Phil Foden amazing, 3/10 shocking – Man City ratings vs Napoli
Man City worked their way past a resolute Napoli side to claim an important victory in their Champions League opener.
Kevin De Bruyne’s Man City reunion was brought to an abrupt end when the midfielder was replaced in the 26th minute.
The Belgian star was replaced following Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s red card in the 21st minute as Napoli looked to hunker down and steal a point at the Etihad.
Whilst the Italian side had done a fabulous job of holding firm in the first half, they were utterly powerless when Phil Foden cleverly dinked a ball between the backline and Erling Haaland powered home a header from close range.
Jeremy Doku made it 2-0 with a cleverly taken finish and City dominated possession, making the most of their man advantage to take all three points in their Champions League opener.
Man City player ratings vs Napoli
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 8
Gianluigi Donnarumma had little to do in terms of shot-stopping, but the hulking Italian’s distribution was impressive, despite much talk of his limitations in that regard.
Abdukodir Khusanov – 8
When the scores were tied at 0-0, it looked like a strange option to keep Abdukodir Khusanov at right-back, given his offensive limitations. However, the Uzbekistan international kept the ball moving well and his defensive capabilities came into effect once City had taken a lead.
Ruben Dias – 8
Composed on the ball, showed some strong tackling, and no other player completed as many passes as Ruben Dias managed, a strong showing from the Portuguese defender.
Josko Gvardiol – 8
The Croatian defender was rarely troubled at the back and a tad unfortunate not to score with a header from a corner. When on form, few are as good as Josko Gvardiol.
Nico O’Reilly – 7
Normally much more of an attacking threat, Nico O’Reilly found it difficult to involve himself in City’s build-up play, but his defensive work was excellent.
Rodri – 8
Rodri has been linked with a Man City exit due to injury issues and interest from Real Madrid, but the Spaniard’s composure at the base of the midfield will have the Citizens’ hierarchy thinking twice about parting ways with the current Ballon d’Or holder.
Bernardo Silva – 3
The odd man out for City. Bernardo Silva struggled to have much impact from the right wing and it would be no surprise to see the Portuguese winger slowly phased out of the side if he continues to fail to perform.
Tijjani Reijnders – 8
Signed from AC Milan this summer, Tijjani Reijnders delivered a tidy assist for Doku’s goal as the Dutchman once again showed why City were so happy to shell out and bring him to England this summer.
Phil Foden – 10 – Player of the Match
If Foden is finally finding his 2023-24 form, the Premier League, and the Champions League for that matter, could be in serious trouble. His chipped assist for Haaland’s opener was not only sublime in technique, but there are very few players on the planet who would have even considered the possibility of that pass being an option.
Jeremy Doku – 8
There have never been any questions about his dribbling ability, but there have been some about his finishing. Doku answered his doubters tonight with a delightfully taken goal to give City a 2-0 lead.
Erling Haaland – 9
Haaland became the fastest player to 50 Champions League goals with his strike against Napoli. Record-breaking achievements have become the norm for the Norwegian behemoth
Substitutes
Nico Gonzalez (on for Rodri 60′) – 7
Moved the ball well and looked comfortable shielding the backline as City kept control of the ball.
Rico Lewis (on for Reijnders 80′) – 6
Little impact, but by the time of his introduction, there was no more oomph left in Napoli’s attacks.
Nathan Ake (on for Gvardiol 80′) – 6
Whilst his career at City is unlikely to last beyond this season, having an experienced replacement on the bench to keep energy in the starting XI’s player’s legs is never a bad thing.
Oscar Bobb (on for Haaland 80′) – 7
Still working his way back to full fitness, Bobb showed some tidy touches in his brief cameo from the bench.