Man City 2-0 Galatasaray: Haaland Ends Drought as Guardiola Reaches 400th Victory to Seal Top-8 Spot
By SportSphere24 Editorial Team | Jan 29, 2026
MANCHESTER — The Etihad Stadium erupted as Manchester City (16 pts) secured an automatic place in the Champions League Round of 16 with a professional 2-0 win over Galatasaray. On a landmark night where Pep Guardiola celebrated his 400th win as City boss, Erling Haaland finally ended his five-game goal drought, ensuring the Cityzens avoid a risky February playoff round.
The Scoreboard: Manchester City vs. Galatasaray
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final |
| Manchester City | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Galatasaray | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Game Analysis: Clinical Efficiency and Tactical Mastery
City knew only a win would suffice to crack the top eight, and they delivered a first-half blitz that silenced the traveling Turkish ultras.
1. Erling Haaland: The King is Back
After a rare quiet spell, Haaland needed only 10 minutes to remind Europe of his lethality.
The Goal: Latching onto an exquisite Jérémy Doku through-ball, the Norwegian coolly dinked the ball over Uğurcan Çakır. It was his first goal from open play in nearly a month.
The Record: The strike marked his 56th goal in the UEFA Champions League, inching him closer to the all-time greats.
2. Rayan Cherki: The Etihad’s New Darling
Summer signing Rayan Cherki continued his meteoric rise, doubling the lead in the 29th minute. After Doku bypassed Davinson Sánchez with ease, he cut the ball back for Cherki, who took one touch before hammering it home.
Man of the Match: Cherki’s creative output (4 key passes) and defensive work rate earned him the highest rating on the pitch.
3. The Bitter-Sweet Doku Blow
The only shadow over the night was the first-half withdrawal of Jérémy Doku. After assisting both goals, the Belgian winger limped off clutching his calf. Guardiola confirmed post-match that Doku is a major doubt for the upcoming Premier League clash against Spurs.
Stat Leaders & Performance Metrics
| Player | Team | Goals | Assists | Pass % | Rating |
| Rayan Cherki | MCI | 1 | 0 | 92% | 8.6 |
| Jérémy Doku | MCI | 0 | 2 | 89% | 8.2 |
| Erling Haaland | MCI | 1 | 0 | 75% | 7.8 |
| Rayan Aït-Nouri | MCI | 0 | 0 | 88% | 7.7 |
| Victor Osimhen | GAL | 0 | 0 | 77% | 6.8 |