Young Boys 1-3 Manchester City: 5 Talking Points as strong second half hands City victory | UEFA Champions League 2023-24

Manchester City maintained their perfect start to their Champions League title defense with a 3-1 win over Young Boys in Group G of the UCL on Wednesday, October 25.

Guardiola made a bunch of changes from the side that beat Brighton and Hove Albion last time out. The likes of Jack Grealish, Rico Lewis, and Matheus Nunes were handed starts.

Manchester City dominated the first half but were unable to break the deadlock owing to some resolute defending from the hosts. Grealish caused some problems down the left and the visitors also had a shot cleared off the line.

The Cityzens did not waste time taking the lead in the second half, with Manuel Akanji tapping-in a rebound after Ruben Dias' header was saved in the 48th minute.

However, their lead did not last long as Young Boys equalised after just four minutes. Meschak Elia completed a stunning lob over Ederson, who found himself out of position as the hosts levelled the scores.

Manchester City continued to apply pressure, and it eventually presented an opportunity to take the lead when Rodri was clipped in the box. Erling Haaland made no mistake from the spot to regain the lead in the 67th minute.

Substitute Julian Alvarez then thought he had put the result to bed, but his goal was eventually ruled out by VAR as Grealish had handled the ball in the buildup.

Haaland then got his second and City's third of the night with a clinical finish in the 86th minute to stuff all hopes of a comeback.

Manchester City made it three wins out of three in their UCL campaign thanks to a fine second-half performance against Young Boys. Here are five talking points from the game:

#5. Jack Grealish put in a strong performance

Grealish showed his class against Young Boys. In a season where he has seen his minutes reduced, the winger proved he can still contribute positively with a fine outing. He was relentless in taking on defenders down the left and looked sharp all night. He finished with three key passes, three completed long balls, and two shots on target.

#4. City manage to find a higher gear in the second half

In all three of their UCL games this season, the defending champions have won games based on their superior second-half performances. Similar to their games against RB Leipzig and Crvena zvezda, Guardiola's side kicked into a higher gear in the second period, with Haaland bagging two goals to make it 3-1.

#3. City flex their squad depth

A key reason behind Manchester City's success in recent seasons has been the depth in their squad. Tonight, Guardiola made seven changes from the lineup that won against Brighton, bringing in the likes of Grealish, Dias, and Nathan Ake, who all played well in the win. They now have most of their stars well-rested ahead of the Manchester derby on Sunday, October 29.

#2. Two goals for Haaland but still not at his clinical best

Erling Haaland increased his season tally to 11 on the night, but the Norwegian is still not firing at his usual efficient best. He missed a few chances in the first half but eventually kept his cool to score from the spot and completed his brace later with a composed finish.

#1. Qualification all but certain for Manchester City

Manchester City maintained their perfect start to the 2023-24 UCL campaign with a 3-1 win over Young Boys. They now have a three-point lead over RB Leipzig at the top of Group G. A win over the Swiss side in the reverse fixture next time out will guarantee them qualification to the knockouts.