Five Things Learned: Manchester City 2-0 Napoli (UEFA Champions League Group Phase) | OneFootball

Manchester City confidently swept aside Napoli with a 2-0 victory in their opening game of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League group-phase campaign.

Pep Guardiola’s side headed into Thursday night’s clash at the Etihad Stadium buoyant on the back of a confident 3-0 derby day win against rivals Manchester United.

City named an unchanged side from Sunday’s Premier League clash with Gianluigi Donnarumma making his UEFA Champions League debut for his new side three weeks on from completing a £26 million deadline day move to the Etihad Stadium from Paris Saint-Germain.

Phil Foden played a perfect ball to Erling Haaland at around the 20-minute mark, cutting through Napoli’s backline and forcing Giovanni Di Lorenzo to take drastic action.

The Italian side’s captain took the City striker out with a sliding challenge but was deemed not to have got any of the ball following a VAR check. This led to Di Lorenzo being sent off, and with Napoli down to 10 men, manager Antonio Conte had to make a bold decision himself.

With the match previously being touted as a homecoming for Kevin De Bruyne, who only departed City in the summer for Napoli after 10 seasons at the English club, the Belgian was surprisingly sacrificed in a substitution by Antonio Conte.

Coming off to a roar of applause by all fans in the ground, as well as his famous dedicated chant, the Belgian maestro made an unexpected early exit, being replaced by Mathías Olivera. Goalless at the break, it did not take City long to make the difference in numbers count as Haaland looped a header over Vanja Milinković-Savić.

The goal ensured that the Norwegian was the fastest player in history to reach 50 UEFA Champions League goals, taking just 49 games for the feat. Pep Guardiola’s side doubled their lead later in the second half as Jeremy Doku drove into space, skipped past several challenges and expertly slotted the ball under the Serbian goalkeeper.

Here are five things we learned from Manchester City’s Champions League win versus Napoli –

1. Erling Haaland is on fire

Erling Haaland is nothing short of sensational. Just when you think he can’t outdo himself, he does, breaking more records along the way. Against Napoli, Manchester City faced a tough, well-oiled defence typical of a Conte team and despite heavy possession, it was proving to be a hard nut to crack.

But who else but City’s number nine to break the deadlock with his 12th goal of the season in all competitions for club and country. The goal also saw Haaland become the quickest player in history to reach 50 Champions League goals, tumbling another record in his wake.

His past couple of seasons have been very good but not quite up to his scintillating numbers from his treble-winning, 2022-23 debut season at the Etihad Stadium. Yet on current form, the 25-year-old seems to be at top gear once more. Haaland is the greatest striker on the planet. Argue with your nan.

2. The Rodri we know is BACK

You’d be hard-pressed to find a Manchester City fan who doesn’t think that Rodri is the most important player in the whole squad.

Although there were a multitude of reasons why the Citizens struggled last season, the most damaging was losing the Spaniard to injury for the majority of the campaign. The Ballon d’Or winner was a notable absence throughout the 2024-25 season and only played in the last couple of matches of the season.

He’s been a regular feature this season and has gradually been getting back to his incomparable best with some rustiness in previous matches. Against Napoli, he was back to his elite level, exuding a calmness in the midfield, pinging passes across the pitch and commanding his teammates.

If this is the Rodri that City are set to have this campaign, I see silverware at the end of it.

3. Jeremy Doku is coming into his own

Jeremy Doku has been exciting and electric at times since he joined Manchester City in 2023, but he has also been frustrating, too.

The Belgian has the raw talent for all to see, but all too often in previous seasons, his end product was not there. Some games he would delight but often he would disappoint with poor shooting or passing, yet this seems to be changing in the right direction.

Doku has looked a far more confident player this season and the Belgian winger followed up his brace of assists versus Manchester United on Sunday with a well-taken, individual goal against Napoli on Thursday evening.

If he can keep this confidence and quality up, especially with Erling Haaland fit and firing next to him, then the sky is the limit for Doku this season.

4. Abdukodir Khusanov: Right-back

Of the many, many signings that Manchester City have made in 2025, arguably the most curious was Abdukodir Khusanov. A young, inexperienced player who was having a fantastic breakthrough season in France, with some doubting that he could cut it in the Premier League.

After a nervy first few minutes in his debut against Chelsea, Khusanov quickly found his feet and looked like one of the most confident players in the squad last season. Following a leave of absence from the starting XI in the closing months of the recent campaign, it has been relieving to see play regularly so far this term.

With an absence in the right-back position since Kyle Walker’s drop-off in form last season and subsequent departure to Burnley this summer, Khusanov has filled the gap and filled it well once again against Napoli.

The young Uzbek defender has brought speed, passion and drive with tough tackling to the role, reminiscent of club hero Pablo Zabaleta, which has given Guardiola a great option in what arguably remains an understaffed position.

5. The Etihad will always be home to Kevin De Bruyne

Thursday’s game was billed as a homecoming for Kevin De Bruyne, who joined Napoli in the summer after 10 seasons at Manchester City.

A true club legend and regarded by many as City’s greatest ever player, it’s safe to say he remains well-liked around these parts despite his departure. It was a strange sight seeing De Bruyne playing in Manchester for the opposing team but sadly, it was a sight that wasn’t available for long – following Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s red card early doors.

The 34-year-old Belgian was hooked after just 20 minutes as Napoli were reduced to 10 men but the reception from the City fans towards their hero was unwavering.

Clapped off the field to chants of his name, it’s safe to say that the Etihad Stadium will always be De Bruyne’s home – no matter the team he plays for – unless, of course, he were to join Manchester United at the age of 39!