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Main Points:

• Erling Haaland claims title as quickest scorer to hit half a hundred goals
• Kevin de Bruyne taken off after twenty-six minutes played on reappearance to Etihad

The Norwegian sensation shattered one more benchmark by emerging as the fastest footballer to bag fifty UCL strikes, attaining the accomplishment in only 49 games.

Haaland headed past the keeper a after the break finish to guide Pep Guardiola’s side on their route to victory, while Kevin de Bruyne’s eagerly awaited comeback to the Manchester venue lasted a disappointing twenty-six minutes of action.

KDB exited Manchester City in the off-season after a illustrious ten-year spell at the team and was accorded a heartfelt ovation by local fans, but the happiness of coming back to a stadium he calls “home ground” was short-lived.

De Bruyne was substituted in the opening period by boss Conte following skipper Di Lorenzo’s sending off for bringing down the striker as last man.

The home side dominated the fixture as expected but Guardiola will have been questioning how his side did not take the advantage at the break after bombarding the opposition goal but discovering keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic in superb shape.

The Serbian made a succession of excellent stops, denying the midfielder’s shot, gathering Foden’s ground effort, and pushing away Rodri’s powerful attempt.

Milinkovic-Savic also tipped over efforts from Nico O'Reilly and the centre-back and incredibly held the Dutchman’s effort on the goalline after it suffered a nick off Matteo Politano – all in the first 45 minutes.

But eleven mins into the second period City made the long-awaited opening goal as the striker connected with the playmaker’s delicate pass and headed home to eventually get past the keeper’s net.

Doku showed skill to score again and seal victory, as reappearances to Manchester for ex- Manchester United footballers McTominay and Hojlund ended in frustration.

City Breakdown: Erling Goal Machine Rolls On

The manager’s seventeenth season as boss in this tournament began with a win as City hope to overcome the previous campaign’s failure when they were unable to qualify for the knockout stages and were knocked out at the preliminary round.

The side’s current run in this event has been disappointing, losing five of their last 7 games prior to Napoli.

And they will have thought at moments in this contest that they were going to be left frustrated as they saw ex- Manchester United graduate goalkeeper Vanja repel all they threw at him.

But with the striker in their side, City have a player who finds where the goal is and seems focused on proving a point, increasing his tally to 6 goals in 5 club appearances so far this term.

His headed effort from Foden’s glorious pass just before the second half drew satisfaction all around the arena as he easily beat Van Nistelrooy’s benchmark of hitting 50 strikes in 62 fixtures.

The Visitors Analysis: Reappearance of Former Manchester United Stars Disappoints

De Bruyne will have been planning his former club’s defeat on his return to the side for the initial occasion, but hopes of beating his previous team turned into a disaster.

Right-back Di Lorenzo was issued a red for fouling Erling on the edge of the area – though the man in charge needed to review a replay of the foul on the touchline monitor before confirming his verdict.

When the substitution number board went up, De Bruyne also did a double-take when he saw his number 11 show, before exiting disheartened with cries of “oh KDB” from the City supporters echoing in his head.

Having departed the struggles of Old Trafford, it was a forgettable trip to the Manchester for the forward and McTominay too, with both footballers minor contributors in the contest once the Serie A champions saw their lineup weakened.

Napoli did have a decent attempt when the result was 0-0, but defender the Dutchman’s strong attempt drew a smart denial at the bottom from Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Napoli suffered their first setback of the campaign and continued their poor run away to British sides in UEFA competitions with not a single win in 13 matches.

What’s Next for the Clubs?

The Sky Blues: After victories over their rivals and the Italian side, a massive period comes to a head with a trip to the Gunners on Sunday (kick-off 16:30 BST).

Conte’s men: The manager’s side host Pisa in Serie A on the start of the week (19:45).