Patrick Vieira’s side have a maximum nine points from their three Group E encounters and are in pole position to advance to the second round for the second successive season.
Jose Angel Pozo gave City the lead at a frost-bitten Oktyabr Stadium with a neat finish after 21 minutes and he doubled his tally on 70 minutes to get his team over the line.
When the game came to an end, CSKA hadn’t registered a single shot on target which told you everything about the organisation of the away side, who continue to dazzle on the continental stage.
Last time out, City had come from behind to defeat AS Roma on match day two, thanks to second half goals from Olivier Ntcham and Thierry Ambrose, so it was no surprise that an unchanged line-up was named in Russia.
CSKA proved to be City’s trickiest opponents in last year’s group stages, holding Vieira’s charges to a 1-1 draw in Russia almost a year ago to the day and inflicting a defeat on the eventual quarter-finalists in Hyde in the reverse fixture.
The hosts came into the game with a win and a defeat from their two Group E matches, so knew that they had the opportunity to move level with City at the group summit with a victory.
...CSKA v City: Report...
However, it was the visitors who started the game with the greater attacking intent and, after spurning a couple of half chances, they grabbed a deserved lead after 21 minutes of play.
CSKA ‘keeper Ilya Pomazun motioned as if he were watching an attempt wide of the post when Pozo took aim from 20 yards out but the perfectly measured strike crept into the far corner for the Spaniard’s second goal in this year’s competition.
A minute later, it could and perhaps should, have been 2-0.
Ambrose showed the opposition full-back a clean set of heels and broke clear down the right before teeing up his compatriot Ntcham but unfortunately the City no.8 took too long to sort his feet out and could only fire straight at the onrushing Pomazun.
Moscow did eventually grow into the game and started to put pressure on the City goal as the half-time break approached and they nearly equalised courtesy of an arcing free-kick by Aleksandr Golovin but the crossbar came to the away team’s rescue.
City had the lead last time the teams met at the Oktyabr Stadium last season, only to surrender the advantage and hang on for a point.
The team in sky blue were clearly determined not to allow that to happen again after the restart and they nearly doubled their advantage through Ambrose but Pomazun was in a defiant mood, making a great save to deny Ambrose after the Frenchman drove into the area and struck for goal.
They continued to press on in search of a second goal and their dominance was finally reflected on the scoreboard when Pozo made it 2-0 on 70 minutes.
Scourge of CSKA throughout the afternoon, Brandon Barker, picked up the ball on the left, before slipping in Pozo with a clever through ball.
The Spaniard had his back to goal but swivelled and his shot, which caught the faintest of nicks off a defender’s boot, nestled into the far corner past the helpless Pomazun.
If anything, it could have been more than 2-0 on the balance of play, but Vieira will have been satisfied to have come through one of the toughest group games with a fine performance and the three points.
