City will take a two goal advantage to Denmark next week thanks to first half strikes from Felipe Caicedo and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
But it could have been many more. Indeed, had the Blues scored five their visitors could not have complained such was the one-sided nature of the contest.
It leaves City with a bit of work to do in seven days time. Hughes believes they are up to the task.
“Ideally we would like to have put the game to bed,” he said. “We had enough chances to score more than we did. But we got a positive result and a clean sheet and overall it was a very good European performance.
“Aalborg have to attack us now. I am sure that will provide us with opportunities and if we play as well next week as we did here it will be very difficult for them.”
Once again, Wright-Phillips was a star man. But the England winger was not on his own.
Even without midfield duo Vincent Kompany and Nigel de Jong, the hosts had top performers across the field.
Caicedo put the poor form that scarred his first few months at the club to one side by giving the hosts an eighth minute lead, Elano and Stephen Ireland were constant menaces while Robinho's excellent display should have been rewarded with a penalty when he was flattened by Michael Beachamp.
It leaves City on the brink of their first appearance in a European quarter-final for 30 years and one Hughes is convinced they will take.
“We are in good shape,” said the City chief. “The aim has always been to get through to the next round. Once you get through to the quarters and semi-finals then you can start thinking about winning the whole thing.”
Before City head to Denmark for the third time in this competition they have the little matter of Chelsea to face at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
It hardly seems the ideal venue to end a winless Premier League away sequence stretching back to August. But Hughes is quietly optimistic.
“It is a big test for us but one we are looking forward to,” he said, remembering the hammering City took in the early weeks of the campaign.
What do you think? Have your say.
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Seven Stars"There is a light that never goes out", Manchester (12/03/2009 at 23:24)
Iggle Piggle, Manchester (12/03/2009 at 23:54)
NEIL SWINDELLS (13/03/2009 at 00:04)
Looking at the entire squad, when healthy, we have an unbelievable depth of talent which (IMHO) only needs tweaking over the off season. A strong centre forward who guarantees 10+ goals and (if Berti really is an invisible man) another quality center half (left footed, please) and we are sorted!
Nice game tonight, but we do need to be a tad more clinical, if I can find ANY fault. I'll take 2-0 and THEM having to chase the game at their place without giving one up. One goal there will require them to score FOUR, which is a tall order.
Keep up the good work, MH, and keep playing the type of attractive, free flowing, free exchange football only associated with Arsenal for the last decade.
CTID!!!
T.LESS, SALE (13/03/2009 at 00:19)
Bobby Johnstone's left kneecap, Hong Kong (13/03/2009 at 02:44)
Ferrari, Toulouse (13/03/2009 at 06:25)
PJS, Oz (13/03/2009 at 07:06)
Still should be good enough to have our name in the QF draw end of next week.
G-DOG Blue Sympathy, fallowfield (13/03/2009 at 07:51)
MCFC OK!, chorlton (13/03/2009 at 07:55)
blue to bits, Old Trafford,Stretford. (13/03/2009 at 08:24)
The way in which we took the lead and then started swanning about as though we were ten goals up was disgusting and without a wonder strike from SWP progression in this comp would be in serious doubt.
They are still in it because they can't possibly play that bad at home and we can't keep a clean sheet away.
Sick to death of Robin HoHo trying to do everything in a 'world class' manner when a simple pass or shot will do.
YOU CAN DO THAT WHEN WERE FIVE UP!!!!!!!!!
The missing 24,000 got it right - If you turn up this is how you are rewarded.
ANY other premiership team would have killed this tie off. This would have allowed the luxury of resting some senoir players for the second leg such that our league campain would benefit from this - NOT CITY - SICK OF IT.
Oh And Whilst I'm Ranting
If you think the club is about to become proffessional then what on earth are they doing with the ball boys - Has nobody told them to 'rush like mad to get the ball to our players for throw ins - IT'S OUR TIME BEING WASTED FOR GODS SAKE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Would this happen at Anfield,OT,Highbury or Stamford Bridge - NOT A CHANCE the ball boys would have been briefed before the game - thorw it back as fast as possible or your out!!!!!!!
boy blue, burnage (13/03/2009 at 08:24)
ctid
Danny - Salford 'Impeccable' (13/03/2009 at 08:41)
many of the people in the ground could not believe the poor turn out, i felt sorry for the likes of Robinho, Ireland and SWP as the football they are playing does not warrant such poor support.
Where are you? Is this sort of run in Europe not what we all want?
The sad thing is as a lad sat behind me last night said, 'if we get to istanbul they'll all be moaning because they haven't got a ticket' and he was spot on.
The team and manager are doing the club proud but they are being let down by the supporters, who are embarrasing the club.
As the song goes, 'if your watching on the tele your a t?%$!!!!!'.
Colin Bell, cobh, ireland (13/03/2009 at 08:49)
Two goals up and a clean sheet, we surely can't mess this one up!!!!
The attendances are down, but that's Thrs night football for you.
The opposition in these games are not exactly household names.
Hopefully, we can all get excited about the last 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CTID
david allen (13/03/2009 at 09:08)
Ste , Cheshire (13/03/2009 at 09:20)
City Slipper, Manchester (13/03/2009 at 09:22)
Blue is a Manc thing, manchester (13/03/2009 at 09:53)
I doubt that the buffoons who report on the dark side would class a 2-0 win at home a failure. I didn't see anything last night that suggested that this team could put three past us next week especially with the possibility of Kompany and maybe Bellamy back without us scoring an away goal. Chelsea did outplay us although we scored against them which is a rarity but you have to say that our midfield that day was considerably more lightweight than it is now. It was Robinho's and Zabaleta's debuts I think they had both just arrived off a plane from Brazil/Argentina after World Cup games.
That game was in the honeymoon period with Scolari and I would suggest Chelsea haven't played like that since but I wouldn't describe it as an 'hammering' maybe this reporter has confused his season's, last season at Stamford Bridge was a hammering when incidently Mark Hughes wasn't the manager. Besides we wouldn't expect to win against Chelsea unlike a certain team who expects just to have to turn up on Sunday to be crowned champions. If they lose on Sunday will that be reported as a failure to secure the league title? Was the draw in Aalborg reported as a failure? I think not.
Ctid and beyond
Brisbane Blue (13/03/2009 at 10:01)
Don't be so hard on yourselves
BradleyFoldBlue, At work (13/03/2009 at 10:04)
On another point, the fans who stayed away for our biggest game of the season need to hang their heads in shame, especially at the low ticket prices that were on offer!!!
If and I know its a big If with City, we get to the final, all these so called "fans" will come out of the woodwork, trying to take the tickets off the true blues!!!
Phil Neal's Laxative, In a Shay Given wonderland (13/03/2009 at 10:09)
Well, I’ll just say one thing on this topic: Assuming that we dispatch Aalborg over the two legs, we have a very good chance of facing a side who people will actually have heard of in the last eight: Ajax, Werder Bremen, Galatasaray, Marseille, Dynamo Kiev et al. If we only get 25,000 against any of that lot, then I – my friends – will add my voice to your lugubrious chorus, and will eat my proverbial hat into the bargain.
Aalborg - Thursday night - live on TV - recession. As our American cousins would say, do the math!
paul woodhouse - , gorton (13/03/2009 at 10:09)
sorry but yes it is. we are not the finshed article. we are a team that is just getting used to playing in europe. against a team. that are winning cups and championships in their country over the last few years.
that have played in the champions league. finishing 3rd behind united. they may not be a great team. but they know more about playing in europe than city do. over the last few years. and if you had offered me 2-0 at the begining of the game . id have snatched your hand off. we are going into the next game. city are now thinking when 2-0 up. if another goal comes. then great. but we don.t want to conceede one. and we didn't. it also means that they have to come out more and attack. leaving gaps at the back. and with hopefully kompany and bellamy back. we stand a great chance of scoring. and going through... so don't come on here saying it,s not a good result. any team at home. winning 2-0 in europe. is a good result
Uwe Roslers Vest, Heywood (13/03/2009 at 10:10)
nottingham_blue (13/03/2009 at 10:12)
13/03/2009 at 08:24
are you joking? you're having a go at the ball boys? that proves how good last night's performance was if you can't find anything else to whinge about. this team beat deportivo (6th in la liga) 6-1 in the last round.
and as for the empty stadium, it's a shame but the fact of the matter is people just can't afford to go to an extra 10 games on top of a season ticket at the moment. i go to every home game in the league but i live in nottingham so if i'd wanted to go i would have had to have taken an hour off work, spend £20 in petrol on top of £25 for the ticket and £5 for the car park and i wouldn't have got home until 1 in the morning. you can't blame people for being skint. and people who haven't been to many euro home games will want a ticket for the final if we get there, i certainly will because the final will be a special night and worth the extra money and time off work. we can't all hire private jets from london and be home in time for the prawn sandwiches like the rags
Robo - Denton Blue, Denton (13/03/2009 at 10:17)
noon, The United States Of Elton (13/03/2009 at 10:17)
Is that short for talentless