Manchester City Dominates AEK Athens with 5-1 Victory in Champions League

Manchester City secured a resounding 5-1 victory over AEK Athens on Tuesday during the third round of the UEFA Champions League league phase at the Etihad Stadium. Despite a notable number of vacant seats in the arena, manager Enzo Maresca's side delivered a dominant performance on the pitch to claim their second win of the tournament.

Midfielder Phil Foden led the charge for the hosts by scoring three goals. Elliot Anderson and Rayan Cherki also found the back of the net for the English side, while Stavros Pilios scored the lone goal for the visiting Greek club. The victory brought Manchester City to six points, placing them sixth in the standings and helping them bounce back from their previous 4-2 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.

The match drew a crowd of 40,042 spectators, leaving more than 20,000 empty spaces in a stadium with a capacity of approximately 61,000. The sparse attendance quickly drew attention on social media and across British media outlets, where rival supporters revived the nickname "Emptyhad."

When asked about the empty seats after the game, manager Enzo Maresca chose not to criticize the supporters and praised those who attended. "I think the fans that were in the stadium were good. In the last game against Ipswich, they were excellent. Next week, we have two games at home against Brighton, and I have no doubt the atmosphere will be excellent again," the Italian coach stated.

British media pointed to several potential factors for the low turnout, including a congested fixture schedule, weather conditions in Manchester, ticket costs, and the lower profile of the Greek opponent compared to other fixtures. Additionally, the match followed a high-profile home game against Paris Saint-Germain the previous week that had drawn over 60,000 fans.

Star striker Erling Haaland started the match on the substitutes' bench and did not play. While initial reports and concerns suggested the Norwegian forward was sidelined following a foot impact sustained during a 3-2 Premier League victory over Ipswich Town, Maresca explained before the match that it was partly a measure to manage his playing time.

The team also dealt with several roster absences for the European fixture. Winger Antoine Semenyo was ruled out for approximately eight weeks due to a knee injury. Meanwhile, Mateo Kovacic, Nico O'Reilly, and Matheus Nunes missed the matchday squad after picking up minor issues or knocks during the weekend win against Ipswich.