Manchester City's Norwegian striker #09 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring during the UEFA Champions League league stage football match between Manchester City and Napoli at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on September 18, 2025. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP)
Erling Haaland etched his name deeper into Champions League folklore on Thursday, becoming the quickest player ever to hit 50 goals in the competition during Manchester City’s commanding 2-0 victory over a depleted Napoli at the Etihad Stadium.
The Norwegian superstar reached the milestone in a mere 49 appearances, capping a clinical performance that saw Pep Guardiola’s defending champions kick off their European campaign in style.
With Napoli reduced to 10 men early on, Haaland’s looped header in the 56th minute opened the scoring, followed by Jeremy Doku’s dazzling solo effort 20 minutes later to seal the points.
“It feels incredible to hit this mark so fast—it’s a testament to the quality of this team and the chances they create,” Haaland said post-match, his trademark grin flashing amid the celebrations.
“But it’s just the beginning; we’ve got bigger targets in mind this season.”
The match’s turning point arrived in the 21st minute when Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo lunged recklessly at Haaland during a breakaway, earning a straight red card after a VAR review overturned the referee’s initial leniency.
The dismissal forced Napoli boss Antonio Conte into a pragmatic reshuffle, sacrificing returning hero Kevin De Bruyne—who had received a thunderous ovation from City fans just 26 minutes into his emotional comeback.
De Bruyne, the Belgian maestro who departed Manchester after 422 appearances and nearly 300 goal involvements, was hailed with banners and chants pre-kickoff as one of the club’s all-time greats.
“Kev’s legacy here is unmatched; it’s bittersweet to see him go, but what a way to say goodbye,” reflected Guardiola, who watched his former talisman exit early to accommodate defender Mathías Olivera.
Napoli’s resolve held until the break, thanks to inspired saves from goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić—the Serbian shot-stopper, once a youth prospect at Manchester United—who denied Rodri, Nico O’Reilly, and Joško Gvardiol in a heroic first-half display. Even in stoppage time, Matteo Politano’s goal-line clearance thwarted Tijjani Reijnders, keeping the score level despite City’s dominance.
Post-interval, the breakthrough was inevitable.
Phil Foden’s clever flick teed up Haaland for a sublime header over the helpless Milinković-Savić—his 12th goal across club and international duty this term. Doku then danced through three defenders before calmly slotting home, drawing praise from Guardiola: “Jeremy’s finish was pure class; he’s stepping up when it matters most.”
The win provides a timely boost for City, who had stumbled with defeats to Tottenham and Brighton in their Premier League opener before a morale-lifting 3-0 derby triumph over Manchester United. With Haaland and Rodri rested late on as City toyed with possession like a training drill, Guardiola eyed Sunday’s clash with Arsenal.
“This settles the nerves after a tough start—now we build momentum across all fronts,” the Catalan coach added.
Napoli, meanwhile, rued their early setback, with Conte lamenting: “Losing a man so soon changes everything; we fought hard, but credit to City—they’re relentless.”
As Haaland’s record-breaking night fades, the Etihad faithful are already dreaming of a repeat of last season’s European conquests.
