Swept Away by Haaland's Dominance, De Bruyne Had a Brief Reunion

MANCHESTER, THURSDAY — There is no word "friend" in the dictionary of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland once the kickoff has taken place. This includes his former teammate Kevin De Bruyne, who is now wearing the Napoli jersey. Haaland showcased his dominance while simultaneously ruining De Bruyne's reunion at the Etihad Stadium.

De Bruyne returned to the Etihad on Friday (19/9/2025) early morning WIB. After leaving City about two months ago, the midfielder arrived with Napoli to play the first match of the Champions League group stage. The arrival was warmly welcomed by the entire stadium.

In the stands, there was a large banner featuring an image of De Bruyne wearing a royal crown. At the top, there were large letters reading "King Kev." The City supporters wanted to express their gratitude following De Bruyne's ten years of service and the multitude of trophies he has contributed.

I really, really feel sorry for him because this is a game against his former team, but Kevin understands that very well.

Unexpectedly, the reunion occurred sooner than anticipated. De Bruyne was substituted in the 25th minute by coach Antonio Conte. The key player behind this exchange was Haaland. The striker forced a foul near the penalty area, resulting in a red card for defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo.

Conte does not have many options. With only 10 players, the coach needs extra defensive players to maintain the score at 0-0. Napoli intends to play very defensively. Therefore, De Bruyne is not needed as he is more useful in attacking situations.

Defender Mathias Olivera was substituted in. "That was the only option I could take. I feel very, very sorry for him because this is a match against his former team, but Kevin understands that very well. I only had this decision, this choice," Conte stated.

De Bruyne concluded the reunion with only nine touches, without any shots or key passes. Nevertheless, he still demonstrated great sportsmanship. Upon leaving the field, the 34-year-old player acknowledged the appreciation of the supporters and did not display any negative gestures.

Haaland officially took center stage during the reunion of his friend in the second half. As the team managed by coach Pep Guardiola struggled to break down the opponent's "bus parking" for nearly an hour, he opened the scoring for the home team. Haaland headed the ball from a chipped pass by midfielder Phil Foden.

The goal also marks a significant achievement for Haaland. The 25-year-old striker has successfully scored his 50th goal in the Champions League. He becomes the fastest player to reach this milestone, doing so in just 49 appearances. The previous record was held by Ruud van Nistelrooy (62 appearances).

The record demonstrates his competitive spirit and dominance in the most prestigious tournament in the world. "Erling always runs like that (behind the opponent's players). The key is to make that connection. He seems capable of breaking every record. Truly an extraordinary player," praised Foden.

It is very difficult to find a gap in Napoli's defense. Especially when the defending champions of Serie A have decided to adopt a total defensive strategy. Led by a coach who specializes in defense, they stack ten players in the first third of the field. City could almost only rely on speculative shots and crosses.

Nevertheless, Haaland's instinct is remarkably sharp. Upon seeing Foden move into the penalty area, he immediately ran between two Napoli defenders, Sam Beukema and Alessandro Buongiorno. The opportunity was completed with just a slight touch, with a header that successfully changed the direction of the ball.

"What more can I say? The numbers (Haaland's records) speak for themselves. We are fortunate to have him. We also want to congratulate him because now he is on par with van Nistelrooy, (Robert) Lewandowski, Cristiano (Ronaldo), and (Lionel) Messi," said Guardiola.

Guardiola added that Haaland is very likely to break the Champions League goal record currently held by Ronaldo (141 goals). "If he does not get injured, he can play for another 10-12 years. He can maintain that development," the manager continued.

City's victory was capped off by winger Jeremy Doku, who completed the advantage just about ten minutes later. Although they only won 2-0, the hosts were able to dominate the match completely. City recorded 74 percent possession and had a shot count of 23-1.

Haaland was substituted with ten minutes remaining in regular time. Other key players, such as Doku and Tijjani Reijnders, also did not play the full match. Guardiola aims to maintain his team's fitness as they are set to visit Arsenal's home ground this weekend. They only have a two-day break. (AP/REUTERS)