James McAtee netted his debut goal for Manchester City as they powered to a commanding 4-0 triumph over Slovan Bratislava in their Champions League fixture.
City, in their first-ever encounter with the Slovak champions and their inaugural match on Slovakian soil, dominated from the start, with Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Ilkay Gundogan also finding the back of the net.
Pep Guardiola’s men now sit comfortably with four points from two matches in the revamped Champions League league stage.
Despite their dominance, it was Bratislava who created the first real threat of the match. Just two minutes in, Marko Tolic found space to shoot but his effort narrowly missed the target, dragging wide past Ederson’s post.
However, City soon took control. Ilkay Gundogan broke the deadlock with a strike that benefitted from a significant deflection, sending the ball beyond Bratislava’s keeper and giving City the lead.
Fifteen minutes later, Phil Foden added to City’s tally. The England international coolly slotted the ball home with his left foot after some excellent setup play by Jeremy Doku, showcasing City’s fluid attacking style.
Foden, eager to build on his season, was guilty of missing a couple of chances later in the first half, denying himself the opportunity to further pad his goal tally.
City’s relentless pressure continued, and just before halftime, Erling Haaland made it three. After being fed a precise through ball from the impressive Rico Lewis, Haaland burst forward with his trademark pace, rounded the goalkeeper, and calmly slotted home.
The second half saw City continue their dominance, and young McAtee got in on the action. He capped off the victory after being picked out by Foden, who added to his earlier goal with a well-timed assist.
McAtee’s calm finish marked a memorable night for the academy graduate as City eased to an emphatic win.
