Pep Guardiola doesn't want Manchester City to rely on Erling Haaland to win the Champions League this year - although maybe they won't have a choice.
In Seville, as City began their latest attempt to win that elusive Champions League trophy, a new-look Blues side put the rest of Europe on notice that they have added the ingredients that could solve their long-standing problems in this competition.
Haaland continued his unstoppable form against Sevilla, while the likes of Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne strengthened their claims as two of City's most important players on the big stage. Even though there will be bigger tests to come, City's method of victory won't have gone unnoticed around the continent, especially after a nervy start.
ALSO READ: City player ratings vs Sevilla
City picked up in Sevilla where they left off at Aston Villa at the weekend, with some uncharacteristic mistakes giving the opposition some encouragement, buoyed by a noisy crowd spurring on the home side. Despite some nice ideas - Haaland glancing a good De Bruyne cross wide and Grealish hitting the side netting - it took the Blues a while to settle into their rhythm.
Maybe that wasn't helped by a makeshift back line featuring two full debutants and Joao Cancelo moving back over to the right for the first time this season. Phil Foden was on the right for just the second time in 12 months, and Jack Grealish was back from injury, adding to the slightly unfamiliar nature to the side.
Another unbalancing feature was to see De Bruyne operating from a wide right position, rather than the central role he's occupied behind Haaland for the start of the campaign. It's clear that he and Foden were tasked with getting crosses into Haaland, which they tried at every opportunity, and Grealish was given freedom on the other side.
Yet Sevilla didn't heed the frequent warnings from De Bruyne and Foden, so can't have complained too much when Foden found the under-lapping run of De Bruyne to fire across goal for an unmarked Haaland to fire in his 11th of the season. It was a goal that was impressive in its simplicity, and one City have scored hundreds of times in recent years. Haaland will score plenty of those finishes, too.
Guardiola said before this game that City cannot rely on Haaland to make the difference for them in the Champions League and if they do, they will exit the competition quickly. What they can rely on him for is to always be alive in the area, with this another from close range as his remarkable start to life at City continues.
Perhaps in anticipation of a belated Sevilla tactical response, De Bruyne's work on the right was done and he ventured back into midfield, striking a free kick into the side netting. The early wind was knocked out of Sevilla's sails, despite the relentless singing from the stands, with half-chances traded in a first half that ended firmly in City's control. First a driven shot from Marcos Acuna went comfortably wide of Ederson's left post, before Haaland forced a save from Bono from a tight angle, and then Papu Gomez blazed over when well placed for the hosts' best effort of the game.
In truth, City could have had at least one more at the break, and they definitely should have been out of sight at the start of the second half. Haaland played in De Bruyne on the break but he saw his one-on-one effort saved, before Haaland got in front of his man but flicked a cross just wide.
These were the kind of missed chances that have characterised previous European nights that have left City without their coveted Champions League title. However, just as it felt like some of those misses might start to encourage Sevilla, and with the home crowd cranking up the volume, City did what the top sides do and grab a second goal. On the break, Foden got the ball back from Cancelo, declined three passing options to Haaland, Grealish or De Bruyne, before chopping back and passing calmly into the bottom corner.
And top sides often use a second to get a third, and Foden was at the heart of the goal that truly killed Sevilla's spirit, moments after being judged offside when setting up Ilkay Gundogan to score a disallowed goal. His shot was saved, but only into the path of Haaland, who couldn't miss for his 12th goal in seven games, and this one was given to seal the win for City.
Much of the pre-match debate was the extent of City's chances in Europe this year and how central to those Haaland could be. Guardiola was absolutely right to send a warning to his squad in that regard, although he will have also clocked that Haaland now has 25 goals in 20 appearances in the Champions League. He is a cheat-code when it comes to getting in the right position, and it's up to City to find him.
Ruben Dias did his best Haaland impression seconds before full time when he was on hand to turn in Cancelo's inviting cross to add gloss to the win and send City top of the group after Borussia Dortmund's 3-0 win.
In Seville, City didn't fully rely on Haaland to do the work as Guardiola said, more they used his inevitable presence in front of goal to their advantage, while also trying to exploit any space his runs may have opened up. The early evidence is that this side are getting better with every game at finding the triggers for when to involve Haaland and when not to.
With Manuel Akanji and Sergio Gomez both making their full debuts due to injuries to Kyle Walker and John Stones, this was a very different side to the one that threw away the semi-final in Madrid in May. In fact, only four players who finished that game started vs Sevilla, and only two of those were in the same position.
Whether by design or through enforced changes, City have started their new European campaign in an almost-completely different setup to how they ended their last. They are clear favourites for this year's competition, largely due to Haaland's arrival, and this opening performance hinted at why.
They have added capable-looking back-ups in defence, and added a reliable goalscorer to take some of the chances have been guilty of missing in the past. Those issues haven't been entirely eradicated, and they will have to beat better teams than a severely out-of-form Sevilla to win the cup, yet there were early signs that they are ready to live up to their tag as favourites.
Even if they are sure not to rely on Haaland to help them improve in Europe, his evening in Sevilla shows he will be there if they have to.
READ NEXT:
