Manchester City vs Stoke match report: Kelechi Iheanacho scores brace as City warm up for Real Madrid with easy win

Manchester City 4 Stoke City 0

(Getty)

Manchester City enjoyed just about the ideal build-up to their Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid as manager Manuel Pellegrini’s selection policy went perfectly to plan.

Pellegrini opted against giving captain Vincent Kompany a second outing in five days following his return from a month’s absence with a calf problem and also left out Fernandinho in preparation for next Tuesday night’s visit of the 10-times European champions.

Kevin de Bruyne and Raheem Sterling were not needed from the bench to rescue any potential damage and top scorer Sergio Aguero and play-maker David Silva, on his return from two games out with his on-going ankle problem, were both given around an hour as City cruised to a victory that lifted them back up to third in the Premier League.

With City’s top-four place and the Champions League qualification that comes with it not already in the bag, Pellegrini had faced something of a balancing act. But goals from Fernando, Aguero, from the penalty spot, and Kelechi Iheanacho’s second-half double made sure the scales came down in his favour.

Fernando celebrates open the scoring (Getty)

“It was very important to have our mind focused on this game and not on Tuesday,” said Pellegrini. “We did exactly the same before Paris St-Germain and played a good game against Bournemouth.

“That is the best way (to prepare). Always the most important thing is the result and to score four goals and have a clean sheet is very important but we play eight games in 30 days so it was also very important to have some rotations.”

City could not have hand-picked better opposition to face, given Stoke’s current form of just one win from their previous six games - a run which had all but ended their hopes of qualifying for a Europa League place.

Mark Hughes had hoped for a response on his return to the club where he had spent 18 months as manager just as City were starting their journey under the ownership of the Abu Dhabi United Group which will hit new heights when Real arrive in town.

Iheanacho celebrates his second goal (Getty)

In patches he got it and at 2-0 down Stoke had chances for Joselu and Marko Arnautovic. But neither were taken and Stoke have now conceded 12 goals in three games.

That tally was increased when Fernando headed City ahead from a Jesus Navas corner 10 minutes before the break. Aguero made it 2-0 by half time when he converted his 23rd Premier League goal of the season - one behind Tottenham’s Harry Kane - after Ryan Shawcross had pulled back Iheanacho.

Ihenacho then underlined his promise with two classy finishes either side of Aguero’s withdrawal as the 19-year-old took his season’s total to 11 goals, both scored past Jakob Haugaard, who had replaced the injured Shay Given, 40, at half time.

Hughes, who revealed that midfielder Ibrahim Afellay will be out for up to nine months with a cruciate ligament injury sustained in training on Friday, said: "We are disappointed with the performance and the scoreline. Once again we conceded too readily.

"It's been three poor games and three poor results. But up to that point we've had a decent enough season and it would be wrong to define our season on what we are producing at the moment."

Manchester City (4-1-3-2): Hart; Zabaleta, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov; Fernando (Demichelis 72); Navas, Toure, Silva (Delph 56); Iheanacho, Aguero (Bony 64). Substitutes: Caballero, Sterling, De Bruyne, Clichy.

Stoke City (4-2-3-1): Given (Haugaard ht); Bardsley, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Muniesa; Whelan, Cameron; Diouf, Imbula, Arnautovic (Adam 75); Joselu. Substitutes: Teixeira, Crouch, Krkic, Choulay, Shenton.

Referee: Robert Madley

Match rating: 7/10

Man of the match: Kelechi Iheancho.