Feyenoord 0-4 Manchester City
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Manchester City opened the scoring after two minutes when John Stones' header trickled over the line
John Stones scored twice as Manchester City got their Champions League group campaign under way with a commanding win over Dutch side Feyenoord in Rotterdam.
Stones registered City's fastest ever goal in the competition with a header after two minutes as Pep Guardiola's men made a perfect start.
Sergio Aguero doubled the lead after 10 minutes, latching on to Kyle Walker's cross and volleying into the roof of the net to claim his 23rd goal in 41 Champions League games for the club.
Gabriel Jesus netted on his Champions League debut as City went 3-0 up after 25 minutes, the Brazilian calmly slotting into an empty net after Benjamin Mendy's shot had been palmed out by Brad Jones.
Feyenoord improved after the break but City still had too much for them, Stones adding his second with another header from a corner to wrap up a one-sided win for the Premier League side.
In the other game in Group F, Shakhtar Donetsk beat Napoli 2-1 in Ukraine.
Fast-starting City exploit Feyenoord frailties
Gabriel Jesus, who scored twice in the 5-0 win over Liverpool on Saturday, scored on his Champions Leage debut
Before the game, Guardiola said City had "to win respect in Europe" after making it past the last 16 just once in seven Champions League campaigns, and failing to win any of their last six away games in the competition while conceding 14 goals.
City will not earn that respect on nights such as this, easing to big wins against limited opposition, but they did what they had to do with efficiency and style.
They were also aided by poor defending by Feyenoord, back in the Champions League for the first since the 2002-03 season, with Stones' opener trickling in after defender Tonny Vilhena made a comically inept attempt to clear off the line.
Aguero's fine finish was much more about City's crisp and clean passing play, but Feyenoord's defensive shortcomings where there for all to see for Jesus' strike - the home players stood still as the Brazilian fired home, mistakenly believing he was offside - and Stones' second.
Feyenoord, managed by former Barcelona and Arsenal defender Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, went into the match on a run of four straight wins at the start of the new Eredivisie season but could pose no threat to the visitors as they slumped to the club's heaviest ever home defeat in European competition.
Just 28% possession and one shot on target betrayed the hosts' lack of invention, and Van Bronckhorst's switch to a back four from a three in the second half perhaps spared them an even bigger defeat.
Will City's 'huge effort' prove money well spent?
Goalkeeper Ederson started the match but was wearing protective headgear. The Brazilian suffered facial injuries after clashing with Liverpool's Sadio Mane in City's 5-0 win on Saturday
Bookmakers have installed City as favourites for the Premier League title and also the most likely of the five English teams in the Champions League this season to win it.
Those odds, coupled with a record £215m spend in the summer, the biggest by any club in any transfer window, has increased expectations.
Summer signings Walker (£45m), Bernardo Silva (£43m), Ederson (£35m) and Mendy (£52m) all featured in the match, with Guardiola acknowledging the role they will play in Europe.
"We have made a huge effort to buy players to make that step forward in Europe, like all the big teams have done," said Guardiola, who has reached the semi-finals in seven of his eight Champions League campaigns as a manager but has not made the final since 2011.
"It's important to see if we can continue to go away from home now and play with an attacking mentality."
Man of the match - John Stones (Manchester City)
An impressive all-round performance by the defender that included two goals, the most passes by anyone in the game (134) and the most touches (148)
'We weren't ready for them' - manager quotes
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: "There is no doubt about John Stones' quality. His two goals were so important.
"He knows where he has to improve, defending the duels, but he's so young and he is able to achieve.
"When he does, he will become an exceptional central defender."
Feyenoord boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst: "I said they are a very good team, with a lot of qualities and speed - everything to be a top team. We weren't ready for them.
"We started not good. If you concede in the first two minutes and the second after nine minutes - that was a big blow. We couldn't get into the game.
"Maybe we were a bit anxious, nervous - the first time for a lot of players at this level. You could see the difference and the difference was too big."
City register overdue clean sheet - match stats
Feyenoord have won only two of their last 16 Champions League games (D6 L8).
Feyenoord have lost four games on the bounce in the Champions League for the first time in the club's history.
Manchester City have won away from home in the Champions League for the first time in their last seven attempts (D3 L3).
City have kept their first clean sheet in the Champions League since September 2016 (eight games).
John Stones' goal after 1:35 is the fastest scored by Manchester City in the Champions League.
Stones is also the first Man City defender to net a brace in the Champions League.
Gabriel Jesus is the fourth player to score on his Champions League debut for Man City (also Balotelli, Kolarov & Nolito).
Sergio Aguero has scored 18 goals in his last 22 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City.
The last time Feyenoord hosted a Champions League fixture they also conceded at least three goals and that too was against an English side - a 3-2 defeat vs Newcastle in the 2002/03 campaign.
What's next?
City face an away trip to Watford in the Premier League on Saturday (15:00 BST) and will be back in Champions League action at home to Shaktar Donetsk on 26 September, while Feyenoord travel to Napoli on the same night (both 19:45).
- Published11 September 2017
- Published9 September 2017
- Published9 September 2017
