Manchester City 3 (Lewis 52, Alvarez 73, Mahrez 83) Sevilla 1 (Mir 31)
Rico Lewis should long remember a first ever Manchester City start because the boy from Bury fired in a memorable equaliser to become at 17-years-old and 346 days the second-youngest Englishman to score in the Champions League.
Lewis, on the books at the club since he was eight, followed this with a hand-over-mouth celebration that suggested shock at registering. The goal teemed with intent, rifled in from close range, and was precisely what City needed on an evening when they struggled to burn along on all cylinders as they often do.
It came on 52 minutes. Their second arrived 17 from the end when Julián Álvarez, deputising for the injured Erling Haaland, ran onto Kevin De Bruyne’s superb through ball and finished before, a little later, the Argentinean teed up Riyad Mahrez for the third.
City had won Group G anyway but this result further casts them as who to avoid in Monday’s last-16 draw, particularly as they stuttered until the closing phase.
In driving rain Cole Palmer struck a sighter that sailed over Yassine Bounou’s bar, the youngster played in by Jack Grealish after the visiting goalkeeper fluffed a clearance straight to him.
City had Lewis at right-back in what was his full debut. He dropped smoothly into the Guardiola way, tucking inside to help flood the midfield against an opponent third-bottom in La Liga who had enjoyed victory three times all term.
Guardiola, too, was instantly into his familiar in-game, Mr Intense routine from his near-permanent technical area vantage point, barking orders over to Sergio Gómez regarding how the left-back should, too, rotate in-field.
City, muted throughout the half, finally threatened once more when Phil Foden’s curving free-kick clattered off Rúben Dias’s frame and skidded wide. A solitary Álvarez flick was the centre-forward’s sole act as his teammates struggled to create for Haaland’s stand-in: when City upped gear they illustrated how they might. Foden collected from Stefan Ortega inside his half, pirouetted, and those in blue raced forward in a move that ended with Grealish finding Foden again though his effort was blocked.
Now, Jorge Sampaoli’s men broke quickly and suddenly Rafa Mir was sliding a cross-shot at Ortega from the right that required the German’s right hand to palm out. Mir, a little later, spurned a near-range header in what was a similar profligate manner to how Lewis had earlier sprayed wide: each should have tested the opposing keeper.
Ilkay Gündogan’s radar was calibrated more precisely when shooting following a one-two with Foden but a deflection pinged the ball out for a corner from which Mahrez should have tested the shaky Bounou rather than volleying high. These misses were soon dearly rued as City conceded amateurishly: Isco floated in a corner from the right and Gómez allowed Mir a free header and he steered past Ortega into the latter’s top left corner.
Sevilla, with zero to lose, were operating a high-pressing 3-4-3 that, combined with City’s lack of fizz, had them squarely in the contest. In a bid to try and inject energy into his team Guardiola scolded Dias while waving arms at the centre-back. The fruits of this were a Mahrez dance along the right and a blocked-off Grealish effort. But lacking, still, was an real menace plus the serial pulling apart of the Spaniards that is City’s calling card when in optimum rhythm.
As the interval neared, Guardiola surely prepared choice words to kickstart his men because, while this was a dead rubber, the Catalan hates to lose.
What he definitely did do was action a rejig: taking off Grealish for Rodri, his No 1 midfield fulcrum, with Foden moving wide and Gündogan shuffling up one central position to occupy the latter’s previous berth.
Two attempts – via Foden and Gómez – marked some early second half promise and, following a Palmer mis-control, City were level courtesy of Lewis’s strike.
Álvarez, pouncing on a loose ball near the D, slipped him in and from a testing angle on the right he smashed past Bounou.
Cue sheer and understandable delight from Lewis, his teammates, Guardiola and the home faithful and, at last, City were a whir of blue, pouring through Sevilla, as when Mahrez’s buccaneering run threatened their second.
Guardiola sent for more cavalry: Bernardo Silva’s trickery superseding Gündogan’s more simpler offering but at the sight of a rudimentary Foden punt towards Álvarez the manager’s disbelief had him blowing out cheeks.
His side’s firmer control was more pleasing, the ball being tapped about with ease as a way to dismantle Sevilla was sought. In this, Guardiola added the imperious Kevin De Bruyne plus Joshua Wilson-Esbrand, for the 19-year-old’s second senior appearance.
De Bruyne’s impact was instantaneous, creating for Álvarez, while Wilson-Esbrand’s involvement featured a Guardiola rollicking.
City roll on: no one will wish to face them. – Guardian
