MANCHESTER, England: Manchester City eased past defending Europa League champion FC Porto Wednesday, beating the Portuguese side 4-0 to wrap up a 6-1 aggregate win.

Sergio Aguero opened the scoring after just 19 seconds to stretch City’s 2-1 first-leg advantage but the English Premier League leader then had to wait until the 76th minute for its second goal.

Edin Dzeko, David Silva and David Pizarro completed the rout with goals in the last 14 minutes.

Entered into the second-tier Europa League following its elimination from the elite Champions League, City advances to the round of 16 for a match against Legia Warsaw or Sporting Lisbon. Sporting hosts Legia Thursday with the teams tied 2-2 from their first-leg match.

Aguero opened the scoring after a through-ball from Yaya Toure, slipping a shot low past goalkeeper Helton.

Substitute Dzeko had been on the field just 7 minutes when he collected a precise pass from Aguero and shot past Helton.

Porto was reduced to 10 men when Rolando was sent off for a second yellow card as City celebrated and Silva added a third goal in the 84th after good approach work from Pizarro and Dzeko. Dzeko then set up Pizarro two minutes later for his first goal for City.

The prospect of outcast Carlos Tevez pulling on a Manchester City shirt again moved closer Wednesday when manager Roberto Mancini said he accepted the Argentine striker’s apology for his behavior over recent months.

Tevez issued an unreserved apology Tuesday and withdrew his appeal against a gross misconduct charge handed to him by the Premier League leaders after spending most of the past three months in his homeland without permission after a seemingly terminal fallout with the coach.

“I’m happy with what Carlos said. Tomorrow I will talk to him,” Mancini said after City completed a 6-1 aggregate victory over Porto in the Europa League with a 4-0 thrashing of the Portuguese side Wednesday.

“I’ve accepted his apology. There’s a chance he can play for Manchester City again. I think he needs two or three weeks to train, and some games, but if he’s ready in two or three weeks that’s normal.

“Carlo knows the team very well. In the last six or seven months the team has played very well and are top of the Premier League,” Mancini added. “But Carlo is a top striker. He can help us to do a good job in the next two months.”

The events of the past 24 hours represent a remarkable turnaround after the 28 year old seemed unlikely ever to play for the club again following a bitter fallout that began when he refused to warm up during City’s Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich in September.

Italian Mancini said in the wake of that incident that Tevez was “finished” at the club.

The player’s subsequent unauthorized absence prompted City to fine him six weeks’ wages after finding him guilty of gross misconduct for serious breaches of contract.

Tevez had lodged an appeal with the Premier League over the charge but has withdrawn it. And only last week Tevez appeared to further isolate himself when he accused Mancini of treating him “like a dog” in Munich, an accusation flatly rejected by Mancini.

Tevez said Tuesday that his wish was to concentrate on playing for City again and help them push for their first English league title since 1968.