Manchester City vs Napoli Player Ratings – Champions League 2025/26: Haaland Breakthrough and Doku Magic Sink 10-Man Napoli! | OneFootball

Manchester City began their 2025/26 Champions League campaign in familiar fashion: with control, patience, and ultimately, victory. Pep Guardiola’s side overcame Serie A champions Napoli 2-0 at the Etihad, thanks to goals from Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku.

Napoli battled valiantly despite being reduced to ten men when captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo saw red in the first half for a mistimed lunge on Haaland. Antonio Conte’s men dug in to frustrate City and reached the interval on level terms, but the dam eventually burst.

Phil Foden unlocked the Italian champions with a sublime lofted pass for Haaland, whose deft header wrong-footed Vanja Milinković-Savić. Doku then iced the contest, dancing past defenders and finishing clinically to seal the points.

Guardiola will be encouraged by City’s second-half sharpness and the contributions of his younger core, while Conte must rally Napoli after a night where resilience gave way to fatigue.

Manchester City Player Ratings

Gianluigi Donnarumma – 6.5/10Rarely troubled but sharp when called upon. Claimed a few high balls confidently and made a key first-half save.

Abdukodir Khusanov – 7.5/10Composed beyond his years, learning to balance aggression with poise. Handled Napoli’s counters well and pushed forward intelligently.

Rúben Dias – 6.5/10Steady but less assured on the ball than his fellow defenders. Relied more on physical duels than distribution.

Joško Gvardiol – 7.5/10Impeccable with his passing and nearly scored just before half-time with a fierce strike. Rarely misplaced a step.

Nico O’Reilly – 7/10The youngster contained Politano effectively and dovetailed well with Doku down the flank. Mature display.

Rodri – 7/10Still short of full sharpness but vital in maintaining balance. Often dropped into defence, recycled possession smoothly before being withdrawn early.

Bernardo Silva – 7/10Sought spaces between the lines but found Lobotka a stubborn opponent. Industrious if not incisive.

Tijjani Reijnders – 7/10Energetic box-to-box presence. Went close with a blocked effort early in the second half. Functional rather than spectacular.

Phil Foden – 8/10 (Man of the Match)The architect of City’s breakthrough. His delicate lofted assist for Haaland was exquisite, and he knitted attacks together all evening.

Jeremy Doku – 7.5/10Quiet in the first half but electric after the interval. His goal summed up his fearless style, beating men with ease before finishing.

Erling Haaland – 7/10Won the foul that saw Di Lorenzo dismissed. Limited by Beukema’s tenacity but still decisive with a perfectly cushioned header.

Substitutes:

Nico González – 6/10: Slotted into midfield calmly, kept possession ticking.

Savinho – 6/10: Injected energy and direct running, good cameo.

Nathan Aké – 4/10: Added late defensive cover; little to note.

Oscar Bobb – 4/10: Gained minutes, limited involvement.

Rico Lewis – 4/10: Introduced late, minimal impact.

Napoli Player Ratings

Vanja Milinković-Savić – 8/10Outstanding in the first half with strong saves and aerial command. Beaten only by quality finishes from Haaland and Doku.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 1/10Disciplined display undone by one reckless challenge on Haaland. His dismissal changed the complexion of the match.

Sam Beukema – 6.5/10Physical and combative, he disrupted Haaland effectively at times. Napoli’s most resilient defender.

Alessandro Buongiorno – 6.5/10Read danger well and tracked Foden’s movements diligently. Stretched as City pressed harder in the second half.

Leonardo Spinazzola – 5.5/10Worked tirelessly on both flanks but struggled to contain City’s wide overloads as legs tired.

Stanislav Lobotka – 6/10Busy and combative, but overrun after Di Lorenzo’s dismissal. Couldn’t stem City’s waves of midfield runners.

Scott McTominay – 5.5/10Worked hard but peripheral due to Napoli’s lack of possession. Rarely able to break forward into advanced positions.

Kevin De Bruyne – 5/10Against his former club, struggled to dictate play before being sacrificed early for tactical reshuffle.

André-Frank Zambo Anguissa – 5.5/10Shielded the back line but lacked sharpness. Substituted as Napoli chased the game.

Matteo Politano – 6/10Industrious, tracking back diligently, but attacking influence muted. Napoli’s busiest forward without a real end product.

Rasmus Højlund – 4/10Isolated and ineffective. Ran willingly but poor hold-up play left Napoli unable to relieve pressure.

Mathías Olivera – 5.5/10: Added defensive cover, accurate long passing.

Juan Jesus – 4/10: Struggled with positioning, failed to stabilise.

Eljif Elmas – 4.5/10: Barely involved, unable to influence.

David Neres – 5/10: Energetic runs but service was lacking.

Billy Gilmour – 3.5/10: Composed but ineffective, with little attacking contribution.

Man of the Match

Phil Foden (Manchester City) – The difference-maker with vision and execution. His inch-perfect pass for Haaland broke Napoli’s resistance and set the tone for victory.

Conclusion

This was a night where patience met precision. Manchester City, kept at bay for 55 minutes, waited for the moment to strike and did so ruthlessly. Foden’s ingenuity, Haaland’s killer instinct, and Doku’s flair ensured Guardiola’s men opened their Champions League campaign with three points and authority.