- Manchester City and Real Madrid the first teams through to round of 16
- Raheem Sterling, Wilfried Bony, Benoît Trémoulinas score first UEFA Champions League goals
- City go 2-0 up and Jesús Navas hits the post inside opening 13 minutes
- City have kept just one clean sheet in their last 12 games
- Next games: Mönchengladbach v Sevilla, Juventus v Man. City (25 November)
With Raheem Sterling and Fernandinho far too hot for Sevilla to handle, Manchester City made light of the pre-competition predictions of a struggle as they booked their place in the UEFA Champions League round of 16.Manchester City secured a place in the Champions League last 16 by tearing apart Group D rivals Sevilla in a blistering attacking display.
Raheem Sterling put the Blues ahead with a composed finish from a tight angle, and Fernandinho's header doubled their lead just 170 seconds later.
Sevilla hit back through Benoit Tremoulinas' free header, but Wilfried Bony swept in for a 3-1 half-time lead.
City cruised through the second half to progress with two games to spare.
Victory for the Premier League leaders, coupled with Juventus's 1-1 draw at Borussia Monchengladbach in the group's other game, means they have reached the last 16 in record time.
Sevilla could still finish level on points with City, but the Blues would progress because of their two wins over the Spanish side.
Champion form from City
City have struggled in the Champions League over the past four seasons, twice failing to escape the group stage under Roberto Mancini and scraping into the last 16 in each of Manuel Pellegrini's two campaigns.
But their victory in Spain maintained the Chilean's flawless record of reaching the knockout phase while managing City.
Pellegrini's side were rampant in a remarkable first half, cutting apart their Spanish hosts almost at will.
Sterling finished coolly after he was picked out by Fernandinho's accurate through ball, before the Brazilian headed into an empty net after pouncing on a rebound.
And, after Sevilla gave themselves a lifeline when an unmarked Tremoulinas was picked out at the far post by Coke, Bony swept in Jesus Navas's low cross from the right to restore the two-goal advantage.
Europa League winners Sevilla barely threatened after the break, with Yaya Toure, Bony and Sterling all going close to adding more away goals.
Now City, beaten by Barcelona in the last 16 in the past two seasons, are in a strong position to finish as Group D winners, which they will hope will give them a more favourable tie.
Sevilla caught out by City's fast start
City have developed a reputation in recent weeks for pinching dramatic winners, but this victory was based on a lightning start rather than a scrambling finish.
The Blues needed late goals to beat Monchengladbach and Sevilla in their previous two Champions League matches, and to see off Premier League rivals Norwich at the weekend.
Pellegrini sprang a surprise by dropping £55m summer signing Kevin de Bruyne, arguably City's star performer in recent weeks, to the bench.
That may have hinted at a more pragmatic approach, but the Chilean's tactics were far from cautious.
Sevilla had not lost in their previous 10 European home games but had no answer to the pace of Sterling and Navas down the flanks, nor to the power and drive of Fernandinho.
City had six shots on target in the opening 20 minutes as Sevilla failed to muster one.
The visitors ended the first half with 16 efforts; only Atletico Madrid mustering more in one half in this season's competition, with 17 against Kazakhstan minnows Astana.
Better from Bony?
Virtually every club side in European football would struggle to replace Sergio Aguero and City, despite their vast riches, are no different.
In the Argentine talisman's absence through injury, some City fans have not been convinced that £28m signing Bony is an adequate replacement.
But the Ivory Coast striker responded with an encouraging display.
As well as netting his first Champions League goal, Bony impressed with his link-up play at the focal point of City's counter-attacking set-up.
And he was given a rousing ovation by the travelling supporters when he was replaced in the final five minutes.
What's next?
A return to Premier League action. Leaders City, ahead of second-placed Arsenal on goal difference, visit bottom side Aston Villa on Sunday.
Sevilla 1-3 Manchester City: First half masterclass sends Pellegrini's men through to last-16
The Premier League side scored three times inside the opening 36 minutes to seal an impressive win
Manchester City booked their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League with a fine 3-1 win over Sevilla on Tuesday night.
City needed an injury-time winner from Kevin De Bruyne to secure a 2-1 victory over the La Liga side in the reverse fixture last month, but were dominant from the outset at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
The travelling supporters continued their frosty relationship with Uefa by again booing the Champions League anthem before kick-off, but they were roaring with delight soon afterwards as Raheem Sterling and Fernandinho put City 2-0 up inside 11 minutes.
The travelling supporters continued their frosty relationship with Uefa by again booing the Champions League anthem before kick-off, but they were roaring with delight soon afterwards as Raheem Sterling and Fernandinho put City 2-0 up inside 11 minutes.
Sevilla battled their way back into the contest as Benoit Tremoulinas headed home before Wilfried Bony added City's third nine minutes before half-time.
Juventus' second consecutive draw against Borussia Monchengladbach means Pellegrini's men will head to Turin on matchweek five as group leaders aiming to take another significant scalp heading into the knockout rounds.
The Chilean's decision to include Fernando in a holding role granted attacking license to Fernandinho and the midfielder was at the heart of much of City's fine work during a devastating opening spell.
Having had a penalty appeal rejected, the Brazil international strode forward and threaded a sublime pass for Sterling to slot home left-footed in the eighth minute.
Roles were reversed three minutes later - with Sterling pouncing on a slip from Sevilla full-back Coke to feed Bony, whose shot was magnificently saved by Sergio Rico before Fernandinho nodded in the rebound.
Rico's attempted heroics were almost in vain once again when he got down to tip a strike from former Sevilla winger Jesus Navas onto the base of his right post.
Fernando Llorente fired wastefully over on the end of Vicente Iborra's flick on, but Sevilla reduced the deficit after 25 minutes with a wonderful team goal.
Vitolo deftly picked out Coke, who atoned for his earlier error by skipping past Nicolas Otamendi and chipping a cross over Joe Hart for his fellow full-back Tremoulinas to charge in for a simple headed finish.
After Sevilla defender Adil Rami blasted into the side netted, City restored their two-goal cushion nine minutes before the break as Navas collected a Hart clearance to twist past Tremoulinas and cut the ball back for Bony to pick out the bottom corner.
Unai Emery's team began the second half on the front foot, seeking to respond once more, but they were indebted to sharp reactions from Rico to deny Fernandinho a second - Sterling crafting the opportunity with another mazy run in the 53rd minute.
Enjoying arguably his finest performance since joining City from Liverpool in a protracted close-season transfer, Sterling then had a strike blocked on the end of a Fernandinho pass that was delightfully dummied by Bony.
A one-two between Ivory Coast team-mates Bony and Yaya Toure saw the latter curl wide as the match entered the final 20 minutes, with Sevilla looking increasingly low on confidence.
The Europa League holders now trail second placed Juventus by five points and can't overtake City due to an inferior head-to-head record.
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