Sevilla 0-4 Man City: Player ratings & man of the match as Erling Haaland kickstarts Champions League campaign

Manchester City began their Champions League campaign with a comfortable 4-0 win over Sevilla on Tuesday night.

The Blues, amining to win the competition for a first time, had Erling Haaland to thank, as he netted a brace either side of a second-half Phil Foden goal, while Ruben Dias added a fourth in injury-time.

It was a first half that couldn’t have been any more straightforward for City, who dominated all aspects of the game as Sevilla struggled to get out of their own half.

Jack Grealish registered the first chance of note on 12 minutes, when he hit the side netting after cutting inside and shooting on his right foot.

Soon after, City found the breakthrough. Foden released Kevin De Bruyne down the line and the Belgian instinctively fed the ball to the back post where Haaland, on the stretch, tapped it into the back of the net.

De Bruyne then went close himself with a free-kick, while on 37 minutes Haaland forced Bono to parry an effort wide.

Sevilla only mustered one real chance in the opening period, when Marcos Acuna shot wide from outside the area.

The hosts were more adventurous after the break, which actually proved beneficial to City, who had more space behind to attack into.

De Bruyne should have done better with a one-one-one chance that was saved by Bono within minutes of the half starting, before Foden made it 2-0 on 58 minutes.

Again from a breakaway, the England international picked the ball up on the edge of the box, sold Nemanja Gudelj with a dummie, and then shifted back onto his left foot and powered it into the bottom corner.

City had the ball in the back of the net again a few minutes later, but Foden was correctly flagged offside in the build-up.

The City No.47 was enjoying himself at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan and created Haaland’s second on 67 minutes when his shot was saved by Bono and fell perfectly for the onrushing Norwegian to tap in from a few yards out.

The latter stages were quiet with the points sorted and a multitude of substitutions, but Joao Cancelo had two efforts that went close, while Suso forced a late save from Ederson.

In injury-time, Dias made it four when he netted from a Cancelo cross, moments after Julian Alvarez had an strike cleared off the line.

Here’s how we rated the players…

Manchester City player ratings

Ederson- 6

Had one shot on target to deal with all night and, other than collecting crosses, the goalkeeper had a quiet game.

Joao Cancelo- 6

Played from right-back and looked to get forward whenever possible, while also looking solid defensively.

Manuel Akanji- 7

An impressive debut from the defender who looked good in possession and slotted in seamlessly at the back.

Ruben Dias- 6

On the rare occasions he was forced into action, City’s No.3 dealt well with any threats from Sevilla. His goal at the end was taken like a prolific striker, rather than a centre-back.

Sergio Gomez- 6

Didn’t look out of place as he started at left-back and the early signs are that the former Anderlecht man is a technically proficient player.

Rodri- 7 (off 78)

Played a huge part in City’s first-half domination as the Spaniard kept the ball moving in the middle. Rodri rarely gave the ball away all night.

Bernardo Silva- 7

Started at the base of midfield but moved to the right wing, before ending back in the centre of the park. Like most in sky blue, he showed plenty of energy, drove forward at will and helped City dominate possession.

Kevin De Bruyne- 8 (off 78)

Seemed to be everywhere and was constantly surging forward on the ball, looking for gaps in behind the Sevilla defence. Another great showing from the midfielder.

Phil Foden- 8 (off 70)

An excellent performance from Foden who played a part in all three goals. The City youth product was dynamic, took up dangerous positions and moved the ball quickly. We gave Foden our man-of-the-match award.

Erling Haaland- 8 (off 70)

Another devastating impact from the man of the moment. Both goals were typical centre-forward finishes, both of which were first-time strikes. The No.9 also linked well with the likes of Foden and De Bruyne.

Jack Grealish- 7 (off 62)

Looked good on his return to the team and demonstrated plenty of flair and desire to get on the ball. Grealish misplaced a few passes but, overall, had a good night.

Ilkay Gundogan- 7 (on 62)

Adapted immediately to the pace of the game and helped City maintain their chokehold on proceedings.

Cole Palmer- 6 (off 70)

Got on the ball a lot but didn’t take many risks, unsurprisingly, given the scoreline.

Julian Alvarez- 6 (off 70)

Didn’t have many touches but nearly scored in injury-time.

Riyad Mahrez (on 78), Kalvin Phillips (on 78)

Sevilla player ratings

Bono 5; Navas 4, Carmona 5, Nianzou 5, Acuna 4; Gudelj 3, Delaney 5 (Jordan 46); Gomez 3 (Suso 73; 4), Rakitic 3 (Mir 46; 5), Telles 3 (Dolberg 57; 5); Isco 4 (Januzaj 79).