Despite a warm welcome from Man City fans at Etihad, De Bruyne's return was cut short. The Belgian midfielder appeared frustrated as he was substituted midway through the first half, despite not committing any serious errors. The incident that led to his substitution involved Napoli's Giovanni Di Lorenzo.

De Bruyne (center) vies with Khusanov (number 45) during the first half of the Napoli vs. Man City match at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England on 18/9. *Photo: Reuters*

When the Italian defender was sent off in the 21st minute, the match became an uphill battle for Napoli, whose starting lineup featured three players with Manchester connections: Scott McTominay, Rasmus Hojlund, and De Bruyne. Just five minutes later, De Bruyne was replaced by Mathias Oliveira for tactical reasons. While fans held banners and chanted his name as he left the pitch, De Bruyne couldn't hide his disappointment with Antonio Conte's decision.

Di Lorenzo's red card for a foul on Erling Haaland near the penalty area forced Conte to abandon the pre-match strategy he had discussed with De Bruyne. Napoli resorted to a defensive approach, but their resistance crumbled early in the second half.

Haaland opened the scoring with his 50th Champions League goal in just 49 matches, shattering Ruud van Nistelrooy's previous record of 62 games. The goal at Etihad on 18/9 marked Haaland's seventh in his last five appearances for Man City, a fearsome form reminiscent of his legendary treble-winning 2022-2023 season.

Haaland (blue) heads the ball past goalkeeper Milinkovic-Savic at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England on 18/9. *Photo: Reuters*

Until Haaland's breakthrough, Napoli's goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic was the standout performer. However, his efforts were undone as Haaland and Jeremy Doku scored in the second half. Both goals were testaments to individual brilliance, from Haaland's headed finish to Doku's weaving run through the defense before finding the net.

Napoli considered themselves fortunate to reach halftime with the score still at 0-0. They managed just one shot compared to Man City's 16 in the first 45 minutes, with Leonardo Spinazzola's effort from a De Bruyne long pass proving inaccurate.

Conte likely instructed his players to maintain their defensive posture after the break. But it wasn't enough. Man City scored twice in the second half, despite only two shots on target. The 2-0 victory served as a statement of intent from Pep Guardiola's side, signaling their return as a formidable force in the Champions League.

Vy Anh