Man City Dominate 10-Man Napoli in Commanding 2-0 Victory: Player Ratings Revealed
Manchester City kicked off their Champions League journey with a victory, defeating 10-man Napoli 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday evening.
Kevin De Bruyne's return to the Etihad dominated pre-match discussions, alongside the homecomings of Scott McTominay and Rasmus Højlund to Manchester, but Napoli skipper Giovanni Di Lorenzo became the focal point early on with a red card dismissal. The Italian defender's desperate tackle on Erling Haaland was penalized after VAR intervention, leaving the away side in trouble just 20 minutes into the match.
Antonio Conte was compelled to withdraw De Bruyne in an early tactical adjustment, with the former City playmaker receiving warm applause as he made way for left-back Mathías Olivera. The home team continued to pressure the defending Serie A titleholders, but were frustrated by Napoli keeper Vanja Milinković-Savić who made several crucial stops in the first half's closing moments.
The pattern continued after halftime, with City dominating possession in Napoli's territory while facing a defensive wall of nine outfield players and the imposing presence of Milinković-Savić in goal. Nevertheless, Napoli's defensive resolve cracked just shy of the 60-minute mark when Haaland guided a header home from Phil Foden's brilliant delivery, becoming the fastest player to net 50 Champions League goals.
City quickly sealed the victory as Jérémy Doku, who impressed in the recent Manchester derby, delivered a magnificent individual goal to extend their lead. The nimble Belgian weaved through multiple Napoli defenders in the box before calmly slotting the ball into the far corner with precision.
Napoli conceded defeat early while City relaxed their intensity in the final stages, with Guardiola's squad cruising to the finish line to secure a positive start to their league phase journey.
Man City Player Ratings vs. Napoli (4-1-4-1)
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
Player | Rating (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma | 8.0 |
RB: Abdukodir Khusanov | 7.4 |
CB: Rúben Dias | 7.3 |
CB: Joško Gvardiol | 8.1 |
LB: Nico O'Reilly | 7.4 |
DM: Rodri | 8.3 |
RM: Bernardo Silva | 7.7 |
CM: Phil Foden | 7.9 |
CM: Tijjani Reijnders | 8.6 |
LM: Jérémy Doku | 8.4 |
ST: Erling Haaland | 7.7 |
SUB: Nico González (60' for Rodri) | 7.0 |
SUB: Savinho (69' for Doku) | 6.5 |
SUB: Nathan Aké (80' for Gvardiol) | 6.7 |
SUB: Oscar Bobb (80' for Haaland) | 5.9 |
SUB: Rico Lewis (80' for Reijnders) | 6.4 |
Subs not used: James Trafford (GK), Marcus Bettinelli (GK), Matheus Nunes, Stephen Mfuni, Divine Mukasa.
Player of the match: Phil Foden
Napoli (4-1-4-1): Vanja Milinković-Savić; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Sam Beukema, Alessandro Buongiorno, Leonardo Spinazzola; Stanislav Lobotka; Matteo Politano, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Levin De Bruyne, Scott McTominay; Rasmus Højlund.
Subs: Alex Meret (GK), Mathias Ferrante (GK), Juan Jesus, Mathías OIivera, Miguel Gutiérrez, Billy Gilmour, Antonio Vergara, David Neres, Eljif Elmas, Giuseppe Ambrosino, Lorenzo Lucca, Noa Lang.