Manchester City made it three wins from three in this season's Champions League, courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Young Boys on Wednesday night.
The European champions deservedly came away with all three points, but Pep Guardiola's side didn't have things all their own way and were level midway through the second half after Manuel Akanji's opener and Meschak Elia's almost immediate response. But two goals from Erling Haaland secured another win in Europe for City.
It was Young Boys who had the first attempt of the night with Filip Ugrinic’s powerful strike palmed away by Ederson, although from that point on City dominated possession and created the majority of chances.
Ruben Dias and Matheus Nunes failed to hit the target from early shots inside the boss, before Haaland fired wide on 24 minutes. Jeremey Doku then saw a shot saved by Anthony Racioppi, while the Young Boys goalkeeper again denied Haaland soon after. It was a busy spell for the Swiss stopper who kept out a strike from Jack Grealish, but in doing so fumbled the ball which then struck off Nunes and nearly rolled back across the line, and it took Loris Benito's frantic dart back and clearance to prevent that happening.
City remained patient as the half wore on, continued to move the ball from side to side and created two more good openings in the final moments of the opening 45, as Racioppi pushed Doku’s curling effort wide, just minutes before a reaction save denied Rodri netting from just a few yards out.
But it wasn’t all one-way traffic and in the latter stages of the half Cedric Itten went close twice, while Sandro Lauper’s volley deflected wide off Ruben Dias.
City came flying out of the traps at the start of the second period, with Nunes and Akanji both testing Racioppi in the first few minutes, before the latter handed the visitors the lead. The defender, back in Switzerland, was perfectly placed to tap the ball in after Dias’ header rebounded off the crossbar following another Racioppi stop.
But the lead lasted just four minutes as Meschak Elia grabbed a superb equaliser. The 26-year-old latched onto a long ball in behind the City defence from Cheikh Niasse, and Elia, one on one with Ederson, audaciously chipped the ball over the City keeper and into the back of the net.
Itten nearly gave Young Boys the lead soon after, when his swerving shot was parried wide by Ederson, in what was becoming an evenly contested affair as City dominated possession and the Swiss offered a real threat on the break. But it was the Blues who grabbed the game’s next goal as Mohamed Camara caught Rodri in the box and a spot-kick was awarded. Haaland stood up and fired the ball into the back of the net, although Racioppi was close to making another important save.
City looked to have grabbed a third in the 73rd minute when Julian Alvarez and Haaland combined on the edge of the box, with the former smashing his shot into the bottom corner. However, a VAR review correctly ruled that the ball had inadvertently struck the hand of Grealish in the build-up, and it was ruled out.
After Bernardo Silva curled a low effort wide, City did net a late third as Rodri picked out Haaland inside the area, and the striker cut back onto his right foot and placed the ball into the opposition goal.
It was a quiet end at the Wankdorf Stadium, with Racioppi making one last save to deny Alvarez in injury-time, the only real chance of note in the final knockings of the match. Here's how we rated City's players...
1. Ederson- 6
His long-range kicking was superb, although Ederson perhaps advanced too quickly for Elias’ goal.
2. Manuel Akanji- 7
Was good from a defensive point of view and netted City’s first goal of the night.
3. Ruben Dias- 6
Played well but got his positioning wrong in the build up to Young Boys’ goal.
4. Nathan Ake- 6
Tucked inside when City had the ball, in what was a solid display