Alvarez helps Man City sweep past Red Star, Barca thrash Antwerp

Holders Manchester City recovered from falling a goal behind to outclass Red Star Belgrade 3-1 in their Group G opener with Julian Alvarez scoring twice at The Etihad on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola’s side dominated the opening period but were guilty of wayward finishing and trailed to a sucker-punch just before halftime as Osman Bukari broke clear to finish in style.

City began the game on a 26-match unbeaten run in Champions League home games and normal service was resumed almost immediately after the restart as Alvarez levelled after combining with Erling Haaland.

A misjudgement by Red Star keeper Omri Glazer allowed an Alvarez cross to go into the net on the hour and Rodri made it 3-1 with a clinical finish after 73 minutes as City made it 19 home wins in succession in all competitions.

Just over three months since City finally claimed Europe’s biggest club prize with victory over Inter Milan in Istanbul they began their defence in ultimately comfortable fashion.

But for 45 minutes it looked as though it might be one of those nights as chance after chance went begging.

Once Argentina’s Alvarez levelled in the 47th minute, however, only one outcome looked likely.

“The last two games I didn’t know how many chances we missed,” Guardiola said.

“We played really, really good but we were not able to score goals. We were consistent and in the end we won the game.”

Norwegian goal-machine Haaland has now gone four Champions League games without hitting the net and he was guilty of some poor misses in a first half in which City’s 22 goal attempts were the most in the competition since data began to be compiled.

He headed one effort wide, another even easier chance against the crossbar and then lashed a shot over.

Red Star keeper Glazer was superb in the first half, denying Phil Foden from close range and also keeping out efforts by Nathan Ake and Rodri.

But City switched off in the 45th minute and a ball forward sent Bukari through with only Ederson to beat.

The Ghanaian kept remarkably calm to place his shot beyond the City keeper but his joy was initially curtailed by an offside flag before referee Joao Pinheiro allowed it to stand after an intervention by VAR.

The 3,000 travelling Belgrade fans celebrated and City could hardly believe it as they headed off at halftime.

“I said ‘guys, we cannot say we are playing bad. Forget the result, we are able to come back so go for it and be more calm’,” the City boss said of his halftime team talk.

City did not take long to make amends after the break as Alvarez played the ball in to Haaland and then showed great desire to sprint into the area and take a return pass before skipping around Glazer and slotting home in the blink of an eye.

Kyle Walker had a goal ruled out for offside before the otherwise excellent Glazer gifted the hosts their second goal.

Alvarez whipped in a right-footed cross with pace and Glazer flapped at thin air with the ball nestling in the net.

City began to toy with a flagging Red Star and wrapped up the points when Rodri, scorer of the winner against Inter in June, produced a deadly right-foot finish from the left side of the penalty area.

Barcelona thrash Royal Antwerp 5-0 with Felix double

Barcelona’s new forward Joao Felix struck twice in a 5-0 demolition of visiting Royal Antwerp in their Champions League Group H opener at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Tuesday.

After successive group-stage eliminations, Barca gave debutants Antwerp a football masterclass, dominating possession with quick passing as Felix, Lewandowski and Gavi all scored.

“Between this win and the 5-0 against Betis on Saturday I think this is probably the best quality of play we’ve produced since I took over,” coach Xavi Hernandez said.

“This is the road we want to be on. The team’s making me proud.”

Last-minute signing Felix opened the scoring with the home side’s first attempt in the 11th minute, netting with a low strike inside the near post.

The Portuguese then set up Robert Lewandowski inside the box to double their lead eight minutes later as the Poland striker became the third player to score 100 goals in European competition after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Raphinha helped to make it 3-0 to the five-time European champions after 22 minutes when his strike from a tight angle deflected off defender Jelle Bataille for an own goal.

Winger Arbnor Muja had a chance to give the visitors a glimmer of hope just before halftime but his low effort from the edge of the box was kept out by goalkeeper Marc Andre ter Stegen.

Barca returned after the break determined to increase the advantage in their 28th Champions League group-stage campaign, a competition record shared with Real Madrid.

They did not have to wait long as Gavi made it 4-0 by smashing the ball into the roof of the net before Felix added another goal with a header to complete the rout at Barca’s temporary home while Camp Nou is being redeveloped.

Barca’s dominance was reflected in 22 goal attempts compared to only three from Antwerp, who were playing in the Champions League after winning their domestic league title for the first time in more than 60 years last season.

It is the Belgian side’s fifth successive campaign in Europe and their second in the continent’s leading club competition after they featured in the European Cup in the 1957-58 season.

“(Barcelona’s) first three shots on target were three goals for them,” said Antwerp coach Mark van Bommel.

“They are on top of the world. That makes sense, they keep playing, tapping, turning, that’s where we have to go but we’re still a long way from that, but that’s no shame. That is a very big learning moment for us.”

In the other Group H clash, Porto beat Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 in Hamburg.

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ROUND 1 results

Tuesday, September 19

Young Boys (1) 1 RB Leipzig (1) 3
Milan (0) 0 Newcastle United (0) 0
Manchester City (0) 3 Crvena Zvezda (1) 1
Feyenoord (1) 2 Celtic (0) 0
Lazio (0) 1 Atlético Madrid (1) 1
Barcelona (3) 5 Antwerp (0) 0
Shakhtar Donetsk (1) 1 Porto (3) 3
PSG (0) 2 Borussia Dortmund (0) 0

ROUND 1 fixtures

Wednesday, September 20

Real Madrid v Union Berlin (19.45)
Galatasaray v København (19.45)
Sporting Braga v Napoli (22.00)
Benfica v Salzburg (22.00)
Real Sociedad v Internazionale (22.00)
Bayern München v Manchester United (22.00)
Sevilla v Lens (22.00)
Arsenal v PSV (22.00)