MATCH REPORT AND PLAYER RATINGS - YOUNG BOYS 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY

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Manchester City moved themselves to within 3 points of UEFA Champions League Round of 16 qualification with a 3-1 victory against a tough Young Boys side in Bern, with supposedly out-of-sorts striker Erling Haaland taking his tally for the season up to 11 in all competitions with a brace.

The Blues rotated heavily ahead of the weekend's first Manchester derby of the season, with Kyle Walker, John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez all starting the game on the bench.

This gave the likes of Nathan Ake, Matheus Nunes, Mateo Kovacic and Jack Grealish the chance to stake a claim to start in the derby, so long as they impressed Pep Guardiola against the reigning Swiss champions.

City started out every game as they usually do; in full control. They were keeping the ball excellently, and moving the ball around at a pace the Young Boys defenders were struggling to cope with.

They created a few chances too, with Haaland, Nunes, Rodri and Jeremy Doku all having excellent opportunities to put City in the lead inside the opening 45 minutes, but the game remained goalless at the break.

The European champions took the lead just a few minutes into the second half as Manuel Akanji, playing in his home country of Switzerland, gave City the lead with his second goal for the club, as he poked into an empty net from close range, after Ruben Dias's initial header was tipped onto the bar by goalkeeper Anthony Racioppi.

But, just after that, a sudden break from Young Boys saw Meschack Elia evade Rico Lewis and run in on goal onto a long forward ball. The Congo international then executed a magnificent chip from the edge of the box to beat Ederson and give Young Boys a foothold in the match that they didn't fully expect to have.

Nevertheless, City continued on in their stride, and ended up going ahead thanks to Haaland's powerful penalty that just about beat Racioppi, after Rodri was felled in the box.

5 minutes after City retook the lead, Nunes and Doku were replaced by Alvarez and Bernardo respectively, which saw the overall performance level shift up a notch. More chances were created, notably for Haaland and Grealish, and City even had a goal ruled out through Alvarez, due to an unfortunate Grealish handball in the build up.

City sealed the deal in the 86th minute thanks to Haaland's second goal of the night, as he controlled the ball in the box and lashed it past the keeper with his weaker right foot, to put the Blues within touching distance of the next round of the competition.

There were a few interesting tactical selections from Guardiola, which had contrasting fortunes. Firstly, Akanji's positioning on the right hand side of the back 3, where he played much higher up than he'd usually be expected to, helped City in playing out from the back and getting up the pitch.

The Swiss international acted as an outlet in possession, and, with Doku ahead of him, Young Boys' defenders were unwilling to leave the young Belgian unaccompanied, which gave Akanji space to drive forward into.

Lewis played very narrow in midfield, as a double pivot with Rodri, allowing Kovacic and Nunes to push forward. At times, Kovacic dropped back to form a midfield of a 6 and two 8's (Rodri the 6, Lewis and Kovacic the 8's) which allowed Nunes freedom as a roaming playmaker behind Haaland.

But this was a role Nunes struggled in. The 25 year old didn't seem to enjoy his freedom, as he often struggled to find himself in space. He was caught in possession a few times, and made poor decisions in front of goal.

He did, however, look promising in a rotating role with Grealish, who switched flanks with Doku briefly towards the end of the first half. When Grealish tucked into a right sided 8 position, Nunes would move wide, and the pair of them combined well in the closing stages of the half.

Guardiola will have a few selection headaches ahead of the derby this weekend, as it can be argued that Grealish, Kovacic, Lewis, Doku, Ake, Gvardiol, Bernardo and Foden are all worthy of a start, and it is exceptionally likely that at least half of those players will start on the bench.

Pretty much whatever lineup he puts out, however, would like to think that they'll have a very good chance of beating United at the weekend, who have had a poor start to the season under Erik ten Hag. However, form goes out of the window on derby days, so City will have to be wary of that.

Here are the player ratings for the 3rd Champions League victory of the season:

Ederson - 6.5/10 - Despite a few misplaced long balls, Ederson was mostly comfortable with the ball. He did his goalkeeping duties effectively, and despite being caught off his line, can't be blamed for the goal, which came from the very top drawer.

Lewis - 6.5/10 - Very calm and composed as usual from Lewis, who looked at home when tucking into midfield. Whilst I do not think his performance was quite worthy of the man of the match award he was given, I do thoroughly believe that Lewis would be able to hold his own in the very biggest of matches.

Akanji - 7.5/10 - Another solid performance from Akanji, and it was wonderful to see him crop up with a goal. Thankfully, the strength in depth that City have at centre back means he won't be missed at the weekend, although he would've deserved a start against the Red Devils based on his performances so far this season.

Dias - 6.5/10 - A solid performance from Dias, with very little else to make note of. As captain on the day, he kept the ball well, and played his part in Akanji's goal by putting himself about in the box.

Ake - 6.5/10 - Kept his man quiet defensively, and looked comfortable on the ball. He also offered a threat down the left hand side, as he linked up well with Kovacic and Grealish.

Rodri - 8/10 - As well as all his usual brilliance, in keeping the ball, dictating the tempo of the game and being in the right position to win it back, he added some of his own attacking flair, winning the penalty and gaining an assist for Haaland's second goal.

Nunes - 6/10 - As mentioned above, Nunes struggled slightly in what was only his 4th start for City. He had a few moments of excellence, but they were matched by times when he showed that he wasn't yet up to speed with his teammates. Nevertheless, I remain confident that he'll be a success for City, although, like many others, it might take him a little while to adapt.

Kovacic - 6.5/10 - Looked much better than in his last couple of games. Kovacic got into some promising positions down the left hand side, but his one footedness limited his impact down that side. I'd like to see the 29 year old play as a right sided 8 more often, as I think that compliments his game well, plus, he excelled in that position against Burnley and Newcastle earlier this season.

Doku - 7/10 - Showed off his ferocious speed on a few occasions, giving his man something to think about, and excelled particularly when he came out onto the left wing. He should have scored as well after fine work from Grealish, but was unable to find the finish to get what would have been a deserved goal.

Haaland - 8/10 - Led the line tremendously well, like against Brighton, with near flawless link up play. Took his second goal very well, and is only marked down slightly for the few big chances you'd usually expect him to bury. Erling Haaland is well and truly back (if he ever really went away.)

Grealish - 8/10 - Much better from Grealish, who has been facing so much unnecessary forced hate recently from so called City "fans." He looked to be playing with the shackles loosened, if not fully off, and on another night, he could've got two assists, had Nunes and Doku been more clinical with their finishing.

Substitutes:

Bernardo - 7/10 - The team improved massively when he came on, which isn't a slight on Doku, the man he replaced, but more a compliment to Bernardo's pure brilliance. Other than a poor through ball to Haaland, he didn't put a foot wrong, as he went on mazy dribbles and kept the ball exceptionally well.

Alvarez - 7/10 - Like Bernardo, Alvarez made a difference when he came on, linking up with Haaland from his deeper position. Very unfortunate not to get a goal, which, according to the precise letters of the law, would have been allowed had it happened in the Premier League, where the handball law is slightly different.

Gomez - Not enough time to rank.

Phillips - Not enough time to rank.