WHAT A BUY Ferran Torres is proving to be.
At £21million he has to be the steal of the season.
Ferran Torres struck early on as Manchester City beat Olympiacos 3-0Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Gabriel Jesus marked his return from injury with a goal off the benchCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
OK he only had a year left of his contract at Valencia but their bookkeepers must still be questioning who did the deal.
With his goal past Olympiacos he became the third youngest player, at 20 years and 248 days, to score in four consecutive Champions League games – one for Valencia and now three from three for Manchester City.
Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are the two above him.
The winger has been turned into a striker due to injuries to Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus and how he enjoys it.
His goal in the 12th minute was just classic City, at their very best as the ball was pinged around with one touches before the perfect execution.
Ilkay Gundogan found Riyad Mahrez his pass deflected off Andreas Bouchalakis to Torres, who exchanged passes with De Bruyne before drilling the ball into the bottom corner.
Pep Guardiola’s applause and gleeful smile on the sidelines showed he very much approved.
However Torres will soon be back on the wing with Jesus back after six weeks out with a reminder from the bench last night of his ability in front of goal.
Having dominated the first half City were wobbling a bit in the second when he was brought on in the 68th minute.
In the 81st he struck. Fed by Kevin De Bruyne, he rifled a shot into the near top corner.
Back with a bang.
The third came from the boot of another sub Joao Cancelo curled into the far bottom corner from the edge of the area.
So with Porto beating Marseille it means that City only need a point in the return fixture against the Greek champions later this month to be through with a couple of games to go.
Of course the problem was never going to be Olympiacos. In fact the problem was never going to be Group C.
Three wins from three over Porto, Marseille and now Olympiacos has proven that already.
This will be the eighth consecutive season they have progressed from their group.
Joao Cancelo scored his first goal of the season late onCredit: Reuters
Pep Guardiola can focus on Liverpool with the job done on Tuesday nightCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
The problem comes afterwards, when the knockouts kick in.
Since Manchester City have joined the Champions League party on the back of the Abu Dhabi investment the best they have done is one semi-final.
The rest is; three quarters, three last-16s and their first two goes saw them fail to get out their group.
An investment of £2billion plus is supposed to achieve more than this. Pep was supposed to be the answer.
Because the money that has been invested by Sheikh Mansour was not just to dominate English football.
He wants City to make an imprint on the world and defeat in the last-eight to Lyon like last season doesn’t do that.
Out they went again, short of that light at the end of the tunnel. This despite undoubtedly having had a team to win it.
So will anything be different this season? Or is the fuel in the City project is starting to run a bit dry.
The team under Pep has played some of the best football this country has seen. But last season they finished a distant 18 points behind Champions Liverpool.
This season they have already dropped seven points in their first six games with Jurgen Klopp’s champions next up at The Etihad on Sunday.
Lose that and City will be eight points behind the current leaders from Anfield, albeit with one game in hand.
Still, it’s early days and they can’t be faulted in this Champions League Group.
They had some scares last night not least when Foden’s loose touch in the 54th minute afforded Mathieu Valbuena a shot that he screwed wide.
There was also excitement amongst the Greek staff spaced out in the main stand when Youssef El-Arabi controlled a high ball but shot straight at Ederson.
Gabriel Jesus, who returned after six weeks out, helped make it three from three for City in the group stageCredit: Getty Images – Getty
The hosts’ attack stayed in second gear for most of Tuesday’s meetingCredit: Reuters
The slight wobble saw Guardiola make changes and they worked.
The scoreline made it look a bit more comfortable than it was but once more there were signs of the real City. The one that on their day can beat anyone.
They will need to be on their day every day the knockout stages start or that European Cup will slip away again.
It is no use beating Real Madrid as they did in the last-16 if you are then going to come up short against Lyon.
Pep knows how to win this having done so twice with Barcelona. City’s owners will watch and wait?
Dietmar Hamann fears Pep Guardiola has peaked at Manchester City and can’t see them winning the Prem
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
