Goals from Jack Byrne and Thierry Ambrose, sandwiched either side of a Brandon Barker brace, were enough to earn all three points and ensure the youngsters’ passage to the next round.
It was a dominant performance from Patrick Vieira’s men who might have been out of sight by half time with some more accurate finishing and without the intervention of the CSKA keeper.
Now sure of a place in the last 16, they require a single point from the final two games to top the group and earn a home draw in the new year following Bayern’s triumph over Roma in the other Group E game of the day.
Just two weeks had passed since these sides last met in a chilly Moscow, when a brace from Jose Angel Pozo was enough to secure all three points after a dominant performance.
It was therefore no surprise to see Vieira make just one change from the XI that started in Russia, with Ashley Smith-Brown replacing Mathias Bossaerts at right back.
Pozo led the line once again, supported by Barker on the left and Ambrose on the right hand side.
City seized control of the contest right from the off, and forced a desperate clearance from the defender inside two minutes after a good combination from Pozo and Ambrose.
The visitors failed to heed the early warning and City were ahead just five minutes later. Barker had a shot saved after an excellent driving run from the left, and Pozo set up Byrne for an easy tap-in at the far post.
Clearly determined to drive home their advantage, the club’s youngsters poured forward again and again. Smith-Brown’s cross flashed across the face of goal just needing a touch to take it into the back of the net, Angelino fired high over the bar and Olivier Ntcham had the crossbar rattling with a well-struck shot from distance.
The boys in blue were well in control, and Ambrose should have doubled the advantage but sent his shot sailing high into the stand after being set up by Barker, while Ntcham’s effort drifted wide after more good work from the England youth international.
However, the missed chances meant City were vulnerable to the occasional CSKA counterattack. Angus Gunn was called upon to divert a floated free kick wide, but he was powerless to prevent the equaliser on the half hour.
The keeper pulled off a sensational stop at close range from the initial effort, but Alexander Golovin was on hand to tap home the rebound and level the scores well against the balance of play.
Vieira’s men showed their character to retake the lead almost immediately, Barker pouncing on the ball after a sloppy CSKA pass on the halfway line and running the length of the half before finishing coolly across the keeper and into the far corner.
The Russian keeper was called into action twice more before the halftime whistle as City sought a valuable two-goal cushion. Ivan Zlobin saved well from the feet of both Barker and Ntcham, who continued to put the defence under pressure with powerful runs.
But within five minutes of the restart the scores were level once more – Timur Zhamaletdinov taking advantage of a defensive error from Gunn and Kean Bryan to tuck the ball home.
The second half was slower than the first, but City still looked the likeliest to grab a third. Byrne unleashed a rocket of a shot that Zlobin was relieved to see go just wide, while another strike from Ntcham was deflected over the top before Barker doubled his tally for the afternoon.
Impressive on the left all game, Barker was on hand to tap home the rebound after Smith-Brown had another shot blocked by a Russian limb.
Determined not to let CSKA draw level for a third time, City looked to control possession and see out the last 15 minutes.
Young sub Javairo Dilrosun smacked an effort towards goal, before Ambrose made sure of the result in stoppage time, nodding home from Dilrosun’s cross to secure the points and qualification for the next stage with two games to spare.
