Manchester City topped their UEFA Champions League group in style with a 3-0 win over Olympique de Marseille at the Etihad Stadium.

After initially struggling in the first half, goals from Ferran Torres, Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling saw City cruise to victory after the break.

  • Story of the match

Pep Guardiola made nine changes from last weekend's 2-0 win over Fulham which included a first Champions League debut to goalkeeper Zack Steffen as well as the return of both Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake to the starting eleven.

Marseille made five changes to the side that beat Nimes on Saturday, with the likes of Florian Thauvin and Valere Germain starting in attack.

Dominating the early stages, City went close to an opener after just eight minutes when Riyad Mahrez was played through by Bernardo Silva but the Algerian shot straight at Steve Mandanda.

The visitors had the ball in the net on 29 minutes through Dimitri Payet who had produced an impressive outside-of-the-foot finish into the far corner but the midfielder was eventually flagged offside.

That chance seemed to invigorate Andre Villas-Boas' side just before the break, going close with two chances on 41 minutes - firstly through Morgan Sanson's low shot which was dragged wide of the post and then Papa Gueye's who saw his effort saved by Steffen.

Those chances saw Guardiola bring on an extra forward in Sterling at the break, and that change of system paid off as City went ahead just three minutes into the second half.

After working his way past multiple defenders and into the area, Mahrez slipped a low ball into the path of Torres who slotted past Mandanda for his sixth goal of the season.

Aguero was then introduced for the first time since returning from injury and the forward made an instant impact as he doubled his side's lead on 77 minutes. Reacting first to the rebound from Ake's header at a corner, the Argentine poked the ball over the line from a few yards out.

And City wrapped up a comfortable second half in the final minute of normal time, as Alvaro cleared the ball into the path of Sterling who fired into the net from close range. 

  • Match Stats

Manchester City 3-0 Olympique de Marseille (Torres, 48', Aguero, 77', Sterling, 90')

Manchester City

Steffen; Walker, Garcia (Stones, 25'), Laporte, Ake, Fernandinho (C), Gundogan (Sterling, 45'), Bernardo, Mahrez (Aguero, 66'), Foden, Torres

Unused subs: Carson, Jesus, De Bruyne, Mendy, Cancelo, Nmecha, Doyle, Palmer, Bernabe

Marseille

Mandanda (C); Sakai, Alvaro, Balerdi, Nagatomo, Kamara (Rongier, 66'), Sanson, Gueye (Strootman, 75'), Thauvin (Ake, 75'), Payet (Cuisance, 66'), Germain (Benedetto, 75')

Unused subs: Pele, Vanni, Perrin, Caleta-Car, Khaoui, Enrique

  • Takeaways

City cruise to last 16

Initially not the most comfortable of nights for Guardiola's men but like so many times before, they were in cruise control once they found the opening goal.

City fans will be pleased to see a goalscoring return for Aguero, who will provide another attacking option for the squad for the Manchester derby on Saturday.

Defeat ends Marseille's Europa League hopes

Not a particularly disappointing performance from the visitors to end their first Champions League campaign since 2013/14 but just like that season, they finish bottom of the group.

A point in Manchester would have been enough to send Villas-Boas' side through to the Europa League with Olympiakos' defeat to Porto but the Greek side go through on goal difference.