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Manchester City were held to a 0-0 draw in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, October 11. Despite dropping points, City remains first in Group G with 10 points from four games, ensuring they qualify for the round of 16.
The Cityzens came into this game on the back of a routine 5-0 win against the same opposition in Manchester. Following that, they defeated Southampton 4-0 over the weekend. However, Pep Guardiola chose to leave Erling Haaland on the bench for this game. Julian Alvarez was handed an opportunity to start.
Manchester City made a strong start to the game as they moved the ball around swiftly in typical fashion. They kept possession for 69% of the first half and also attempted six shots to Copenhagen's four. However, both teams managed just one shot on target each in the first period.
City seemed to have grabbed the lead after 13 minutes as Rodri scored a blinder of a goal. However, play was pulled back as there was a handball in the build-up, leading to the goal being disallowed. They were then awarded a penalty around the half-hour mark following a VAR check. Riyad Mahrez stepped up and saw his spot-kick saved by Kamil Grabara.
Things went from bad to worse for Manchester City. Sergio Gomez committed a last-man foul in the 29th minute, leading to a stoppage in play. The VAR reviewed the incident and asked the referee to change the initial yellow card to a red card, resulting in Gomez being sent off. Guardiola then replaced Mahrez with Ruben Dias as he looked to maintain compactness in defense.
Copenhagen and Manchester City went into the break deadlocked at 0-0.
Both sides made quiet starts to the second period. They shared nearly an equal distribution of possession, but Copenhagen pipped the visitors 51 to 49 in the second half. Despite that, they attempted just two shots and failed to register an attempt on target. Manchester City, on the other hand, attempted eight shots with three on target.
Managers on either bench made multiple alterations apiece as they looked to break the deadlock and snatch a result. The referee also showed yellow cards to players from both teams as the game became more tense towards the end. Despite their efforts, Manchester City were unable to score a goal. The game ended in a 0-0 draw.
With that said, let's take a look at how the visitors' players fared.
Manchester City Player Ratings
Ederson - 7/10
Ederson had a decent game in goal and only had one save to make to keep the clean sheet. He distributed the ball with 79% accuracy, including six accurate long balls.
Joao Cancelo - 7/10
Cancelo looked good on the ball as he started on th right flank, a position he was familiar with in his younger days. He won three of his four duels, making one tackle in the process. He also played one key pass and two accurate long balls.
Manuel Akanji - 7/10
Akanji has looked solid at the back since joining Manchester City over the summer. He had a good game and even earned his side a penalty which Mahrez failed to convert. He won six of his 11 duels, making two clearances and three tackles.
Aymeric Laporte - 6.5/10
Laporte had a decent game at the heart of City's defense as they were held to a goalless draw.
Sergio Gomez - 5/10
Gomez played just 29 minutes before committing the foul that eventually resulted in him being sent off. This affected Manchester City's plans as Guardiola had to replace Mahrez with Dias to add defensive stability.
Rodri - 7.5/10
The Spaniard continued in his rich vein of form as he dominated the central areas of the pitch. He played 111 passes with 90% accuracy, including one key pass and six accurate long balls. He also won all six of his duels.
Ilkay Gundogan - 6.5/10
Gundogan was City's captain for this game and put in a good performance as they held on to earn a point.
Riyad Mahrez - 6/10
Mahrez had a poor game and played for just 33 minutes as Manchester City were forced to make tactical changes after going down to 10 men. To make things worse, Mahrez missed a penalty just minutes before being subbed off.
Kevin De Bruyne - 7/10
De Bruyne had a decent game in midfield but was unable to create a lot of clear-cut chances as Copenhagen sat deep. He completed 24 of his 32 passes, including one key pass, two crosses and three long balls. He also won four of his five duels and attempted four shots with just one on target.
Jack Grealish - 7/10
Grealish made a decent start to the game and got in some good advanced positions. However, he was unable to provide an end product. He played three key passes and won six of his eight duels.
Julian Alvarez - 6.5/10
Alvarez was handed a start as Manchester City rotated their squad. However, he failed to capitalize on the opportunity as he attempted three shots, two of which were off target and the other was blocked.
Substitutes
Ruben Dias - 6.5/10
Dias came on shortly after the 30-minute mark. He won four of his seven duels and made one clearance and two tackles. However, he was booked for a foul late in the game.
Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden & Nathan Ake - N/A
The trio came on late in the game and did not play enough minutes to warrant a rating.
