Man City 2-0 Napoli: Haaland and Doku score to seal 3pts against 10-man visitors

Manchester City produced a dominant performance to win 2-0 against 10-man Napoli in their Champions League opener at the Etihad Stadium.

Match Report

Giovanni Di Lorenzo's red card midway through the first half made the task too tough for the Italian side with Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku scoring the goals in the second period for Pep Guardiola's team in what turned out to be a one-sided affair in Manchester.

The match had been billed as Kevin De Bruyne's emotional return following the City legend's summer exit and the home fans paid tribute with King Kev banners and warm applause, but the first-half red card for Di Lorenzo led to his early substitution.

It took a VAR review for the Napoli skipper to be sent off but the replays clearly showed that he had failed to get a foot on the ball, his outstretched boot catching Haaland when the Norwegian was clean through. De Bruyne's return over just like that.

Antonio Conte knew that it would be a case of dogged resistance thereafter, for which he required graft not craft and his players responded with some stoic defending. Vanja Milinkovic-Savic produced a series of stunning saves to keep Napoli level at the break.

City had 16 shots in the first half alone but Napoli could not keep them out indefinitely. Phil Foden's scooped pass found Haaland and the striker's deft header was too good for even Milinkovic-Savic. Fifty Champions League goals in just 49 games. The fastest ever.

Doku danced through to add a second soon after. The Belgium winger starred in the Manchester derby win at the weekend alongside Foden and Haaland. In this form, Guardiola's trio of attackers go into Sunday's showdown with Arsenal full of optimism.

Tough Manchester return for Napoli trio

While there was genuine disappointment that De Bruyne's return was so fleeting, the City supporters certainly enjoyed serenading Rasmus Hojlund from the field. The striker, on loan from Manchester United, endured a miserable evening as he toiled alone up front.

Hojlund's time in Manchester was rather less heralded than his Belgian team-mate but the 22-year-old striker made a strong start to his Napoli career with a goal in the 3-1 win over Fiorentina and would have been hoping to send a message. It was not to be.

Scott McTominay, another former United player, put in a shift in midfield but could not showcase the attacking side of his game that has so lit up Serie A since his move last year. This night belonged to City from the moment Di Lorenzo trudged off the field.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

0' A huge 'King Kev' banner is lifted into the air at the Etihad

10' Doku has a shot following Foden's corner but it's blocked

18' Beukema meets the corner and Donnarumma does ever so well to keep out the header

21' Red Card! Di Lorenzo sent off for fouling Haaland after VAR review

24' City's free-kick is deflected behind for a corner which comes to nothing

26' City close to breaking the deadlock through Haaland's glancing header

27' De Bruyne has been sacrificed as Conte shuffles his pack and sends on Olivera

31' Foden has a shot from distance which is saved by the keeper

43' Two big saves in quick succession by Milinkovic-Savic to keep his side on level

47' Politano manages to take the sting out of a goal-bound shot from Reijnders

51' Great feet by Foden who fizzes it across the six-yard area but Napoli survive

57' GOAL! Haaland heads home from Foden cross to break deadlock! Man City 1-0 Napoli

60' Rodri is replaced by Nico Gonzalez with half an hour left

66' GOAL! Doku has a perfect solo show to double the lead! Man City 2-0 Napoli

80' Manchester City have sent on Rico Lewis, Nathan Ake and Oscar Bobb

Line-ups

Man City XI: Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Donnarumma, Rodri, Haaland, Foden, Reijnders, Doku, Gvardiol, Nico O'Reilly, Abdukodir Khusanov

Subs: Ake, Bettinelli, Matheus Nunes, Nico González, James Trafford, Bobb, Lewis, Savinho, Stephen Mfuni, Divine Mukasa

Napoli XI: De Bruyne, Spinazzola, Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, Politano, Vanja Milinković-Savić, Anguissa, Buongiorno, McTominay, Sam Beukema, Højlund

Subs: Juan, Meret, M.Olivera, Elmas, Neres, Lang, Miguel Gutiérrez, Lorenzo Lucca, Gilmour, Giuseppe Ambrosino, Antonio Vergara, Mathias Ferrante