Manchester City beats Napoli 2:0: Haaland scores his 50th goal in the Champions League.

The Victory of Manchester City over Napoli

According to The Sun: Ten players ANTONIO CONTE had every chance to show their defense and surprise Manchester City.

But the main character Erling Haaland came to the rescue and secured his team's triumph in the first match of the new season.

The former Chelsea coach noted before the game that his Italians might fare like students against a team like City.

Despite the early red card for captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Conte had prepared his charges for a serious test at the Etihad Stadium.

An hour before the end of the match, Haaland proved once again that he is the best by scoring his 50th goal in this tournament.

He received a fantastic assist from Phil Foden and put his team ahead with a header. After that, they never looked back.

Jeremy Doku scored the second goal, while his teammate Kevin De Bruyne returned to the Etihad, but his comeback was not as successful.

The City fans unfurled a banner that read 'King Kev' in honor of one of the favorites, four months after his departure. There, the Belgian is depicted in purple robes and a crown symbolizing 16 trophies from 10 unforgettable years.

Yet the fairy tale did not come true as his time on the pitch lasted only 26 minutes.

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The City manager couldn't believe it when the number 11 appeared on the scoreboard. The team's support that had come for the last farewell was also shocked.

This definitely was not part of the plans, but if De Bruyne disagreed, he might want to speak to his captain during the return flight to Italy.

There was no special threat when Erling Haaland was looking for a pass from Phil Foden, but the defender made an error.

He tried to rectify the situation but seemed to have touched the ball, yet the German referee ruled differently and allowed play to continue.

However, both Haaland and Bernardo Silva were certain that it was not the case, and VAR called for the referee to review the scene.

Ultimately, a red card was shown as the Norwegian could run alone towards the goalkeeper.

Conte realized he had to change tactics and considered his options to end KDB's special evening.

It is impossible not to feel sympathy for the City legend.

His new teammates, however, tried to keep the goal area safe in every possible way and proved the correctness of this decision in the first half.

The great goalkeeper Vanya Milinkovic-Savic, who previously played for Manchester United, did everything to stop the opponents' attacks, including a shot from Nico O'Reilly.

He excelled and also stopped other attempts from City, making the game seem somewhat balanced.

The Second Half and Extra Time of the Match

Before the red card, Napoli also had their moment when defender Sam Beukema aimed with his head so that the ball went directly to Donnarumma.

After the dismissal of the captain, however, the Napoli defenders began to realize that their evening would not go well.

The situation did not change even after halftime when Jeremy Doku played over to Foden, who shot just past the far post.

It seemed like a breakthrough was just a matter of time, and after 11 minutes in the second half, it happened.

Foden played a brilliant pass through the middle, and Haaland lifted the ball with his head over Milinkovic-Savic.

His fiftieth goal in his favorite tournament was scored after just 49 games – 13 faster than the previous record set by Ruud van Nistelrooy.

And as KDB entered the history, no one was happier than Haaland, who watched as Foden began to show his game again.

The English talent had faced setbacks in the past year, but in recent days it seems he has found his rhythm again – that is excellent news for both the club and the national team.

Doku expressed that after the defeat to United in the derby, he is going to mass, and he looked full of energy as he turned in the box and scored a second goal in the middle of the second half.

It seems that not only Doku but also City looks renewed in recent days.