UEFA Champions League 2017/18: Manchester City 2-1 Napoli, 5 talking points

#5 Manchester City win the midfield battle but that need not be the rule

City's midfielders and wingers combined to great effect

Manchester City pressed high up the pitch in the opening quarter of the game and they cut down Napoli's passing channels to great effect. Their almost instant transitioning from defence to attack and fluid passing meant that the visitors were often on the backfoot.

City were compact in defence and constantly squeezed Napoli out of possession. Going forward, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane were constant threats and their pace and quality on the ball caused Koulibaly and his cronies quite a few headaches.

While defending, the wing backs stayed near the halfway line and the midfielders and the attackers cramped Napoli for space and got themselves into good positions to win the second ball.

Even in spells when they were gradually getting marked out of significance, City's midfielders were clever enough to break free into space and push Napoli back by several yards.

However, once Napoli successfully shifted gears, the Citizens were pushed back into their own half. Clumsy tackling and complacency from the Blues led to a nervy finish. Though they held their own and got 3 points, the game surely threw light on their perceived frailties and their competition in the Premier League will want to make a note of that.