Read our match report:
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Feast your eyes on the full-times:
Full-time: Man City 5-1 Atalanta
Job done, and nine points out of nine for City. Raheem Sterling, who helped himself to a hat-trick, was irresistible, while Sergio Agüero’s double kick-started the comeback. The only blemish? The hamstring injury Rodri sustained towards the end of the first half and the cheap red card picked up by Phil Foden eight minutes from time, when the midfielder was handed a second yellow card.
90+3 min: Ederson makes a meal of it – but the City goalkeeper pushes the ball away. As good as City have been going forward, they have hardly convinced defensively.
90+2 min: Otamendi is booked for a poor challenge on Muriel. Atalanta earn a free-kick, 20 yards from goal, a little off centre ...
90+1 min: Freuler cuts through the City defence and Ederson is forced into another half-decent save. He gets a strong left hand to a stinging shot.
90 min: There will be three added minutes.
87 min: Castagne tugs at Mahrez’s shirt, but gets away with it. City’s fans are not best pleased at the referee for not opting to book the midfielder. Nevertheless, City are home and dry.
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84 min: They were cheap bookings as far as Foden and Guardiola will be concerned but the midfielder and, perhaps his manager, too, are guilty of being a little naive there. Guardiola knew it was coming, after all. Foden needed to rein it in.
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82 min: Foden sent off!
The teenager picks up a second yellow card. Foden has had a brilliant game but the England Under-21 midfielder earns himself another caution, with a cheap tug at the shirt. Guardiola gives Foden a pat on the back as he runs down the tunnel.
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79 min: Muriel glides past Stones, whose resistance is meek to say the least. City are certainly not flawless in defence. A reminder that Rodri trudged off in the first half after appearing to pull a hamstring. Stones, after taking an age to pull his socks up over his shin pads and tie his laces, eventually replaced him.
76 min: Foden is booked for upending Malinovskiy.
75 min: Sterling is through one-on-one ... but he is human after all! Sterling places the ball just wide after Hateboer makes a real hash of trying to cut out a Foden pass. Hateboer collapses to the floor, leaving a gaping hole for Sterling to fill in a matter of milliseconds. But, this time, he cannot execute the finish.
73 min: Ederson makes another smart save! Ruslan Malinovskiy whips in a dangerous corner and Pasalic, the Chelsea loanee meets it on the penalty spot. It is a powerful header – but Ederson gets down low to prevent it squeezing in. City have been sublime going forward but they have had their moments at the back.
72 min: Hans Hateboer replaces Ilicic.
72 min: João Cancelo replaces Benjamin Mendy.
GOAL! Man City 5-1 Atalanta (Sterling, 69)
Raheem Sterling helps himself to a hat-trick! City recycle the ball after Agüero juggles his way through before having a fierce effort repelled. Mahrez picks up the ball on the right flank and floats a cross into the back post, where Sterling is among those lurking. But while the Atalanta defence is static, Sterling does not stand still and latches on to Mahrez’s ball to prod home. This could be anything City want. Sterling has been utterly irresistible.
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68 min: Otamendi is on for Kevin de Bruyne.
67 min: Atalanta have the ball in the net ... but it’s disallowed! Ilicic picks up a wonderful sliderule pass, but the striker is a good couple of yards offside. The initial shot cannoned back off a post before Ilicic seized on the seconds but the assistant referee got that one bang on. City survive another scare.
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GOAL! Man City 4-1 Atalanta (Sterling, 64)
This is turning into a Raheem Sterling masterclass. When he’s in this mood, he really is unplayable. Foden is again involved in the buildup, nudging the ball into the path of Gündogan, who plays an exquisite pass through for Sterling to race on to. Sterling drives into the box, fools Tonoi, who’s wearing the captain’s armband, all ends up and then rifles it home at the near post. Superb.
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63 min: De Bruyne is booked for a foul.
62 min: Ederson twice saves from Ilicic! City should clear their lines but Mendy makes a mess of things and then Fernandinho ends up floored. The striker’s second strike is vicious but not enough to truly trouble the keeper.
60 min: Ederson’s passing palette is preposterous. The City goalkeeper has just wellied another beauty into Agüero on halfway.
59 min: Breathing space for City, who have been superb in patches. Sterling, in particular, has led Atalanta a merry dance at times.
GOAL! Man City 3-1 Atalanta (Sterling, 58)
A well-worked third for City. Guardiola’s side counter at breakneck speed, with De Bruyne humiliating de Roon, cutting inside before finding Foden. The teenager is unselfish and, rather than taking aim himself, he lays the ball off for Sterling to thrash home from close range. A marvellous move.
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57 min: I forgot Riyad Mahrez was playing; he has been very quiet, verging on anonymous. Nearly all of City’s good work has come down the left via Sterling.
54 min: Agüero is fine. Ederson has just played a sublime ball downfield, all of 75 yards into Sterling’s path. Sterling then slides the ball across goal but Atalanta snuff it out. City are beginning to purr, with Sterling pulling the strings.
51 min: Marten de Roon gives Sergio Agüero a whack from behind before Gosens in effect puts the boot in, sliding into the striker as the Atalanta pair double up on the City striker. Agüero is grounded for a little while, which is enough to prompt Gabriel Jesus, who impressed against Palace, into a brisk warmup.
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50 min: Ilicic plays a give-and-go with Pasalic but the former cannot wrangle the ball back. Moments later, Ilicic spoons the ball into Row Z. Not his finest minute or so.
47 min: Atalanta seem to have shifted to a back four.
46 min: A double change for Atalanta at the interval: Masiello, who was guilty of giving away the penalty, has been replaced by Pasalic. Papu Gomez, the captain, has also been withdrawn, with Luis Muriel on. No City changes at the break.
Half-time scores:
Half-time news to be aware of:
Half-time: Man City 2-1 Atalanta
A quickfire Sergio Agüero earns City the lead at the interval. Pep Guardiola’s side have not had it all their own way, though, with Fernandino fouling Ilicic inside the box and Malinovskiy converting from the penalty spot. Enter Agüero, who latched on to a sumptuous Sterling cross before slamming home a spot-kick of his own. Rodri, meanwhile, went off injured, with John Stones replacing the Spaniard, who seemed to pull his hamstring.
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45+1 min: Gollini makes a mess of a routine ball in by Gündogan, gifting City a corner, which they go on to squander.
45 min: There will be at least two added minutes.
45 min: Kyle Walker sends a thumping effort at goal – but Pierluigi Gollini repels his effort. City are on the hunt for a third before the interval.
44 min: Sterling almost adds a third! De Bruyne slips in the England forward after a good interception by Foden but Djimsiti does well to get across and make life difficult. Sterling tried to dazzle his way through but Atalanta halt his progress.
43 min: It was all going so well for Atalanta, but a Sergio Agüero double has dented their early optimism. For the first time, City look comfortable but it’s not all rosy, with Rodri adding his name to Pep Guardiola’s injury list.
41 min: Guardiola goes absolutely bananas at John Stones for not being ready to come on. As Stones is pulling his socks up on the bench, Guardiola slams the top of one of the seats. He’s livid. Anyway, after a talking to, Stones is on for Rodri.
40 min: Rodri clutches at his hamstring ... it looks as though his game is over. The Manchester City defender makes up for his own mistake by nipping in to clear the ball for a corner but pays the price. John Stones takes an age to ready himself.
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GOAL! Man City 2-1 Atalanta (Agüero, 39 pen)
The striker makes no mistake. An emphatic finish from the Argentine, who hammers the ball into the bottom-left corner.
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37 min: Penalty to Manchester City ... ! Sterling drives into the box like a locomotive and Masiello lunges in on the winger. Stonewall penalty. Sergio Agüero will take it.
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35 min: Moments before that leveller, City seemed to be flummoxed. Rodri had clotheslined Masiello before the hosts poured forward.
GOAL! Man City 1-1 Atalanta (Agüero, 34)
Sergio Agüero gets the goal but it’s all Raheem Sterling’s work. The winger cuts inside wonderfully, laying the ball on a plate for the striker. It’s great movement but a beautiful cross by Sterling. Just like that, City are back level. That’s Agüero’s ninth of the season.
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31 min: It looks as though Ilkay Gündogan has slipped in Raheem Ster ... but Atalanta nip in. Superb defending by Toloi, who read that pass like a book.
30 min: Just as it seems City were beginning to click and Atalanta a little sloppy, the Serie A side put their noses in front. Behind Gollini’s goal, the Italian fans are going absolutely berserk. There are more than 2,500 in the house.
GOAL! Man City 0-1 Atalanta (Malinovskiy, 28)
Ruslan Malinovskiy sends Ederson the wrong way. Ice cool from 12 yards. It was a clumsy challenge by Fernandinho, an unorthodox centre-back for City, who extended his leg into Ilicic. A penny for the thoughts of John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi, who are sat in toasty tracksuits on the City bench.
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26 min: Penalty to Atalanta ... !
25 min: Agüero passes up a golden chance! Foden tiptoes around two Atalanta defenders, sliding the ball back for Agüero, who somehow blasts over. That was absolutely magnificent from Foden, who waltzed beyond a pair of blue-and-black shirts as though they were not there. City have gone up a gear or two.
24 min: Agüero forces an excellent save! Pierluigi Gollini gets the faintest of touches – fingertips at best – to a dipping, bending strike by the City striker. Agüero did everything right, buying himself a yard before letting fly with his right foot but his curling effort ends up dropping just wide of a post, via Gollini.
23 min: Almost! Sterling ends up playing the ball ever so slightly behind Sergio Agüero, who was waiting for a tap in inside the six-yard box. It stemmed from another good move down the left, with Mendy involved again. He then found Phil Foden, who played a delightful ball into Sterling, who got his wires crossed.
22 min: Mendy piles down the left flank, he eats up 25-odd yards before floating a ball across goal. It’s a decent ball in but Gosens is there to clear Atalanta’s lines. Still, back City come. Now they’re beginning to turn it on ...
20 min: Elsewhere, Spurs are two goals to the good:
19 min: Ilicic cuts inside, nudging the ball beyond Fernandinho before taking aim. It is low and hard, driven at the near post but Ederson’s equal to it.
16 min: Foden goes down in the box under pressure from Djimsiti – but the referee is having none of it. The defender undoubtedly tangles with Foden, who tries to power his way through after Raheem Sterling’s pass was a little wayward, but the teenager loses out in the strength stakes, and Atalanta stand firm. Djimsiti and Foden grapple, yanking at each other’s arms and the latter was adamant he should have had a penalty. You’ve seen em given.
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14 min: City have had a couple of sniffs of goal, but the way in which they are being carved open down their right-hand side must be worrying Pep Guardiola. Papu Gomez is the latest to almost find a way in down the Atalanta left.
12 min: Castagne heads over! Atalanta pass up a golden chance, with Robin Gosens – again – burrowing into a massive hole left by Walker, on his 100th start for City. Gosens dinks a ball into the box but the lack of pace on the cross allows Mendy to nibble back at his man and make life difficult for Castagne.
10 min: Masiello, once found guilty of match fixing while on the books at Bari, picks up a yellow card for a late challenge on De Bruyne – but City waste the resulting free-kick, 30 yards or so from goal. City are yet to truly get into their stride.
9 min: From that long ball downfield, Atalanta spread the ball wide through Papu Gomez. Gosens does well again, charging into space vacated by Kyle Walker and there is an inquest in the City defence as to how there was so much room for the visitors to play. Gosens cut the ball back but it was played behing Ilicic. The early skirmishes suggest Atalanta are intent on not just making up the numbers here.
8 min: De Bruyne is almost played in but the midfielder cannot keep hold of the ball. Atalanta tidy things up, but Djimsiti is caught in two minds and the former Aston Villa goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini hoofs the ball clear.
6 min: Atalanta have leaked 19 goals in 10 games so far this season but City are yet to truly trouble the Serie A side, who have made a decent start. Ilicic is slipped in but he fails to trap the ball and City get away with some lax defending.
4 min: Benjamin Mendy is booked for a poor challenge on Ilicic. The City defender ended up lunging for the ball with his left foot after failing to take. Mendy knows it was high.
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3 min: Papu Gomez makes some in-roads down the left but Kyle Walker, back in the starting XI after illness, gets in a decent block. Gosen was again involved in the buildup to that move. Encouraging stuff for Atalanta.
1 min: Not the most confident of starts from Ederson, who makes a mess of scooping Gosen’s awkward, high ball from the left flank. Still, City soon clean things up and surge forward up the other end.
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Peeeeeeeeeeeep!
Sergio Agüero and Phil Foden get things started.
We’re almost there. A healthy number of Manchester City fans boo the Champions League anthem as the teams lineup on the pitch. That’s seemingly a nod to Uefa’s perceived inadequate action over racism. Uefa can dish out fines for such booing.
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Here we go! The teams trudge out on to the pitch.
Erm, Joleon Lescott is doing something of a DJ set in Manchester City’s exclusive tunnel club. Meanwhile, more than 2,500 Atalanta fans are in attendance at the Etihad, desperate to see their team win their first ever Champions League point. The Italian side chartered nine planes out of Milan’s Malpensa airport, with hundreds more making their own way to Manchester.
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Guardiola talks. “We try to win it [the Champions League], or to come to the last stages,” he says. “I would like to tell you we are going to win it, I want to win it, everybody wants to win it, every player and we are going to try. That’s the only thing I can assure you.” Does he know how many trophies he has won? “No.” Eighteen as a player, 29 as a manager. “The past is the past.” Would he feel incomplete without another trophy? “No way. No way.” And what about Atalanta? “I know how difficult it will be.”
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The reason for Oleksandr Zinchenko’s absence? A knee injury, according to Manchester City. The club says: “The Ukrainian will be assessed over the coming days to determine the extent of the problem.” The 22-year-old has made nine appearances so far this term, having played 29 times last season.
Papu Gomez, the Atalanta skipper, is the king of dad dancing. Born in Buenos Aires, the 31-year-old forward, an old school No 10, has thrived in an Atalanta shirt since joining from Metalist Kharkiv two years ago. He has scored four caps for Argentina and four goals in his past four games and, on the below evidence, he is good to go.
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Team news news: so, Rodri and Fernandinho remain at centre-back for City, while the inclusion of Phil Foden is exciting as Pep Guardiola makes four changes from victory over Crystal Palace. This is Foden’s second start of the season and only his 16th in all competitions. As for Atalanta, a familiar face in Marten de Roon, who joined the Serie A club from Middlesbrough two years ago.
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The teams!
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Fernandinho, Rodri, Mendy; Gündogan, De Bruyne, Foden; Mahrez, Agüero, Sterling
Subs: Bravo, Stones, Jesus, B Silva, D Silva, Cancelo, Otamendi
Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Gollini; Toloi, Djimsiti, Masiello; Castagne, Freuler, De Roon, Gosens; Malinovskiy; Papu Gomez, Ilicic
Subs: Sportiello, Ibañez, Hateboer, Arana, Pasalic, Barrow, Muriel
Referee: Oriel Grinfeld (Israel)
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Preamble
Pep Guardiola says Manchester City are still not big enough and ugly enough to win the Champions League, so that’s that then? Not exactly. Victory over Atalanta will maintain their flawless 100% start in Group C, in which they are yet to concede a goal. After brushing aside Shakhtar Donetsk and Dinamo Zagreb, City entertain the Serie A side, who sit bottom of the group, with Guardiola trumpeting the importance of preserving their perfect defensive record if they are to go deep into the competition. How Atalanta must wish they could field Rodri and Fernandinho at the heart of an unorthodox defensive line, having surrendered a three-goal lead at Lazio last time out, in turn having to settle for a point, while Gian Piero Gasperini’s side, who finished third in Serie A last season, conceded four in Croatia on their Champions League debut. It is difficult to envisage City making anything other than light work of the task at hand but Guardiola insists it will not be a procession. “Two times in the Champions League we went out on away goals,” Guardiola muttered. “In both games we conceded a lot of goals. In this competition you play against incredible players and, if you give some teams one moment, a metre, they will score. We have to know that. When you play good, you defend less. When you don’t play good, you concede a lot.”
Kick-off: 8pm (BST)
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