Manchester City grabbed their first Champions League win of the season on Tuesday as they emerged from the trip to Slovan Bratislava with a 4-0 victory.
The Slovakian side felt like something of an unknown heading into the game and they actually created the first opening of the match when Tigran Barseghyan drilled a shot inches wide following a Bratislava breakaway.
But it became immediately clear that any hopes of an upset were misplaced. It took City just eight minutes to take the lead when Ilkay Gundogan fired beyond Bratislava goalkeeper Dominik Takac. The midfielder, captaining the side, connected perfectly with a venomous strike after Savinho’s initial effort was blocked, to grab his first goal since returning to City in the summer.
It was 2-0 soon after when Phil Foden collected the ball off Jeremy Doku a few yards inside the box and effortlessly passed the ball into the bottom corner. With Kevin De Bruyne injured and Pep Guardiola fielding repeated questions about his midfield options in the last week, it was a timely first goal of the season for Foden.
Guardiola insisted in his pre-match press conference that this game would not have the feel of a ‘friendly’ but the difference in quality between the sides removed any semblance of competitiveness. Seven days on from playing Championship side Watford, Tuesday’s opponents were undoubtedly the weakest team City have faced this season.
Coupled with a naively open approach, City carved Bratislava open at will and it was remarkable the lead remained at just two goals at the interval. The visitors did manage to hit the woodwork three times in the opening 45 - via Doku, Foden and Gundogan - while Erling Haaland spurned a clear-cut chance to add his name to the list of scorers.
Inevitably, the striker increased his tally for the season after the break. Lewis had all the time he wanted to thread a perfectly weighted ball into the striker’s path, and he rounded the keeper and coolly tapped in his 42nd Champions League goal.
James McAtee then grabbed the fourth of the night when he latched onto Foden’s pass and he bounced his shot in. The game might not live long in the memory for supporters, but the boyhood Blue will never forget where he scored his first-ever goal for the club.
He could have increased that when he poked a shot wide soon after, while City failed to convert a plethora of second-half efforts with Doku, Lewis, John Stones and Gundogan drawing saves from Takac.
By the end, City had managed 28 shots and amassed 77 percent of possession in the sort of one-sided affair Uefa surely didn’t anticipate with its new Champions League format.
On what could be City’s most comfortable game of the entire campaign, here’s how we rated the players…
1. Stefan Ortega- 6
Came out to head the ball away from a Bratislava counter but that was the height of his involvement. Ortega didn't have a single save to make at the Tehelne pole stadium.
2. Rico Lewis- 8.5
Started at right-back but spent most of the game in a midfield role. He contributed to City's attacks with his driving runs and it was his excellent pass in behind that set up Haaland's goal.
3. Manuel Akanji- 6 (off 61)
Moved the ball quickly and was on hand to deal with any opposition counter attacks.
4. John Stones- 7
Rarely tested defensively and mopped any challenges posed by the Bratislava attackers.