomorrow we will try to be there, as I reviewed the game in Switzerland, and we struggled a lot at 1-1. They created problems behind.
“We have to adjust some things because they did well in the first game. Hopefully, we can finish the job.”
Guardiola on tonight’s match
19:15 , Mike Jones
“We will try to finish and qualify for February and the next stage,” said Pep Guardiola ahead of the game. “It means a lot to the club. Being there is a success.
“It’s so important, more than you can imagine, because we can park the car until February and focus on the Premier League and others. We have to close it on Tuesday.
“You have to try to finish first. We have the chance to play the second game [of the last 16] at home and that is definitely better.”
Young Boys expect to face fearsome Man City side, with or without Erling Haaland
19:06 , Mike Jones
Young Boys coach Raphael Wicky expects to face a fearsome Manchester City side on Tuesday, whether it includes Erling Haaland or not.
Haaland, City’s prolific Norwegian striker, is doubtful for the holders’ Champions League Group G clash against the Swiss outfit at the Etihad Stadium with an ankle injury.
The 23-year-old, who scored 52 goals in City’s treble-winning campaign last season, has already netted 13 times this season including two against Wicky’s team in Bern last month.
Young Boys expect to face fearsome Man City side, with or without Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland starts
19:02 , Luke Baker
There was talk that Erling Haaland may not be risked tonight given the strong position City occupy in Group G. But Pep Guardiola clearly wants to get qualification rubber-stamped and the prolific Norwegian starts.
Man City team news
18:58 , Luke Baker
The Man City team is out and Haaland, Grealish and Foden all start in attack. A bit of rotation further back though as both Rico Lewis and Matheus Nunes get a start.
Man City XI: Ederson, Akanji, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Lewis, Nunes, Foden, Grealish, Haaland
Tonight’s team!👇
XI | Ederson, Akanji, Stones, Dias (C), Gvardiol, Kovacic, Lewis, Nunes, Foden, Grealish, Haaland
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Carson, Walker, Phillips, Ake, Doku, Rodrigo, Alvarez, Bernardo, Bobb#ManCity | #UCL pic.twitter.com/ESO2DOfjJK
— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 7, 2023
Manchester City vs Young Boys prediction
18:58 , Mike Jones
Even with the potential absence of Erling Haaland, Manchester City possess enough skill and firepower to make this match a foregone conclusion.
They scored three goals against Young Boys away from home so expect them to increase their tally in what should be a comfortable home win.
Manchester City 5-1 Young Boys.
Manchester City vs Young Boys
18:51 , Mike Jones
Young Boys are top of the Swiss Super League, but only have one point from their three Champions League games and will be unable to make the last 16 if they lose to City and RB Leipzig win away at Red Star Belgrade.
How to watch Man City vs Young Boys
18:42 , Mike Jones
Manchester City vs Young Boys is due to kick off at 8pm GMT on Tuesday 7 November at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 2, with coverage on the channel from 7pm GMT. Subscribers will be able to watch online via Discovery+.
Manchester City vs Young Boys early team news
18:36 , Mike Jones
Kevin de Bruyne and Sergio Gomez remain absent for Manchester City, while Erling Haaland may not be risked with a couple of crucial Premier League encounters on the horizon.
Midfielder Sandro Lauper was dismissed in Young Boys’ weekend victory over Winterthur but will be able to feature in European competition, while forward Meschak Elia should be fit to feature. Kastriot Imeri and Lukasz Lakomy are out.
Manchester City vs Young Boys
18:30 , Mike Jones
Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Champions League action as Manchester City host Young Boys at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s men are unbeaten in the European top flight this year having won all three of their group matches so far and another victory tonight would see them qualify for the knockout rounds with two games to play.
Erling Haaland is a doubt for the match but was seen training with the team during the week so should be available to play some part this evening.
We’ll have all the build-up, team news and match action throughout the night so stick around…
