The productive striker of Manchester City Erling Haaland dropped a record-breaking goal while the side of Pep Guardiola started its UEFA Champions League 2025-26 campaign with a dominant 2-0 victory on Thursday of 10-man Napoli.
Haaland became the fastest player in the history of the Champions League who achieved 50 goals in what his 49th performance in Europe was an elite competition when he went home the perfectly posted film by Phil Foden at the 56th minute.
Jeremy Doku doubled the city’s lead in the 65th when he quickly turned around and shot two defenders before he slid the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic from a tight corner.
Serie A leader Napoli was reduced to 10 men in the 21st minute when Captain Giovanni di Lorenzo received a straight red card for his last tackle on Haaland.
That spoiled the return of the former old city captain Kevin De Bruyne, whose night was demolished after 25 minutes when Antonio Conte shuffled his team to adapt for broadcasting.
City let the ball glued up for most of the night and attacked in waves while Conte’s men defended for their lives, and Milinkovic-Savic was held on his toes with the city that made 23 shots to the One of Napoli.
One of the best chances of City resulted in a diving saving on the line of Milinkovic-Savic to prevent a almost own goal from Matteo Politano seconds before rest.
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Haaland had a few near-misses for his record-breaking goal. He scored the previous figure of 50 goals in 62 matches by former Manchester United and Real Madrid Striker Ruud van Nistorrooy in 2007.
«Erling will always make that run,» said midfielder Phil Foden.
«It’s about getting that connection. He seems to break every plate. It is unheard of what he does. What an incredible player,» he added.
Haaland, who was not at its best last season, already has 12 goals this season in seven games for Club and Country.
The 34-year-old De Bruyne, who won 16 trophies in a shimmering decade in the city before he left for Italy when his contract ended in June, received a warm reception of the Etihad Mermany. Banners strewn the stadium, including an enormous one that read: «King Kev, once a blue, always a blue.»
The fans sang his name in the dying seconds of the game and he did a round of the field after the last whistle to thank them.
City, 2023 Champions League winner, strives to end up in the top eight in the competition phase and to achieve an automatic last-16 place to prevent a two-legged knockout play-off after it was eliminated by Real Madrid in the Play-Offs last season.
Published on September 19, 2025
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