Erling Haaland extended his sensational scoring run as Manchester City eased to a 2-0 victory over Villarreal in their UEFA Champions League group-stage clash on Tuesday night. The Norwegian striker netted once again to make it 12 consecutive matches with a goal, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo's record streak from 2018 during his Real Madrid days.
Pep Guardiola's men, who made four changes from their weekend win over Everton, maintained their unbeaten run in the competition with a dominant display at Estadio de la Ceramica. Haaland and Bernardo Silva were on target in the first half as City ended a 12-month drought of away wins in Europe.
The visitors took early control, moving the ball with authority and pinning Villarreal deep. Seventeen minutes
in, Rico Lewis showcased his vision with a clever cut-back that found Haaland inside the box. The 25-year-old forward made no mistake, hammering the ball past Brazilian goalkeeper Luiz Junior for the opener - his 22nd goal in just 12 matches for club and country.
Villarreal, currently third in La Liga, tried to claw their way back but were undone again before the break. Young winger Savinho, lively throughout, delivered a perfect cross for Bernardo Silva, who nodded home City's second goal to effectively seal the contest.
City's control continued into the second half, though they suffered a setback when midfielder Nico Gonzalez limped off with an injury, joining Rodri Hernandez on the sidelines. Gianluigi Donnarumma, starting in goal for the visitors, was called into action a few times, notably denying Nicolas Pepe's driven effort and later watching the Ivorian head wide.
Despite Haaland's best efforts for a second, Luiz Junior stood tall with two sharp saves to keep the scoreline respectable. Late on, Guardiola handed a long-awaited return to Omar Marmoush after his knee injury, while Villarreal's Renato Veiga struck the post in stoppage time, denying the hosts a consolation goal.
With this win, City remain in firm control of their group, while Marcelino's Villarreal continue to struggle in Europe, still searching for their first victory of the campaign.
