Coach Pep Guardiola was a bit annoyed when he said that Manchester City does not seem to be one of the strong candidates for the Champions League title this season.
Perhaps the 2-0 victory over Napoli - a team that had to play with one less player since the first half after Giovanni Di Lorenzo was sent off - was not enough to make the "big guys" such as Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Barcelona or Real Madrid worried. However, if the goal is to conquer Europe, defeating the Serie A champions in the opening match of the group stage clearly is not a bad start.
"I am really, really satisfied. When facing 11 men, we had a very good performance against a team with strong Italian character. They defended solidly, played fiercely and had a strong fighting spirit.
I am also very satisfied because after they lost a person, we were not impatient or in a hurry. On the contrary, every pass has a purpose, every moment is calculated. Antonio Conte's teams are always very difficult to beat" - Guardiola said after the match.
The Citizens seemed to have a chance to win after just 21 minutes, when Giovanni Di Lorenzo was sent off for a foul on Erling Haaland. German referee Felix Zwayer initially ignored Man City's request, but Haaland was determined that he had been deprived of a clear scoring opportunity. The Norwegian striker immediately stood up, continuously issuing a "red card" towards the referee.
VAR referee Christian Dingert asked Zwayer to review the situation, and after consulting on screen many times, he decided to agree with Haaland. From that moment on, Napoli had to struggle to withstand the terrible pressure.
Antonio Conte did everything he could to make things difficult for Man City, even blocking Kevin De Bruyne's return to the Etihad when he took him off, replacing him with defender Mathias Olivera. This adjustment, along with a series of excellent saves from goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, helped Napoli hold on until the end of the first half.
But then, the deadlock was broken after a good combination between Rodri and Phil Foden. The English midfielder skillfully dribbled the ball through Napoli's defense, before crossing for Haaland to finish accurately. Man City's number 9 predicted the perfect drop point, launching a dangerous header that knocked down the opposing goalkeeper.
This was Haaland's 8th goal in just the last 3 matches, after he scored 5 goals for Norway against Moldova and scored a double against Manchester United. This goal also had historical significance when Haaland officially became the player who reached the 50-goal mark in the Champions League fastest of all time. He only needed 49 games to reach this milestone, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy's record set in 2007 (62 games). That achievement is even more impressive as Haaland is only 25 years old.
However, Guardiola's Man City are still not on par with top candidates such as Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Barcelona or Real Madrid. However, for a assassin like Haaland, they always have the opportunity to turn all predictions around.
Not only Haaland, but other Man City stars are also on the rise. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has integrated very quickly, Rodri continues to maintain his starting position in all 3 recent matches, while Phil Foden seems to have regained his agility and fitness that he lacked for most of last season. Notably, all three have experienced Champions League glory, and that is the foundation for Man City to confidently go far.
"In the last few games, Haaland and Foden have had a completely different feeling. It was a calmness in both defense and attack, the team's body language was extremely positive. I am very satisfied.
At the weekend, Man City will have a huge challenge against Arsenal, but bringing this mindset to the Emirates will be much better" - the Spanish captain added.
