Villarreal 0-2 Manchester City: Erling Haaland scored in 12 consecutive games for club and country before Bernardo Silva scored all three points for Josep Guardiola’s side.
Erling Haaland continued his sensational goalscoring streak, helping to defeat Villarreal’s Yellow Submarine side in southern Spain. Haaland’s first-half goal was the 12th consecutive game in which the Manchester City superstar has scored.
He combined with Bernardo Silva’s header to score his 15th goal of the season, giving Josep Guardiola’s side their first win on their first trip to Europe in more than 12 months.
City, currently unbeaten in nine games in all competitions, failed to advance to the knockout stages last season and were left humiliated in Europe.
However, current evidence suggests that the English giants are unlikely to make the same mistake again. The hosts were looking for their first win in this competition this season, but Marcelino’s side were on the back foot from start to finish.
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Guardiola went into this match knowing that he had never lost to Villarreal in eight games as a manager.
No one liked playing against the Spanish team more in the Champions League than Haaland, who until last night had scored eight goals in as many games against them.
And Haaland arrives at the Estadio de la Cerámica in top form, having scored eight goals in his last four games for club and country. City should have scored within 30 seconds but saw Jeremy Doku’s shot go wide to Lewis Junior.
Haaland then headed wide when he should have done better. However, it was an ominous sign for the Spaniards, and Haaland connected with Rico Ruiz’s cross in the 17th minute with an unstoppable shot that beat Junior.
Doc missed a chance to extend City’s lead as Lewis continued to wreak havoc down the right. Villarreal reached the semi-finals in 2022 but currently sits third in La Liga.
However, the visiting team went into cruise control and doubled their lead before halftime. The only surprise was that it wasn’t Haaland who took the shot, but Silva, who latched onto Sabinho’s cross with a clinical header.
Guardiola called on those around him to help Haaland with goalscoring, and Silva responded. It was just a matter of how many more points City could score or if Villarreal could limit the damage.
However, this outcome was inevitable, given that City have won each of their last 20 Champions League games when they were leading by two or more points at half-time.
Junior denied the impressive Sabinho and Haaland also missed a chance for another goal. Villarreal should have pulled one back with 20 minutes remaining, but former Arsenal flop Nicolas Pepe headed the ball wide.
Pepe then fired another shot into the crowd – a night he would rather forget.
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