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First-half goals from Felipe Caicedo and Shaun Wright-Phillips gave Manchester City a 2-0 win over Aalborg in the home leg of their UEFA Cup last-16 tie.

Ecuador striker Caicedo outmuscled his marker to slot home an eight-minute opener, while Wright-Phillips unleashed a thunderbolt into the top right on the half-hour mark.

Both sides could have added more goals to the tally, with City passing beautifully but lacking a cutting edge and Aalborg dangerous on the break but ultimately lacking the quality to finish.

An entertaining first half saw Manchester City hit the back of the net twice, although more could have been scored - by both sides.

City were scintillating going forward but unconvincing at the back and would have been punished by a side more clinical than the Danish champions.

Caicedo drove over after good work from Elano and Wright-Phillips but two minutes later he opened the scoring when he easily shrugged off Michael Jakobsen to slide a Robinho through-ball past Karim Zaza.

Mark Hughes's men almost doubled the lead within a minute when Robinho sent Wayne Bridge clear, but his attempted cut-back to Caicedo was intercepted by Zaza.

Aalborg looked like they might end up on the wrong end of a cricket score but they pulled themselves together and should have had an equaliser.

Thomas Enevoldsen slipped as he skewed his finish wide after Caca and Johansson combined on the left to put him through.

Then, after Caca exchanged passes with Kasper Bogelund on the right, former Wigan playmaker Andreas Johansson was denied by a superb block from Micah Richards.

There was another great chance when Robinho's dilly-dallying on the edge of his own area saw him robbed by Johansson, who fed Caca wide right. The Brazilian burst into the box and rifled a low shot at Shay Given that the former Newcastle keeper was fortunate to see spin over the bar - it could have gone anywhere, and a goal was the more likely outcome than the resultant corner.

But for all Aalborg's pressure it was the oil-rich Mancunian side who got the next goal.

Stephen Ireland went on a trademark run forward from halfway and slipped the ball wide right to Wright-Phillips, who was on the edge of the box but had it all to do as Zaza's positioning limited his options to 'hit thunderbolt into top corner'.

He duly obliged with the Danish-born Morocco keeper helpless to stop a quite brilliant strike.

The visitors still sensed blood and should have pulled one back when Bogelund's attempted through-ball ricocheted off Elano's outstretched leg and into the path of captain Thomas Augustinussen, who somehow fired wide.

After that escape, it was all City.

Nedum Onuoha had a shot deflected wide after a delightful passing move, while the magnificent Ireland was pulling the strings in midfield and created chances for Robinho, Richards and Wright-Phillips that they were unable to take.

City should have had a penalty on the stroke of half-time, but Luxembourger referee Alain Hamer waved away the hosts' appeals after Australian defender Michael Beauchamp hacked at Robinho following a provocative series of step-overs by the ex-Real Madrid man.

The next 45 minutes were less incessant in terms of opportunity, although the sides followed the first-half pattern of City possession and Aalborg counters.

Onuoha headed over when found unmarked by an Elano corner, while Zaza made a smart stop from Robinho after a clever one-two with Ireland.

Wright-Phillips missed a glorious chance to claim his second and City's third but he could only shoot wide when found unmarked by a brilliant Elano through-ball, which followed a glorious take from the Brazilian after Bridge played it long to the edge of the box.

The final few minutes saw Aalborg press for a vital away goal, and Caca should have got one when he fired wide from close range after a give-and-go with former Sheffield United striker Luton Shelton.

A late flurry of set-pieces yielded no result for the Danes, who go back to their homeland for the March 19 second leg knowing they must win by three clear goals to avoid a penalty shoot-out or away-goals exit.

Reda Maher / Eurosport