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.

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"We are confident but you need that when you are facing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge," added Hughes.

"It is going to be a big test for us. We met them earlier in the season and maybe we weren't quite up to it but we are a different side now."

Chelsea have a new manager in Guus Hiddink and also a place in the Champions League quarter finals thanks to their midweek draw with Juventus in Turin.

"They have improved and they got a good result in midweek," observed Hughes.

"They have had a good week, but then again so have we, and we want to finish it in the right manner."

Aalborg coach Magnus Tehrsson was in downbeat mood afterwards.

It seems he too is dubious about his side's chances of turning the tie around on home soil.

"It is going to be very difficult to progress now," he said.

"City are very dangerous on the counter attack. You can see why they are favourites to win the competition."