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Phil Foden scored his first-ever UEFA Champions League hat-trick as Manchester City cruised to a 5-1 victory over AEK Athens at the Etihad Stadium, extending their unbeaten home record against teams from outside Europe's top five leagues in the competition.
Elliot Anderson and Rayan Cherki also found the net for City, who dominated large parts of the contest despite conceding a second-half goal to the Greek visitors, according to the website of UCL. City made an aggressive start and took the lead in the 12th minute when Anderson reacted quickest to a rebound after Enzo Fernandez's free-kick struck the crossbar. The goal marked Anderson's first for the club and rewarded the hosts for their early pressure. The home side continued to dictate proceedings, with Allan also hitting the woodwork as AEK struggled to contain City's attacking movement. City doubled their advantage 10 minutes before half-time through Foden. The England international exchanged passes with Rico Lewis near the byline before poking the ball high into the roof of the net. City had an opportunity to extend their lead further before the break, but AEK goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli produced an important save to deny Rayan Cherki from close range. AEK returned from the interval with greater intent and reduced the deficit when Stavros Pilios made an unmarked run into the penalty area to meet Zini's pass before finishing at the near post. However, City's attacking quality soon restored their two-goal cushion. Cherki collected the ball outside the penalty area and guided a left-footed effort into the corner to make it 3-1. The Frenchman then played a key role in City's fourth goal, delivering an incisive pass behind the AEK defence. Lewis set up Foden, who finished emphatically on the half-volley to complete his hat-trick. Foden added his third goal of the night and City's fourth of the second half when he converted Ryan McAidoo's cross from close range with 15 minutes remaining, putting the result beyond doubt. City eased off in the closing stages after an emphatic attacking display, securing a convincing victory and ending a four-match winless run in Tuesday home fixtures in European competition. For AEK, the defeat extended their disappointing record away from home in the Champions League, where they have now gone 20 matches without a victory. The Greek side face another difficult challenge in their next outing against Real Madrid. Foden's clinical finishing and Cherki's creative contribution highlighted City's attacking strength, as the English side strengthened their European campaign with a commanding performance at the Etihad Stadium. (ANI)
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