Man City 2-0 Napoli Player Ratings: Phil Foden 9/10 Rated as Cityzens Cruise to Comfortable 2-0 Victory Against Napoli

Manchester City secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Napoli, but the story of the match was written in the 21st minute. Giovanni Di Lorenzo's reckless challenge, resulting in a red card, handed Man City a numerical advantage they would never relinquish. Honestly, the game was effectively over at that point.

What followed was an exercise in attack versus defense. The Cityzens, as you'd expect, utterly dominated possession as well as swiftly passed the ball around a troubled ten-man Napoli. The Italian side's goalkeeper, Vanja Milinković-Savić, was unarguably the best player on his team. He single-handedly prevented a couple of chances with his world-class saves against Man City.

Despite their dominance, City's breakthrough didn't arrive until the second half. Erling Haaland finally broke the deadlock with a trademark header, guided home by a sublime pass from the magical Phil Foden. Jérémy Doku added a second shortly after, sealing the game for the home side. It was a dominant display, orchestrated perfectly to exploit their one-man advantage. Here are the Man City vs Napoli player ratings.

Man City Player Ratings vs Napoli

Here are the Man City player ratings.

Goalkeeper

Gianluigi Donnarumma - 6.5: Had what must be one of the quietest nights of his career. The Italian goalkeeper made one decent save from a Sam Beukema header in the first half. Otherwise, he was a spectator for large spells of the game. He distributed the ball well but was largely untested as Napoli struggled to mount any serious attacks after going down to ten men.

Defenders

Nico O'Reilly - 7.0: A really solid and composed performance from the defender. He wasn't troubled much defensively, especially after the red card. What stood out to us was his willingness to join the attack and his tidy use of the ball, completing 90% of his passes.

Rúben Dias - 7.5: The typical commanding display from the Portuguese stalwart. The Portuguese defender marshalled the backline with ease and was an absolute rock. He won most of his duels, and his passing was almost perfect. It felt like he was playing in second gear for most of the match, which is a testament to his quality.

Abdukodir Khusanov - 7.0: A very neat and tidy game. His 99% pass accuracy is just ridiculous, showing his composure under what little pressure Napoli applied. He made a couple of key interceptions and was always in the right position.

Josko Gvardiol - 7.5: A constant threat down the left flank. The Croatian was more of a winger than a defender for much of the game. He had three shots and was a menace with his overlapping runs. Defensively, he was sound, recovering the ball eight times and winning his duels.

Midfielders

Rodri - 8.0: The master of control. Before being substituted on the hour mark, he completely ran the game from the base of midfield. He dictated the tempo, broke up play, and even tested the keeper with a shot from distance. His performance was the foundation for City's dominance, making everything look effortless.

Tijjani Reijnders - 7.5: An energetic and busy performance. He had five shots and was constantly looking to break into the box. While his finishing was a bit wayward, his movement and drive caused Napoli problems all night. His link-up play with the forwards was a key feature of City's attack.

Bernardo Silva - 7.0: The Portuguese maestro was his usual silky self. He didn't grab the headlines, but his ability to retain possession in tight spaces and keep the ball moving was vital. A 96% pass accuracy tells its own story.

Forwards

Phil Foden - 9.0: Simply sensational and our Man of the Match. This was a creative masterclass. He created a staggering eight chances and provided a beautiful assist for Haaland's opener. His vision and weight of pass were on another level entirely.

Erling Haaland - 8.0: He missed a couple of good chances in the first half, which might have frustrated other strikers. But not Haaland. The Norwegian striker stayed patient, kept making the runs, and inevitably got his goal with a powerful header. His presence alone occupied Napoli's defence, creating space for others. A classic Haaland performance.

Jérémy Doku - 8.5: An absolute nightmare for the Napoli defence. His pace and direct dribbling were unstoppable. He was a constant outlet on the wing, creating four chances before deservedly getting on the scoresheet himself with a close-range finish.

Substitutes

Nico González - 6.0: Came on for Rodri and kept things simple and tidy.

Savinho - 6.0: Replaced the brilliant Doku and showed a few nice touches.

Rico Lewis, Nathan Aké, Oscar Bobb - N/A: Came on late with the game already won.

Manager

Josep Guardiola - 8.0: His plan worked to perfection, especially after the red card. He set his team up to be patient and systematically break down the 10-man opposition. His substitutions were smart, resting key players like Rodri and Haaland once the result was secure. A flawless night at the office for the Catalan genius.

Napoli Player Ratings vs Man City

Here are the Napoli player ratings.

Goalkeeper

Vanja Milinković-Savić - 8.5: If it wasn't for this man, Napoli would have suffered a humiliating defeat. He was absolutely outstanding, making six crucial saves, many of them spectacular. He commanded his area with authority and showed incredible reflexes. A heroic performance in a losing cause and undoubtedly Napoli's best player.

Defenders

Giovanni Di Lorenzo - 2.0: A disastrous evening for the captain. His reckless foul in the 21st minute earned him a straight red card and killed any hope his team had. It was a moment of sheer unprofessionalism that left his teammates with an impossible task.

Sam Beukema - 7.0: Fought like a lion at the heart of the defence. Threw his body on the line with three blocked shots and made a massive eight clearances. He was constantly under pressure but stood up to the challenge admirably. A really impressive display of defensive resilience in the most trying of circumstances.

Alessandro Buongiorno - 5.0: It was a tough, tough night for the defender. He was part of a backline that was completely overwhelmed by City's movement and creativity. He struggled to cope with the constant waves of attack and looked out of his depth at times.

Leonardo Spinazzola - 5.5: He was pinned back for the entire game and couldn't offer any of his usual attacking threat. The Italian wing-back had a difficult time dealing with City's wingers and was often bypassed. He worked hard defensively but was fighting a losing battle against a superior force.

Midfielders

Kevin De Bruyne - 5.0: In a strange turn of events, the Belgian found himself in a Napoli shirt, only to be sacrificed after 26 minutes following the red card. He had no time to make any impact and touched the ball only nine times. An utterly forgettable and bizarre cameo appearance.

Stanislav Lobotka - 6.0: Tried his best to shield the defence and keep the ball, but it was an impossible job. The Slovak midfielder was completely overrun by City's midfield trio. He made a few important tackles, including a last-man tackle, but spent most of the game chasing shadows.

Frank Anguissa - 5.0: A really poor game from the powerful midfielder. He lost possession 11 times and struggled to impose his physicality on the match. He was often second-best in duels and couldn't get a foothold in the game.

Scott McTominay - 5.5: Ran his socks off but had very little influence on proceedings. He was tasked with a thankless job in midfield, trying to close down space against a team with an extra man. The Scottish midfielder worked hard but was ultimately ineffective against City's quality.

Matteo Politano - 5.0: Offered very little before being substituted early in the second half. Picked up a yellow card for a frustrated foul and struggled to get involved in the game. His main contribution was defensive tracking, which isn't what you want from your winger.

Forwards

Rasmus Højlund - 5.0: The loneliest man on the pitch. He was completely isolated up front, touching the ball just 12 times in 72 minutes. He had no service and no support. You have to feel for him; there was absolutely nothing he could do.

Substitutes

Mathías Olivera - 6.0: Came on to fill the gap at the back and did a respectable job.

Juan Jesus - 6.0: Added some defensive steel.

Eljif Elmas, David Neres, Billy Gilmour - N/A: Brought on to see out the game without further damage.

Manager

A. Conte - 5.5: His entire game plan was torn up and thrown in the bin after 21 minutes. From then on, it was pure damage limitation. It's incredibly difficult to judge him on this performance given the red card. His team was organized in their deep block, but they offered nothing going forward.

Sportsdunia's Player of the Match is Phil Foden