Manchester City continued their 100% start to the Champions League season with a 3-0 win over Olympiacos on Tuesday night.
After City Porto and Marseille had already pushed aside in the first two group matches, they prevailed against their Greek opponents at the Etihad Stadium.
Goals by Ferran Torres, Gabriel Jesus and Joao Cancelo ensured a good night’s work for the men of Pep Guardiola.
Some of our colleagues reported on the action from the national media.
BBC Sports
Torres has shown himself to be a capable proxy over the past few weeks, but the sight of Jesus in action – and back in gate form – was certainly the most satisfying part of Guardiola’s night.
In the absence of Jesus and fellow striker Sergio Aguero, who is still out, City have used Torres and Raheem Sterling to run their line with mixed success.
The way Torres scored his goal, scooped up De Bruynes pass and led the ball past Pape Abou Cisse before shooting home was a sign of his burgeoning confidence and ability to hit the target.
Video not available
But the 20-year-old Spaniard is a winger, not a natural striker, and the return of Jesus is on time, especially ahead of Liverpool’s visit this weekend.
Jesus doesn’t always set targets for his industry when he’s the fulcrum of the city’s attack, at least not at the speed of Aguero.
But he looked sharp and lively by the time he came on with about 20 minutes left and his goal was a reminder of what City was missing without a first-choice center forward.
Sky Sports
Torres tormented the Olympiakos defense, dropping deep and coming into the box late during another impressive show that included three key passes for his teammates.
Moved to the right after the arrival of Jesus, the 20-year-old returned to his natural position after showing his versatility and another brisk performance with his third goal in four games – one in five strokes, more than any other player.
At 20 years and 248 days, the Spaniard is the third youngest player in Champions League history to score in four consecutive games, behind Kylian Mbappé (18y 120d) and Erling Haaland (19y 107d).
Daily telegraph
Manchester City haven’t gotten to the point where scoring goals looks as easy and fun as it used to be and given the way they have stifled opposing defenses under Pep Guardiola, any deviation from that has always been pronounced.
This was another of those games where City looked a bit clunky again despite the last result in attack, but while Guardiola has clear tears to iron out and still smooth edges, there was one night when there were two obvious reasons for optimism two obvious reasons for optimism His side took a big step towards qualifying for the knockout round of the Champions League.
The sight of Gabriel Jesus coming off the bench after six weeks to throw a shot in the top of the net and give City the respite they needed against Olympiacos was very welcome for Guardiola ahead of Liverpool’s visit this Sunday .
With Sergio Aguero unlikely to be available, the Brazilian striker’s return is a failure, but the man (Torres) who has campaigned for both of them over the past few weeks has done a good job underscoring his burgeoning credentials with another good one hit goal and proper appearance here.
The guard
Manchester City have a maximum of nine points in a group stage that is going perfectly. Consider a good performance by Ferran Torres at the center-forward and Gabriel Jesu’s scoring as a replacement after a long break and Pep Guardiola was pleased. His team rolls along impressively, showing signs of the tremendous force they can be.
After this victory over Olympiakos, a draw in the second leg in Greece guarantees passage into the knockout phase. “We still need one point to qualify,” said Guardiola. “Now we have four or five days to relax, have a day off and prepare for Liverpool (on Sunday). It’s good news that Gabriel is back. And we were really good in the first half. “
Torres’s impressive goal made it for him for the third time in a row in the Champions League. “He moved very well with and without the ball,” said the manager.
Daily mail
Strange game, soccer. Manchester City only scored once when they beat Olympiacos and twice when the illiterate Greeks should have forced a shock draw. Work that out.
Pep Guardiola is unlikely to go through the trouble of tormenting and analyzing too much. City doesn’t have to move into Piraeus until later this month to get into the knockout stage.
It looks like a no-brainer on paper, of course, but they had to score two home results – first against a buoyant Porto and then against an Olympiacos team who lamented Mathieu Valbuena’s blatant 1-0 late mistakes. Perhaps that strength and persistence will be crucial in the long run. Another goal.
Most relevant, however, was the main positive result: Ferran Torres. This young man looks that way, and not just as a winger or just a sensible substitute through the middle.
The sun
What a purchase Ferran Torres is proving.
At £ 21million, he must be the steal of the season.
OK, he only had a year left from his contract in Valencia, but their accountants still have to wonder who made the deal.
His goal to Olympiacos made him the third youngest player to score in four consecutive Champions League games in 20 years and 248 days – one for Valencia and now three out of three for Manchester City.
Daily mirror
Kevin De Bruyne was named Man of the Game with a player rating of 8 out of 10 …
“A sublime touch for Torres to set the town open and was also the provider for Jesus to score.”
Daily express
Ferran Torres was her star with a player rating of 8 out of 10 …
“Scored a third goal in three Champions League games with a solid goal and ended up on the right wing again.”
.
