London: Erling Haaland set another milestone as Manchester City battled past Napoli 2-0 in their Champions League opener, with the Norwegian becoming the fastest player to reach 50 goals in the competition.
Haaland needed just 49 games to achieve the feat, heading in Phil Foden’s clever pass in the 56th minute to put City ahead. Nine minutes later, Jeremy Doku added a second to seal the victory.
The night also marked Kevin De Bruyne’s much-anticipated return to the Etihad after leaving the club in the summer following 10 years of service. Greeted warmly by City fans, his comeback lasted only 26 minutes before Napoli coach Antonio Conte substituted him after Giovanni di Lorenzo was sent off for bringing down Haaland as the last defender, reports Xinhua.
It proved a measured opening with City quickly assuming territorial dominance and control.
The game’s first real flashpoint then arrived on 19 minutes when Napoli were reduced to 10 men after skipper Giovanni Di Lorenzo was sent off for bringing down Erling Haaland.
The game’s first real flashpoint then arrived on 19 minutes when Napoli were reduced to 10 men after skipper Giovanni Di Lorenzo was sent off for bringing down Erling Haaland.
Having been turned by Haaland, the defender sought to atone but only succeeded in bringing the Norwegian down on the edge of the box.
Though referee Zwayer initially waived play on, he was advised by VAR to check again on the pitch side monitor and had no hesitation in showing the red card.
Kevin De Bruyne’s emotional return to the Etihad was then cut short on 26 minutes.
The Belgian – back on his old stomping ground four months after leaving – was replaced by Mathias Olivera as Napoli boss Antonio Conte sought to shore up his back line and De Bruyne was afforded a rapturous, sustained ovation from all four corners of the ground.
With the pressure building, City sought to make our numerical advantage tell and Milinkovic-Savic produced a breathtaking 42nd minute save to deny Nico O’Reilly’s deft header, the keeper diving low to his right to somehow claw the ball away.
And the Serbian was there again in first half injury time to deny Tijjani Reijnders via a fortuitous touch off Politano which diverted a goal bound shot into the grateful keeper’s hands.
The second half saw City continue to lay siege to the Napoli goal and the crucial breakthrough finally arrived on the 58 minutes through that man Erling Haaland.
The big man maintained his stunning start to the season, neatly latching onto Phil Foden’s cute assist to head over Malinkovic-Savic to chalk up his 50th career goal in the Champions League in record time.
It was his 12th goal of the season all told and also meant he was the quickest player in Champions League to reach the 50 landmark, achieving it in just 49 games.
With the Napoli dam breached, City then further emphasised our dominance with Jeremy Doku doubling the advantage with a superb 62nd minute strike.
The Belgian winger waltzed through four challenges inside the visitors’ box before coolly despatching a precise finish to set the seal on a fine night’s work for City.
(IANS)
