Erling Haaland hit a brace as Manchester City made it three wins from three in Group G of the Champions League with a 3-1 victory over BSC Young Boys at the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern.
Manuel Akanji, playing in his homeland, opened the scoring for Pep Guardiola’s European champions shortly after half-time but we were pegged back within five minutes via a scooped Meschack Elia finish.
However, Haaland’s penalty in the 65th minute put a much-changed City back in front before the Norwegian added a third in the closing stages to ensure the three points.
That leaves us with nine points from three matches, knowing a win in the return clash at the Etihad Stadium in a fortnight will see us safely through to the knockout stages for the eleventh consecutive season.
The result also extends City’s unbeaten run in the Champions League to 16 matches, matching Guardiola’s longest chain of matches in the competition without defeat.
WHAT HAPPENED
We trained at the Wankdorf Stadium on Tuesday in an attempt to get to grips with the artificial surface. The composed early passing of a City side who made seven changes from the weekend's win over Brighton suggested it was a fruitful session.
Rodrigo felt he could have opened the scoring when he met City’s first corner with a powerful header that whistled beyond Anthony Racioppi’s post.
Nunes, the taker of that corner, was the next to believe he could have found the net when a low Jack Grealish cross came his way. The Portuguese midfielder was unmarked around 12 yards out but couldn’t keep his left-footed effort below the bar.
We continued to dominate and with more and more possession came more freedom for our defenders, who took every opportunity to drive into space created by the movement of Rodrigo, Nunes, Mateo Kovacic and Rico Lewis in front of them.
Manuel Akanji did just that midway through the first half and slid a pass through to Erling Haaland. The Norwegian held off his marker but couldn’t find the net with his right foot.
Another clearcut chance followed moments later when Grealish jumped onto a loose ball and fizzed a pass into Jeremy Doku. The No.11 cut inside but slipped just as he went to strike, meaning his effort clipped his standing leg and made the save easier.
Young Boys had hit the night’s first shot on goal inside the opening minute but had to wait until the 29th minute before their second came. Striker Cedric Itten burst over the halfway line and cut inside, but his tame left-footed effort was simple for Ederson to collect.
Grealish looked our most threatening player throughout the first half and caused chaos at the back on the half hour when his latest shot was spilled by goalkeeper Racioppi. Nunes followed it in and sent the ball towards the line, only for it to be cleared with mere inches to spare.
Last ditch defending was required from left-back Nathan Ake in the 37th minute when a sudden Young Boys break resulted in Sandro Lauper finding space in our box. The midfielder looked to be through for a one-v-one but he afforded Ake just enough time to poke it away for a corner.
The European champions worked Racioppi twice more before the break. Firstly, Doku cut inside from the left and unleashed an effort that was parried away before Rodrigo met a low corner with a cushioned shot that the Swiss goalkeeper had to turn away with his legs.
The pattern of play remained the same immediately after half-time, with City peppering the Young Boys goal from the off.
The opener took just over two minutes following the restart when Swiss international Akanji was quickest to respond after Racioppi brilliantly tipped a Dias header on to the bar.
However, the lead lasted less than five minutes with Meschack Elia scooping the ball over Ederson after being set in behind City's defence.
That next wave of attacks brought City’s penalty in the 65th minute when Rodrigo reacted to a blocked Grealish effort slightly quicker than Young Boys captain Mohamed Ali Camara.
Haaland stepped up to spot and duly hammered home for his first Champions League goal of the season. The Norwegian thought he had his second shortly afterwards when sliding in to meet Doku's low cross but he couldn't turn the ball inside the far post.
Julian Alvarez was introduced in the 72nd minute and thought he had added City's third just two minutes later but his cool finish was scrubbed off following a VAR check for a handball against Grealish.
Bernardo Silva came close inside the last ten minutes, curling a shot just wide of the far post from his inside right position. However, it was that man Haaland again who put the result beyond doubt with a right-footed curling strike into the top corner in the 86th minute.
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