Manchester City 2-0 Galatasaray Player Ratings: Dominant First Half Secures Victory For Pep Guardiola's Side

Manchester City produced a dominant display at the Etihad Stadium, cruising to a 2-0 victory over Galatasaray in this Champions League encounter. The game was well settled inside the opening half hour, with City’s tempo and intensity proving far too much for the visitors to handle.

The breakthrough arrived early as one of the best players, Erling Haaland, applied a clinical finish after being picked out by a perfectly weighted through ball in the 11th minute. City continued to suffocate Galatasaray with relentless pressure, and their control was reflected in both possession and dominance.

The standout performer on the night was Jérémy Doku. The winger was instrumental in everything Man City did going forward, providing the assist for Haaland’s opener before setting up Rayan Cherki for the second goal. Although his evening was cut short by injury, the damage had already been done.

Even after his withdrawal, City remained in complete control, seeing out the match comfortably as Galatasaray struggled to mount any meaningful response.

Let’s take a look at Sportsdunia’s Manchester City vs Galatasaray player ratings from the Champions League clash.

Key Takeaways

• Haaland’s 11th-minute finish put City in control from the start.
• The winger provided both assists, driving City’s attacking dominance before his injury.
• Manchester City maintained pressure and saw out a comfortable 2–0 win.

Manchester City Player Ratings vs Galatasaray

Let's delve into the Manchester City Player Ratings.

Goalkeeper

Gianluigi Donnarumma - 8.0: A really solid performance from the keeper. He made four saves and looked totally in command of his area. What stood out to us was his brilliant stop to deny Victor Osimhen in the second half. Kept his clean sheet with ease and his distribution was excellent, completing 92% of his passes. A commanding presence.

Defenders

Nathan Aké - 7.0: A typically composed and solid display from Aké. He was a rock at the back, making four clearances and winning 100% of his tackles. We noticed his passing was crisp, finding a teammate 91% of the time. He didn't have a ton to do but what he did, he did flawlessly. A quiet but effective evening.

Rayan Aït-Nouri - 7.5: Very impressive performance from the full-back. He was a constant threat down the left, creating three chances for his teammates. Defensively he was sound, winning seven of his eleven duels. From our perspective, his energy was key to City's dominance. He almost got on the scoresheet himself but was denied by a good save.

Matheus Nunes - 6.5: A decent, if unspectacular, game. He did his defensive duties well enough, making four clearances and an interception. However, he lost possession 10 times which is a bit high. He looked a little less comfortable than his defensive partners but wasn't really exposed. A steady job done.

Abdukodir Khusanov - 6.5: A quiet game for the defender. He was neat and tidy in possession, with an 85% pass accuracy. He made four clearances and was rarely troubled by the Galatasaray attack. He wasn't heavily involved, but made no mistakes which is all you can ask. A solid, if forgettable, outing.

Midfielders

Jérémy Doku - 8.5: What a performance for the 37 minutes he was on. Just electric. We noticed he was unplayable from the first whistle. He delivered two perfect assists for both goals creating two big chances. His five successful dribbles tore the Galatasaray defence apart. It was a real shame to see him go off injured, the game lost a bit of its spark. He was easily the highest-rated player.

Rayan Cherki - 8.0: He took his goal brilliantly, a calm finish to double City's lead. He was busy all over the pitch, racking up 67 touches before he was substituted. We were impressed by his desire to get on the ball and make things happen. He linked up play nicely and was a constant problem for the opposition.

Bernardo Silva - 7.5: The captain led by example with a typically tireless and intelligent display. His 96% pass accuracy shows just how clean he was on the ball. He controlled the tempo of the game effortlessly. What stood out was his work rate, he just never stopped running. A true professional's performance.

Nico O'Reilly - 7.0: A very promising display from the young midfielder. He was confident on the ball, making 17 passes into the final third. He even forced a good save with a shot from distance. He lost the ball a few too many times for our liking, but his positive intent was great to see. A bright future ahead.

Omar Marmoush - 6.0: He worked hard and drew a few fouls, but struggled to make a real impact on the game. He only had 21 touches in his 67 minutes on the pitch. His one shot on target was straight at the keeper. A bit of a peripheral figure in a game where his teammates shone brightly.

Forwards

Erling Haaland - 7.5: Got his goal with a classic poacher's finish in the 10th minute. He was a constant menace, even if he only had 19 touches. He did miss a big chance with a header early on, which stops his rating from being higher. Still, he did his primary job by finding the net and leading the line effectively.

Substitutes

Phil Foden - 6.5: Came on for the injured Doku and looked lively. He had a couple of shots, one blocked and one over the bar. It was difficult to fill Doku's shoes but he kept the pressure on the Galatasaray defence.

Tijjani Reijnders - N/A: Came on late and didn't have enough time to influence the game.

Nico González - N/A: A late substitute with little time to make an impact.

Manager

Josep Guardiola - 8.0: His team selection and tactics were spot on. Manchester City came out of the blocks flying and had the game won in 30 minutes. He managed the game perfectly after that, making sensible substitutions. A masterclass in how to win a European home game with minimal fuss.

Galatasaray Player Ratings vs Manchester City

Here's a look at the Galatasaray Player Ratings.

Goalkeeper

Uğurcan Çakır - 6.5: He conceded two goals, but it could have been a lot worse without him. He made three saves, including a great one to deny Aït-Nouri from close range. From our perspective, he couldn't do much about either goal. He was let down by the defenders in front of him. A decent individual performance in a losing effort.

Defenders

Abdülkerim Bardakcı - 5.5: A difficult night for the captain. He was part of a defence that was torn apart in the first half. His error led to a shot, which is a major black mark against his name. He was substituted after 68 minutes having struggled to contain City's attackers. Not his finest hour.

Davinson Sánchez - 6.0: He made five clearances and a couple of important blocks. However, he was dribbled past twice and committed three fouls. We felt he was often reactive rather than proactive in his defending. He won only a quarter of his ground duels which is a worrying stat for a center-back.

Roland Sallai - 6.5: Played in an unfamiliar defensive role and did okay under the circumstances. He won a surprising number of duels and made a few important tackles. He even managed to create two chances going forward. A mixed bag, but he showed good fight which is more than can be said for some of his teammates.

Ismail Jakobs - 5.5: A very tough night for the full-back. From our perspective, he really struggled against City's pace and trickery. He was dribbled past twice and lost possession 13 times, which is just too much at this level. He offered very little going forward and was caught out of position for the goals. A night he'll want to forget, frankly.

Midfielders

Mario Lemina - 6.0: He picked up a yellow card for a clumsy challenge. He was tidy on the ball with a 91% pass accuracy but offered little protection to his back four. The game seemed to pass him by, especially in the first half. He worked hard but was ultimately ineffective against City's slick midfield.

İlkay Gündoğan - 6.0: A quiet return to Manchester for the former City captain. He looked off the pace and struggled to get a foothold in the game. He was dispossessed once and lost the ball six times. We expected more leadership and quality from a player of his calibre. Substituted after a disappointing display.

Gabriel Sara - 6.0: He put in some nice crosses and had a 100% long ball accuracy, but his overall impact was minimal. He lost five of his ten duels and was often bypassed in midfield. He was working hard, making five tackles, but it felt like he was chasing shadows for large parts of the game.

Leroy Sané - 6.0: Another player who had a quiet return to his old stomping ground. He completed a few dribbles but was largely kept under wraps by the City defence. He lost possession 11 times and struggled to create anything meaningful. A frustrating evening for him, and he was eventually substituted.

Barış Alper Yılmaz - 6.0: He showed some fight, winning seven of his eleven duels. However, he was largely anonymous in an attacking sense. He had just 27 touches in his 68 minutes on the pitch. He worked hard defensively but offered little spark going forward.

Forwards

Victor Osimhen - 7.0: Galatasaray's best player on the night. He was a real handful and looked like the only one capable of scoring. He had three shots on target and forced Donnarumma into several good saves. He was isolated for most of the game but never stopped trying. A lone bright spark in a poor team performance.

Substitutes

Eren Elmali - 6.0: Came on and didn't do much to change the game's flow.

Lucas Torreira - 6.0: Brought on to add some bite to the midfield but the game was already gone.

Yunus Akgün - 6.0: Had little impact after coming on.

Kaan Ayhan - N/A: A late sub with not enough time to make a difference.

Manager

O. Buruk - 5.0: His team looked unprepared for City's early onslaught. The defensive setup was all wrong, and they were carved open far too easily. His substitutions did little to change the course of the match. From our perspective, he was tactically outclassed on the night.

Man of the Match

Jérémy Doku was Sportsdunia's man of the match.

Worst Performer

Ismail Jakobs struggled significantly and was the worst performer in the Manchester City vs Galatasaray clash.