Gabriel Jesus scored a 20-minute hat-trick as City came from behind to beat Dinamo Zagreb 4-1.
Phil Foden capped a sparking performance with a late fourth.
In the final group stage fixture, the Premier League champions were just too good for the Croatian champions, though the hosts started brightly and could have had more than their early goal to show for their efforts with better finishing.
It was the perfect riposte to Saturday’s Manchester derby defeat and exactly the reaction Pep Guardiola, who made eight changes to the staring line-up, would have wanted.
What happened?
City had barely settled into their stride when Dinamo Zagreb went ahead with a peach of a goal.
Kadzior’s fine cross into the box found the perfectly-timed run of Dani Olmo and the highly-rated Spaniard fired a volley that Claudio Bravo did well to get his hands on, but the power was too great, and the Croatians were in front with just 10 minutes played.
It was the tenth game in succession that City failed to keep a clean sheet – but there was still plenty of time to get back in this game.
Ilkay Gundogan forced Livakovic into a good save as the Blues looked for an instant response but the next best opportunity came on the break with Olmo racing through only to fire over from the edge of the box.
City needed inspiration from somewhere and it came in the shape of Phil Foden who decided to make something happen and did.
Foden skipped past three challenges on the halfway line, causing two Zagreb players to clash with each other as he sped through, then his pass to Gabriel Jesus saw another defender drop to the ground but quite rightly, City played on.
The ball went back to Foden, then Rodri who found Riyad Mahrez on the right, and the Algerian picked out Gabriel Jesus who planted a fine header pas the keeper from six yards.
The Croatians were incensed, feeling the referee should have halted play, but as all the injured parties seemed fine shortly after, playing to the whistle was the right decision.
On the stroke of half-time, Zagreb were fortunate not to reduced to 10 men when Gojak clearly swung an elbow into Rodri’s face – if VAR reviewed it – which they should have done, it seemed a straightforward red card, but instead play restarted with a throw-in.
City were ahead within five minutes of the restart with a goal that smacked of real quality.
Benjamin Mendy played the ball to Jesus who exchanged passes with Foden as he moved into the box and the Brazilian left a defender on his backside before curling a low shot home from six yards to make it 2-1.
And less than five minutes later, Jesus was celebrating his second Champions League hat-trick.
A move down the left flank saw Mendy send a fine low cross towards the back post and Jesus volleyed home from four yards.
Mendy provided another fine cross for Jesus on 64 minutes but the Brazilian just headed over on this occasion.
Oleksandr Zinchenko made a welcome return as a sub for the hat-trick hero midway through the second period – his first appearance for two months.
The icing on the cake came six minutes from time after a delightful move between Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo that saw the latter cross low for Foden to prod home on his 50th appearance for the Club and make it 4-1 on the night.
Terrific stuff from Pep’s men.
