Manchester City thrash to claim their first Champions League win
English team equals rival Manchester United’s record for longest unbeaten run in Champions League history
Summary
Manchester City easily thrashed Slovan Bratislava 4-0 away from home on Tuesday in the second round of the UEFA Champions League. Ilkay Gündogan and Phil Foden scored in the first half, with Erling Haaland and young James McAtee completing the scoring in the second half.
RECORD IN THE CHAMPIONS
With the win, Manchester City achieved the longest unbeaten run in Champions League history, with 25 games unbeaten since May 2022, when they were defeated by Real Madrid in the semi-final. Coach Pep Guardiola’s team equaled the record of rivals Manchester United, who went 25 games unbeaten between the 2007/08 and 2008/09 seasons. City will have the chance to become the sole record holder on October 23, when they host Sparta Prague in Manchester in the third round.
TABLE AND NEXT GAMES
City, who drew 0-0 with Inter Milan in their opening game, have recovered in the standings and are now in fourth place with four points, tied with the Italian team. After hosting Sparta Prague, the English team will also face Sporting (away), Feyenoord (home), Juventus (away), PSG (away) and Club Brugge (home). Slovan Bratislava, who have lost their first two games, will also face Girona, Dinamo Zagreb, Milan, Atlético de Madrid, Stuttgart and Bayern Munich.
ATTACK VS DEFENSE GAME
As expected, Manchester City had no trouble asserting themselves, and the game became a contest of attack versus defense. In the eighth minute, Brazilian Savinho volleyed the ball, the defense cleared it, and Gündogan scored his first goal since returning to City on the rebound. The second goal came in the 14th minute: Foden received the ball unmarked in the area and shot across goal. The scenario repeated itself in the second half. In the 12th minute, Haaland was released free, dribbled past the goalkeeper and extended City’s lead. The fourth goal, in the 28th minute, was scored by McAtee, a 21-year-old who had just come on for Haaland and scored his first goal for City.
