This attitude helped them a lot in his time, not failing to reach 16. The problems are saved for a little later in the match. So while this seemed too early, Manchester City left nothing to chance and perhaps offered a glimpse of what Guardiola considers his best attacking team for the bigger games going forward. The trio worked. Striker Erling Haaland scored his first Champions League goal for Manchester City as the visitors beat Sevilla 4-0. We will get to Erling Haaland. Scored another couple, apparently. The night belonged to him again. But the two Englishmen either side of him, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, also left with considerable credit. Both were excellent as inverted wingers, ably supported by the traditional full-backs. City – who took all the heat out of an area known as the frying pan of Spain – were more symmetrical. Smoother if possible. Guardiola admitted after the draw at Aston Villa at the weekend that they had missed Grealis and it showed when they beat Sevilla. More possession control, for a start – vital when encounters like this stay tight for far longer than they should. Enter Haaland. The sky may fall when he finally leaves a stadium without at least one to his name. Two more on the haul – now 12 in seven games for City – which takes him to 25 in the Champions League. It was all smiles for Phil Foden and Joao Cancelo as Manchester City made the perfect start to their Champions League campaign The Premier League champions dispatched the LaLiga strugglers with mastery to take top spot in Group G They have come in 20 appearances. No one – not record holder Cristiano Ronaldo, not Lionel Messi – has ever posted those numbers. No wonder the local papers carried the headlines ‘El Coco’ – loosely translated to The Bogeyman – and ‘a monster comes to see you’. Guardiola spoke enthusiastically of Sevilla on the eve of this one, saying he would “love” to have their history in European competition given the four Europa League trophies in the cupboard since 2014. City’s only piece of silverware on the continent came before since 52 years, the Cup Winners’ Cup, although their progress in the top club competition during the Catalan’s tenure has been encouraging. Despite their pedigree, Sevilla’s start to this season has been far from impressive – three defeats and a draw leave them in the La Liga relegation zone and Julen Lopetegui fears for their long-term prospects. England winger Foden doubled Manchester City’s lead in the second half with a fine shot into the bottom corner. Bereft of confidence, they were never going to press City aggressively in the same way their team bus did earlier in the night – arriving just outside the atmospheric Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium seconds after their visitors. Some of Guardiola’s team hadn’t even got off the coach by the time Sevilla disembarked, the gathering crowds unsure whether to cheer or jeer. In the end they did neither with much gusto. Inside it was a little different. This old place rocks like few others, hostile with bite after the passionate rendition of the club anthem. Sevilla bounced back for it, briefly forcing City debutants Manuel Akanji and Sergio Gomez into difficult areas, but left praying for some form of mercy in the 20th minute. By the time kickoff, this was already looking like offense vs. defense. After a veritable schooling, Lopetegui’s team endured a full-time drill and wipes. Haaland happened again and the scary thing about his first was the telepathy that broke out so quickly with Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian ran onto Foden’s delicate, perfectly weighted pass beyond the defence, glanced into the six-yard box and delivered a diving finish, Haaland’s left foot. The goal was so simplistic yet almost impossible to stop, so easy yet so clever. Central defender Ruben Diaz grabbed a fourth goal for Pep Guardiola’s side in added time to cap a fine display. The Norwegian superstar hit his 12th goal of the season in all competitions following his £51m summer move to the Etihad. Foden had earlier appealed for a penalty when he was brought down by Marcos Acuna, while Haaland headed another De Bruyne cross wide. If Guardiola had any complaint, it was that he didn’t go further ahead, because Sevilla had retreated to such an extent that keeping the ball in any sort of dangerous area was proving too much. Their best chance came when Alejandro Gomez cut Isco’s knock-down wide. It mattered little, but De Bruyne was guilty of missing a huge chance when he was freed by Haaland as the pair packed Sevilla’s pocket and broke at pace. De Bruyne tackled Yassin Bounu, ready to slide in the corner, only for the keeper to pounce on the finish. The equalizer came a few minutes from time, though. Just as patient as the former, Foden collected Joao Cancelo’s cross and turned to the right moment some 15 yards out. Eyeing Bunu, Foden veered into the far corner. A third for good measure, another for Haaland – sweeping in when Bounou saved Foden’s drive. A merchant, this guy. And then Ruben Diaz had one of his own in stoppage time, adding brilliance when he met Cancelo’s cross. Sportsmail’s Ben Willcocks provided live blog updates for Sevilla v Manchester City as the Champions League campaign gets underway.
