Manchester City U19s eased past Celtic U19s in the UEFA Youth League on Wednesday evening, with a comprehensive 4-0 victory.
Goals from Javairô Dilrosun, Rodney Kongolo, and an Isaac Buckley-Ricketts brace helped City to maintain the pace set by group leaders Barcelona.
City started the game very brightly, and a well-worked set-piece almost saw Aaron Nemane and Paolo Fernandes combine to give the visitors the lead in the opening minutes.
That chance was followed by a sustained period of possession in which the Blues were struggling to break through Celtic’s rigid defence. The hosts were also posing a threat on the counter-attack and went close after Kongolo was dispossessed just outside his own 18-yard box.
City made a breakthrough with 16 minutes gone after some brilliant work from Brahim Diaz – who made his first-team debut in the EFL Cup against Swansea last week – and a pinpoint delivery from Nemane fell to the feet of Dilrosun, who finished cooly.
Skipper Rodney Kongolo doubled City’s advantage just minutes later, finishing neatly at the back post after Demeaco Duhaney’s initial cross was blocked.
The Blues went into the break holding a 2-0 lead, but were pegged back by some intense Celtic pressure at the beginning of the second half. Simon Davies’ side, however, managed to contain the Celtic attack and were defensively stout.
Rather than sitting back and holding out for the 2-0 victory, Davies replaced Fernandes with Buckley-Ricketts. As a result, City switched to a 4-4-2 formation – Buckley-Ricketts partnering Diaz up front.
A powerful run from Nemane then broke apart the Celtic defence and fed the ball to Buckley-Ricketts, who was left with an open goal to place the ball into.Nemane then broke apart the Celtic defence and fed the ball to Buckley-Ricketts, who was left with an open goal to place the ball into.
Nemane then had the chance to score himself after being played through by Buckley-Ricketts but managed to fire over the bar from close range.
Buckley-Ricketts then rounded the game off with his second and City’s fourth in the dying minutes before missing the chance to complete his hat-trick by stumbling over the ball after rounding the goalkeeper.
