Player Ratings for Young Boys 1-3 Man City: Haaland's Brace Leads to Another Champions League Triumph

Manchester City are on the brink of the Champions League knockout stage after beating Young Boys on Wednesday night in a third successive group win.

Two goals from Erling Haaland, one from the penalty spot, made the difference on an evening that wasn't exactly vintage from the reigning European champions. Manuel Akanji had put City into the lead early in the second half, but Young Boys had hit back through Meschack Elia.

Both sides had early chances in a fast start at Stadion Wankdorf, with Ederson beating away a powerful strike from Filip Ugrinic and Rodri going close to putting City ahead at the other end when a low header flashed just wide. Matheus Nunes also poked over from the middle of the box.

From their bright start, Young Boys soon dropped more and more into containment mode as City began to create chance after chance midway through the first half.

Haaland's eyes lit up when he was played in on goal, only for Young Boys goalkeeper Anthony Racioppi to quickly narrow the angle and get the merest of touches to deflect the shot. Jeremy Doku should have scored moments later, seeming to slip as he took aim and giving Racioppi a chance.

Young Boys briefly threatened on the break, before City went agonisingly close when Racioppi fumbled a Jack Grealish shot and Nunes’ scramble towards goal ended up being hooked off the line. Racioppi did much better just before half-time by spectacularly parrying Doku's curling shot from the left, and then saved with his legs when Rodri met the ball on the volley from a corner.

The Swiss resistance was eventually broken from a set-piece only moments after half-time. Racioppi was unfortunate, tipping Ruben Dias' header onto the bar with an acrobatic reflex save, only to see Akanji react quickest to turn the ball into the net on the rebound.

Yet just as it looked as though City would cruise to victory, the hosts immediately struck back. A single pass through the middle beat the defence and Elia had the composure to loft the ball over a stranded Ederson.

The goal emboldened Young Boys, but City's lead was restored with a quarter of the game remaining when Grealish’s jinking run in-field caused panic and Rodri was eventually upended in the box. It was a soft penalty, although not enough that it was likely to be overturned and Haaland made no mistake.

City were denied a clinical third scored by substitute Julian Alvarez when VAR intervened after spotting the ball inadvertently strike Grealish's hand in the build up. A moment of hesitation from the slightly out of sorts Haaland then cost him a goal he probably would have scored last season. But the Norwegian didn't let poor finishing define his evening by smashing the actual third City goal into the top corner with his weaker right foot, by which time the Young Boys defence looked tired.