Manchester City brush Slovan Bratislava aside, but performance hints at key weakness
Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland and James McAtee were all on the scoresheet
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Louise Thomas
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Manchester City eased to their first victory of this season’s Champions League as they brushed Slovan Bratislava aside 4-0 in Slovakia on Tuesday.
Early goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden put them in command before Erling Haaland’s 42nd goal in 41 appearances in the competition and another from substitute James McAtee added the gloss.
City also hit the woodwork three times in a dominant performance that added impetus to their campaign after their draw with Inter Milan earlier this month.
They did it without hitting top gear and with a side showing six changes from Saturday’s draw at Newcastle.
The game was still quite an occasion for Slovan, who were playing at home in the competition proper for the first time having come through four qualifying rounds.
Their fans, clearly not dispirited by their 5-1 hammering at Celtic or City’s supremacy, were determined to make the most of it with the majority inside the 22,500-capacity stadium producing a boisterous atmosphere throughout.
City effectively put the game beyond doubt as Gundogan and Foden struck in the opening 15 minutes, although not everything in their assertive first-half display impressed manager Pep Guardiola.
Indeed, the visitors were almost caught napping early on when Slovan broke quickly from deep and former City trainee Vladimir Weiss cut inside for Marko Tolic to drive a low shot narrowly wide.
Guardiola reacted angrily, as he did a number of times when it seemed City were vulnerable to counter-attacks, but against such limited opposition the temptation to push forward was obvious.
Haaland had already shot wide when Gundogan opened the scoring after eight minutes, volleying home via a deflection after a Savinho volley had been parried by Dominik Takac.
Jeremy Doku had plenty of joy down the right and it was from his pass that Foden doubled the advantage on 15 minutes, placing a low shot into the bottom corner with perfect precision.
Doku then set up a chance for Rico Lewis, whose effort was saved, and the Belgian rattled the woodwork as he tried his luck himself.
Foden had a shot pushed onto the post and a Gundogan strike clipped the bar as City maintained the pressure before the interval.
City had a penalty appeal rejected after Lewis went down early in the second half and Haaland put a header over.
Haaland made no mistake when he added City’s third just before the hour, running onto a Lewis through-ball and casually rounding the keeper to tap in.
That proved to be Haaland’s final contribution before being substituted but replacement McAtee soon got in on the action.
The academy product, back after two impressive loan spells at Sheffield United, was picked out by Foden and took a touch before slotting past Takac.
It was his first goal for the club and he might have had another soon after but this time Takac denied him. The keeper also saved an effort from John Stones as City pushed until the end.