Erling Haaland etched his name into Champions League history once again on Wednesday night, becoming the fastest player to reach 50 goals in the competition as Manchester City opened their European campaign with a 2-0 victory over Napoli at the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland’s milestone strike arrived in the 56th minute, a looping header from Phil Foden’s delicate ball over the top that left goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic stranded. The goal brought the Norwegian’s tally to 50 in just 49 appearances, surpassing the previous benchmark set by Ruud van Nistelrooy by a full 13 games.
Jeremy Doku added City’s second nine minutes later, weaving through a weary Napoli defense before finishing calmly into the far corner. From that point, the contest was effectively settled.
Napoli’s task had already become daunting midway through the first half when captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo was dismissed for bringing down Haaland as the striker raced through on goal. The red card forced Antonio Conte into an immediate tactical reshuffle, withdrawing Kevin De Bruyne for Mathias Olivera in only the 25th minute.
Reduced to 10 men, the Italian champions found themselves pinned inside their own half for long stretches. Gianluigi Donnarumma, making his first Champions League appearance since winning the competition with Paris Saint-Germain last season, was rarely tested. Instead, it was Milinkovic-Savic who kept the scoreline respectable, producing saves from Tijjani Reijnders, Josko Gvardiol, and Nico O’Reilly before the interval.
City’s dominance was reflected in the numbers. Pep Guardiola’s side registered 23 shots to Napoli’s one, while enjoying nearly three-quarters of possession. For all the control, the breakthrough came only after half-time, when Foden once again showcased his growing influence in Europe by creating the decisive opening for Haaland.
The victory marked a confident start to City’s latest attempt to reclaim the trophy they won in 2023. Guardiola’s men were humbled last season by Real Madrid in the knockout play-off round, a disappointment that lingers in Manchester.
