1. Erling Haaland lightly touched his golden hair to the perfect pass that Phil Foden created after controlling the ball between Buongiorno and Juan Jesus.
Right foot – left foot, control, light touch, flick and finish beyond the reach of goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic. All in one second, right in the middle of Napoli's dense defense.
A sublime moment of precision put Man City 1-0 up, and took Haaland's tally to the skies: 50 goals in 49 Champions League games.
Even better than Cristiano (140 goals/183 games) and Messi (129 goals/163 games). The absolute efficiency record in the continental arena – the fastest person to reach 50 goals before was Ruud van Nistelrooy, in game 62.
A whirlwind that took Man City one step closer to perfection after a trophyless season. Napoli were the victims, especially after being reduced to one man from the 21st minute.
2. “King Kevin” . The message on the banner hanging in the Etihad stands accompanied the painting of De Bruyne wearing a crown, white sable fur, holding a scepter – the king in the hearts of fans.
Perhaps the most important player in Man City's history, the Belgian midfielder returns to face the crowd after many months away from the club where he spent 10 years.
The audience awaited him with applause as he walked out of the tunnel, wearing the Napoli shirt – the most powerful club in Serie A at the moment – with a reserved look in his eyes, his face motionless except for the fading blush on his skin.
The opening day of the Champions League turned out to be an emotional reunion. But it was short-lived. Lasting just over 20 minutes.
It all started when Gigio Donnarumma kicked the ball up the field, which was cleared by Sam Beukema before Haaland could receive, falling to Foden. The England midfielder then passed it to the Norwegian striker, who sprang into space like a spring.
The synchronization exploded, as if by telepathy. Haaland showed his instinct to tear open space, forcing captain Di Lorenzo to foul him right in front of the penalty area.
Napoli's mainstay defender – a model leader and devoted teammate – was sent off after the referee consulted VAR.
Antonio Conte immediately had to intervene, withdrawing De Bruyne and sending Mathias Olivera onto the field. Napoli immediately clustered together with two solid defensive layers, leaving Rasmus Hojlund alone up front.
3. The Serie A defending champions turned the penalty area into an impenetrable jungle, the ball always bounced back.
Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Tijani Reijnders – the midfield trio Pep Guardiola has chosen to form the foundation of his new Man City – must be patient.
Napoli, symbolized by the fiery Matteo Politano, did not leave an inch of ground untouched.
It took an almost metaphysical connection between Foden and Haaland for Man City to open the score at 1-0 – which came seconds after Politano had been sent off.
To double the lead, an extraordinary sprint was needed. Jeremy Doku was the author.
After receiving the ball from his teammate, the Belgian player turned around between Stanislav Lobotka and Beukema, feigned a left turn, then immediately changed direction, pulled the ball close to his feet, faced the goalkeeper and made a spectacular nutmeg. An explosion that only a few world stars can achieve: 2-0.
After the Manchester derby, Napoli, Man City are gradually finding the best version like the 2022/23 season, where Rodri is highly accurate, Foden is full of flair and Haaland is effective.
This weekend is Arsenal at Emirates (10:30 p.m. September 21), Pep Guardiola is waiting for Haaland to "shoot" again when Man City must win to compete for the Premier League title.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/haaland-lap-ky-luc-champions-league-san-sang-thach-thuc-arsenal-2444202.html
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