Guardiola 'really satisfied' with draw at Copenhagen as Man City turn focus to Liverpool

City advance to Champions League last 16 after a stalemate in Denmark having played an hour with 10 men

Manchester City's Spanish defender Sergio Gomez (L) is shown a red card by the referee Portuguese Referee Artur Dias during the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 4 group G football match FC Copenhagen vs Manchester City in Copenhagen, Denmark, on October 11, 2022. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)

Manchester City's Rodri scores a goal that was later disallowed by VAR for handball. Action Images

Manchester City's Rodri, right, celebrates scoring a goal that was disallowed by VAR. PA

Manchester City players celebrate a goal by Rodri that was later ruled out. EPA

Referee Artur Soraes Dias carries out a VAR check before disallowing Rodri's goal for Manchester City. PA

Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez takes a penalty that is saved by FC Copenhagen goalkeeper Kamil Grabara. Action Images

FC Copenhagen goalkeeper Kamil Grabara saves a penalty from Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez. Action Images

Manchester City's Phil Foden comes on as a substitute to replace Jack Grealish. Action Images

Manchester City's Erling Haaland warming up. PA

Manchester City's Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden warm up on the touchline. AP

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson makes a save from FC Copenhagen's Isak Bergmann Johannesson. EPA

Kevin de Bruyne of Manchester City controls the ball. Getty

Nicolai Boilesen of FC Copenhagen is challenged by Kevin de Bruyne of Manchester City. Getty

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. AFP

Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne shoots. Action Images

FC Copenhagen's Hakon Arnar Haraldsson battles with Manchester City's Sergio Gomez. PA

Manchester City's Julian Alvarez, left, and FC Copenhagen's Nicolai Boilesen, centre, vie for the ball. AP

Manchester City's Jack Grealish, right, controls the ball. AP

Manchester City's Julian Alvarez shoots. PA

FC Copenhagen defender Elias Jelert shepherds Manchester City's Jack Grealish. AFP

FC Copenhagen's Viktor Claesson in action with Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne. Action Images

FC Copenhagen defender Valdemar Lund Jensen, left, attempts to tackle Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez. AFP

Manchester City's Manuel Akanji rises to make a headed clearance. AFP

FC Copenhagen's Nicolai Boilesen grapples with Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne. AFP

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he was "really satisfied" after his side earned a point away at FC Copenhagen on Tuesday having played an hour of the Champions League match with 10 men.

Following last week's 5-0 win over the Danish club at the Etihad, City were expected to ease to another victory but it proved a frustrating evening, dominated by VAR, for the Premier League champions.

Rodri had a brilliant long-range strike disallowed after VAR spotted a handball by Riyad Mahrez in the build-up, and the review system again intervened to award City a penalty, only for Mahrez's effort to be saved by Kamil Grabara.

VAR was then called into action to confirm a red card for City left-back Sergio Gomez in the 30th minute for pulling back Hakon Arnar Haraldsson as the last man, harming the visitors attacking ambitions at the Parken Stadium.

In the end, City had to settle for a goalless draw as Copenhagen became the first team to stop Guardiola's side from scoring this season. Still, the point was enough for City to progress to the last 16 after Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla played out a 1-1 draw later in the evening.

“Really satisfied – playing one hour 10 v 11 in Europe and not losing is really good,” Guardiola said. “We are going to recover, prepare for the next games, go to Dortmund and try to get results there and against Sevilla, to finish first in the group stage.

“After the situations – goal disallowed, penalties, sending off – the game changed and especially playing 10 against 11 for an hour is so difficult but we didn't concede much. The players gave absolutely everything – it’s a good point and we take it.”

Before returning to Champions League duty later this month, City have two Premier League games to focus on, including Sunday's trip to Liverpool for a clash between, until this season, the two best teams in England.

Copenhagen v Man City player ratings

While City appear in good shape to defend their title, sitting one point behind leaders Arsenal, Liverpool have endured a disappointing start to the season and languish down in 10th, 13 points behind the champions.

Having played the early game on Tuesday, City returned to Manchester the same evening, and Guardiola said the next few days would be about resting and recovering. One notable absence from City's team in Copenhagen was Erling Haaland, who was on the bench for the first time, with Guardiola surely having one eye on Sunday's match against Liverpool after admitting the Norwegian striker wasn't in the best shape to play.

“Yesterday was not good, today a little better but not perfect, so we decide not to take the risk,” Guardiola said of Haaland.

“We travel right now, tomorrow regeneration, one day off to clean our mind because for two weeks we didn't have one day off. And then we have a few days to prepare for the game against Liverpool.”