Center-back shines, Man City crushes Feyenoord

Coach Pep Guardiola's team had a 4-0 victory right in the Netherlands to open the Champions League this season.

John Stones scored more than one goal in a match for the first time. Photo: Reuters.

Goals: Stones (2', 63'), Aguero (10'), Jesus (25')

With just 10 minutes to go at De Kuip, Man City were already two goals up. Centre-back John Stones opened the scoring in the second minute with a header that went through Tonny Vihena's legs before Sergio Aguero finished with his signature one-touch finish inside the box.

The English side ended the first half with Gabriel Jesus' third goal. The Brazilian striker got the rebound after goalkeeper Bradley Jones failed to hold Benjamin Mendy's long-range shot.

In the second half, Man City continued to dominate and create many chances. However, they only had one more goal and the scorer was John Stones. The English midfielder scored his first double in a match when he headed in a precise cross from David Silva on the left wing.

A big win over Feyenoord helped Man City take the lead after the opening match in Group E. In the remaining match, Napoli lost 1-2 at Shakhtar Donetsk.

Man City is too strong for Feyenoord. Photo: Reuters.

Feyenoord's defense was torn apart by Man City. The Dutch team, who were in the Champions League for the first time since 2002-03, showed that their class was not enough against a rising European power.

Man City have often underperformed against big opponents in the knockout stages but they know how to crush and play effectively against the underdogs. John Stone opened the scoring for Man City with a lucky goal when his low header caught Vihena off guard and slipped through his legs.

Feyenoord have had a good start to the Dutch league with four wins out of four, but the defeat to Man City was their heaviest home defeat in European competition. The home side had just 28% possession and only one shot on target all game. After conceding three goals in the first half, Van Bronckhorst was forced to switch from a back three to a back four to avoid conceding more in the second half.

Goalkeeper Ederson has the same helmet as his colleague Petr Cech. Photo: Reuters.

The match against Feyenoord also saw the return of goalkeeper Ederson after being forced off early in the clash with Liverpool last weekend. The Brazilian goalkeeper wore a helmet to avoid further damage to the tear he suffered from Sadio Mane's tackle. This was a commendable effort from Ederson when many people previously believed Claudio Bravo would start.

According to VNE