City secures victory over Napoli in the Champions League, with Haaland scoring a historic goal while they played against a team reduced to ten players.
Manchester City Dominates Napoli in Champions League
Manchester City secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Napoli in their Champions League group stage match, thanks in part to a record-breaking performance by striker Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian superstar, who currently has 12 goals in 7 games for club and country this season, scored the quickest goal in Champions League history to reach 50 goals, doing so in his 49th appearance. Haaland's record-breaking goal came in the 56th minute, from a header off a Phil Foden flick.
City's dominance was evident throughout the match, as they had a total of 23 shots compared to Napoli's solitary attempt. The Italian team, playing with 10 men after captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo received a straight red card for a last-ditch tackle on Haaland in the 21st minute, were defensively strong according to City manager Antonio Conte.
Conte returned to Italy with a positive mentality about his team's performance, noting that they suffered together. However, he lamented the early red card against Napoli, stating it made the game nearly impossible. Conte expressed regret for having to substitute Kevin De Bruyne, recognizing it was a game against his old team.
De Bruyne, who won 16 trophies in a decade at Manchester United, received a warm reception from the Etihad crowd after returning to face his old team. The fans chanted De Bruyne's name in the game's dying seconds, and he did a lap of the pitch to thank them after the final whistle. A banner at the stadium read: "King Kev, once a Blue, always a Blue."
Jeremy Doku doubled Manchester City's lead in the 65th minute, scoring from a tight angle after darting past two defenders. City, 2023 Champions League winners, are aiming to finish in the top eight in the league phase and secure an automatic last-16 spot to avoid a two-legged knockout playoff. They were eliminated by Real Madrid in the playoffs last season.
City's goalkeeper was not tested significantly, as Napoli's goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic was kept busy with City's attacks. A near own-goal by Matteo Politano was prevented by a diving save on the line by Napoli's goalkeeper in the seconds before halftime.
Haaland had a couple of near-misses before scoring his record-breaking goal. The striker currently holds the record for the most Champions League goals scored in the shortest time, reaching 50 goals in just 49 matches by 2025 while playing for Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Salzburg. The previous record was held by Ruud van Nistelrooy with 50 goals in 62 matches.
In the end, Manchester City's superiority shone through, as they claimed a comfortable victory over Napoli in their Champions League group stage match.
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