Except for the injuries. John Stones can’t catch a break, forced off with a recurrence of a hip injury. His manager claimed they expect him to be out for ‘a while’. Manuel Akanji suffered a back problem in the warm up. Hardly ideal before a heavy run of fixtures. ‘It’s a pity for John,’ Guardiola said. ‘I feel sorry for him. Bad news for us.’

But in the here and now, City have qualified from the group in 11 consecutive seasons, needing just a point when RB Leipzig arrive here in a few weeks to secure top spot. It’s been completed at a relative canter, even if the opposition have seemed kinder than usual.

Erling Haaland scored his second of the match with a thunderbolt strike from the edge of the box

Phil Foden scored at the end of the first half to give City breathing room before the break

Man City have now qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League after Tuesday’s victory

Not that Haaland cares, stroking a penalty past Anthony Racioppi midway through the first half. An effort with a confusing mix of both purpose and nonchalance in a way only he can really manage.

There had been fears about the Norwegian’s fitness at that end of the Etihad Stadium three days earlier, when he hobbled out of the weekend win over Bournemouth with a twisted ankle. But the pain had eased a day later and Guardiola felt compelled to start him on Tuesday night when it might have been more understandable to allow the striker an evening off.

His movement did not appear limited, this actually a more energetic outing than normal, afforded the room to stretch his legs with more regularity. A wafting leg is what did for the Swiss, Sandro Lauper lazily kicking Mattheus Nunes just inside the area. The £53million midfielder needed no second invite to fall.

Lauper had rather chucked in the towel just after the travelling supporters decided to throw black and yellow ponchos – waterproofs that resembled bin bags – towards the pitch. Two thousand of them made the trip, an element of which had security staff fearing trouble. Their only real crime had been twirling those ponchos above their heads in unison. Until they unearthed some sparklers and flares. UEFA fine incoming.

A few hundred had been over the road at the City Football Academy earlier in the afternoon, making a racket as their Under 19s lost 3-0 in the Youth League. Emile Heskey’s two sons, Jaden and Reigan, starred for City in that. Reigan, only 15, scored the opener while his brother, 17, did the talking pitchside as part of the club’s pre-match broadcast.

Both Heskeys are progressing nicely through the academy but it is hard to believe that the senior of the two is only 13 months younger than Rico Lewis.

He never puts a foot wrong, Lewis. For an 18-year-old to have this impact on a team this good whenever he is called upon is a special trait to have. Playing in a more advanced role – one Guardiola has suggested will be the teenager’s eventual calling – his biggest asset is knowing exactly when and how to progress a game, when to inject more pace.

That is what Phil Foden did right on the break. Jack Grealish, jeered mercilessly by the away fans just as he was in Bern a fortnight ago, pinged a crossfield ball over to his great mate. Then it was all Foden, fooling Ulisses Garcia by going round the outside. Reshaping his body, Foden elegantly passed into Racioppi’s far corner.

Haaland rocketed the third with fresh gear on, a 20-yard swinger, before Lauper decided to worsen his own night. In poleaxing Nathan Ake he basically begged for a second yellow. The Belgian referee obliged. ‘The goals were amazing but we weren’t good enough in the box today,’ Guardiola added.

It was just a training session for the remainder of the night though. Kalvin Phillips got a run out, Young Boys didn’t register a shot and City won a 23rd-straight home game in this calendar year.

Pep Guardiola watched on as his City stars dismantled Young Boys in the European clash

Haaland scored his first of the evening from the penalty spot to put City ahead

Young Boys defender Sandro Lauper was sent off in the second half to make matters worse