Erling Haaland stars again as Manchester City hammer Sevilla 4-0

Erling Haaland maintained his incredible start to life at Manchester City as the Norway striker’s double inspired a 4-0 rout of Sevilla in Tuesday’s Champions League opener.

Haaland’s latest display of his sublime predatory instincts ensured City started their Group G campaign in emphatic fashion at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

The 22-year-old put City ahead in the first half and he netted again after the interval as Phil Foden and Ruben Dias also scored.

Guardiola this week insisted City cannot pin all their Champions League hopes on Haaland.

But he has made an incredible start to his City career following his £51 million ($58 million) move from Borussia Dortmund, scoring 12 goals in just seven games in all competitions.

Haaland has scored 25 times in 20 Champions League games, a tally that now includes goals on his debuts in the competition for City, Dortmund and Red Bull Salzburg.

City’s stroll in southern Spain was just what the Premier League champions needed after the frustration of Saturday’s draw at Aston Villa.

The 22-year-old gave Pep Guardiola’s side the lead with just 20 minutes on the clock, as he latched onto a Kevin De Bruyne cut-back and scored an easy tap-in beyond Yassine Bounou to notch his seventh goal from inside the six-yard box this term.

Pep Guardiola’s side doubled their advantage 18 minutes into the second half, as Phil Foden did really well in the box to beat Sevilla defender Nemanja Gudelj before slotting the ball into the bottom corner.

Haaland had his brace in the 67th minute, as Foden’s initial effort on goal was parried by Bounou to the path of the forward, who then placed an easy tap-in into an empty net to score his 25th Champions League goal in just his 20th match in the competition.

Ruben Dias adding a fourth in injury time with an easy tap-in to see City to go top of their group ahead of Borussia Dortmund, and hand Sevilla their fourth defeat in five competitive games, with Julen Lopategui’s position as manager coming into scrutiny.

Pitted in a group also featuring Dortmund and FC Copenhagen, City will expect to qualify comfortably if Haaland continues this kind of form.