Manchester City’s standout player, Matheus Nunes, suffered a distressing finger injury during their comfortable Champions League triumph over Copenhagen.
Despite winning the first leg 3-1 in Denmark, Pep Guardiola’s side secured passage to the quarterfinals with another convincing 3-1 victory, with Erling Haaland, Manuel Akanji, and Julian Alvarez finding the net.
Guardiola handed Nunes his third start in City’s last four matches since his £53 million move from Wolves in the summer.
However, the 25-year-old midfielder fell awkwardly on his left hand midway through the second half, causing him to writhe in agony on the ground after twisting his middle finger.
Nunes, determined to feature in Sunday’s crucial clash against Liverpool, despite having his fingers wrapped in bandages, was swiftly substituted for the young Micah Hamilton.
A win in the Premier League standings would see City move two points clear of Liverpool, while a loss would see them fall four points behind.
Social media users reacted to Nunes’ injury, with one confessing, “I initially thought Nunes was exaggerating his injury.” “Then I saw his finger [puke emoji].”
Former City goalkeeper Shay Given commented on BBC Radio 5 Live, saying, “As a goalkeeper, I played through a dislocated finger, and Matheus Nunes went off with one tonight.” “I must be getting old.”
Overall, it was a successful night for the reigning champions, who dominated the first leg. They took a commanding 2-0 lead within the first nine minutes of the second-leg clash at the Etihad Stadium, courtesy of goals from Akanji and Alvarez.
However, a swift counterattack by former Southampton and Celtic winger Mohamed Elyounoussi resulted in a consolation goal for the visitors.
Just before halftime, Haaland scored his seventh goal in three games, extending City’s aggregate lead to four goals. Guardiola, speaking to TNT Sports after the win, said, “We’ve progressed to the next round.”
“We’re still in contention in this competition. Copenhagen’s well-organized defense, playing with four or five at the back, made it difficult for us to break them down.”
City now awaits the draw for the quarterfinal opponents, scheduled for next Friday, March 15, at 11 a.m. Guardiola added, “We’re competing with the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.”
“We don’t know who we’ll face. We just have to wait and see. What matters is that we’ve been there for seven consecutive years.”
