Erling Haaland once again proved unstoppable as Manchester City earned a comfortable 2–0 victory over Villarreal in their Champions League group-stage clash on Tuesday night.
Pep Guardiola’s men remained unbeaten in the competition’s league phase, thanks to first-half goals from Haaland and Bernardo Silva at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
The Norwegian striker continued his incredible form, scoring for the 12th consecutive game for club and country, which takes his tally to 22 goals in that period.
Guardiola made four changes to the side that beat Everton over the weekend, resting Phil Foden among others, as City finally ended a year-long winless streak away from home in Europe.
City started brightly, with Haaland heading wide early on and the in-form Savinho causing problems for Villarreal’s defence. The breakthrough came in the 17th minute when Rico Lewis set up Haaland after a smart team move, allowing the striker to smash home from close range.
Villarreal, who currently sit third in La Liga, tried to find their rhythm, but City doubled their lead before the break. Savinho whipped in a cross that found Bernardo Silva unmarked, and the Portuguese midfielder calmly nodded past goalkeeper Luiz Junior.
City suffered a setback when midfielder Nico Gonzalez limped off injured before the hour mark, adding to Guardiola’s concerns with Rodri Hernandez already sidelined.
Despite a late surge from Villarreal, City’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma stood firm, making key saves to deny Nicola Pepe and others. Haaland nearly grabbed a second, but Luiz Junior’s sharp reflexes kept him at bay.
Guardiola later introduced Omar Marmoush for his first appearance since August after recovering from a knee injury.
Villarreal’s best chance came late on when Renato Veiga’s header struck the post, leaving them still without a win in Europe this season, with just one point from three matches.
With this win, Manchester City continue to look like one of the strongest contenders for the Champions League crown once again.
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