![\"Simon](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1_IMG_2275JPG.jpg\")
<\/p>\nManchester City beat Napoli 2-0 in the Champions League to get off to a winning start in the competition.<\/p>\n
Simon is the MEN’s chief Manchester City writer. He joined the MEN sport desk in 2013 and has covered City home and away since 2016, reporting on Pep Guardiola’s time at the club.<\/p>\n
![\"Phil](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_GettyImages-2235575202.jpg\")
Phil Foden was at the heart of Manchester City’s win over Napoli<\/p>\n
Manchester City took advantage of a Napoli red card to get off to a winning start in the Champions League.<\/p>\n
Giovanni Di Lorenzo was the last man in the first half when he got a small piece of Erling Haaland and none of the ball as he tried to stop the City<\/a> striker from being in on goal, and VAR advised the referee to make the right call. That saw a premature end to Kevin De Bruyne’s return to the Etihad as he was sacrificed in a tactical reshuffle from Antonio Conte.<\/p>\n The pressure from City built and Phil Foden superbly set up Haaland for the opening goal just before the hour mark and Jeremy Doku added a second to give the Blues a cushion.<\/p>\n Here are the player ratings from the Manchester Evening News:<\/p>\n Donnarumma: <\/strong>Made one good save in the first half and wasn’t needed after that once Napoli were reduced to ten. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n Khusanov: <\/strong>Looks more uncomfortable than Dias with the ball on the edge of the opposition box but defended well and showed a willingness to go forward. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n Dias: <\/strong>A few sloppy passes in his own half, but he led the defence well and kept them pushing for the clean sheet. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n Gvardiol: <\/strong>A quiet game, albeit that was no bad thing. Looked comfortable alongside Dias and covered well for O’Reilly. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n O’Reilly: <\/strong>Good recoveries in defence and remains a nuisance for opponents when he ghosts towards the box. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n Rodri: <\/strong>On hand to pick up possession and get City out of a number of potentially troubling situations at the back. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n Reijnders: <\/strong>Looked most likely to score for a while as he was happy to test the Napoli ‘keeper with his feet and his head. More like it. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n Foden: <\/strong>City’s best creator from the start, looking sharp and wanting the ball. A terrific assist for the first goal. 8<\/strong><\/p>\n Silva: <\/strong>Had his moments on the right wing and it was an amazing block that stopped him getting an assist when Reijnders nearly scored. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n Doku: <\/strong>Wasteful for most of the game but then turned it on in the box for a lovely individual strike to continue his momentum. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n Haaland: <\/strong>Earned City their man advantage in the first half and broke the deadlock in the second. 8<\/strong><\/p>\n Substitutes<\/strong><\/p>\n Gonzalez (for Rodri, 60) <\/strong>Controlled the midfield well after being summoned to protect Rodri. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n Savinho (for Doku, 70) <\/strong>Tried to spark something. 6<\/strong><\/p>\n Lewis (for Reijnders, 81) <\/strong>Late arrival. 6<\/strong><\/p>\n Ake (for Gvardiol, 81) <\/strong>10-minute cameo. 6<\/strong><\/p>\n Bobb (for Haaland, 81) <\/strong>Gave Haaland a breather. 6<\/strong><\/p>\n Not used: <\/strong>Trafford, Bettinelli, Nunes, Mfuni, Mukasa<\/p>\n The Champions League is back – and Manchester City will be looking to prove last season’s disappointing show was just a blip as they prepare to take on the best sides on the continent.<\/p>\n And our Manchester Evening News special edition<\/a> is the ideal guide to the challenge facing Pep Guardiola and his side.<\/p>\n It is packed full of features and analysis on the Blues, profiles of all 36 teams looking to reach the final in Budapest in May, plus every fixture in this season’s group stage.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1758230353_415_0_Man-City-Image.jpg\")
Manchester City in the Champions League Special Edition<\/p>\n