Manchester City beat Villarreal 2-0 in UEFA Champions League
Erling Haaland scored his 24th goal of the season
Nico Gonzalez sufferd a knee injury, replaced by Mateo Kovacic
Manchester City registered a 2-0 away win against Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League 2025-26 on Tuesday, October 21, at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
Prolific striker Erling Haaland scored his 24th goal in 14 games for club and country this season for City. However, the victory was a bittersweet one for manager Pep Guardiola as it saw midfielder Nico Gonzalez hobbl off with an injury.
Haaland was on target for City yet again. The Norway international now has 53 goals in 51 career Champions League matches and has scored in nine consecutive City games across all competitions. His teammate Rico Lewis said that Haaland is "impossible to defend".
Midfield Injury Concerns Mount For Man City
City registered their second win in three matches in the competition’s expanded league stage with the victory against Villarreal. However, holding midfielder Nico Gonzalez hobbled off with an apparent right knee injury early in the second half.
Gonzalez has deputised for his fellow Spaniard, Rodri, who currently has a hamstring injury after missing most of last season with ACL damage.
Mateo Kovacic came on as a substitute for Gonzalez in the 56th minute, having only recently returned from an Achilles injury that sidelined the Croatia midfielder for the last five months.
Bernardo Silva also scored for Manchester City, whose unbeaten run across all competitions stretched to nine games. Guardiola's team also ended their run of five away games without a win in the Champions League.
The Citizens will next visit Aston Villa on Sunday, where Haaland will look to score for the seventh straight English Premier League match.
(With AP Inputs)
