Manchester City, the reigning UEFA Champions League champions, avoided defeat in their opening match against Crvena Zvezda at home. In unexpected circumstances, the visitors from Belgrade took the lead just before halftime after City had repeatedly shot at their goal in the first half. After the break, though, Julian Alvarez retaliated and, in fortunate circumstances, added a second.

current Champions League champions On Tuesday night at the Etihad, Manchester City overcame an early deficit to defeat Crvena Zvezda 3-1.

Due to manager Pep Guardiola’s substitutions and addition of some periphery players, the home team had difficulty playing at their customary tempo.

When Osman Bukari beat the offside trap at the end of the half to score after a VAR review, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland paid the price for their squandered opportunities in the first half.

After two minutes of the second half, Julian Alvarez equalized thanks to some deft link-up play from Erling Haaland, and an error by Omri Glazer on the hour handed Alvarez his second from what appeared to be a harmless free kick. It was a bitter blow for Glazer, who had done a fantastic job keeping City out in the first half.

After that, City pushed for more goals, and Rodri, the Champions League MVP from the previous campaign, curled in a third.

Talking Point: The City Was Lax

Yes, they were dominant in the second half, but they were slack in the first. They were far from ruthless up front and played too slowly.

Contrarily, Crvena Zvezda sought to maximize their opportunities and as a result, they gained the lead.
There isn’t much that can prevent Guardiola’s team from winning, but internal mistakes and haughtiness pose the biggest danger.