Pep Guardiola, Manchester City's manager, praised Napoli's exceptional defensive performance despite being a man down, emphasizing that his team would not have achieved what it has in recent years without Kevin De Bruyne. He also commended Haaland for reaching a new record in the Champions League.

Guardiola said: "Antonio Conte knows a lot, and I am not capable like him of leading a team to perform defensively like that with 10 players. Napoli maintained their focus and closed spaces well. We didn't play boring football; we tried to score, and after the first goal, it became easier. We are happy with the win, but the road is still long in the tournament."

Regarding Haaland, who reached 50 goals in 49 Champions League matches, the Spanish coach said: "Having Haaland in the attack gives us great confidence. He has scored wonderful goals, which gives us a clear advantage. We started the tournament well, and I congratulate the players on their performance."

Guardiola spoke about De Bruyne after his early exit to compensate for the numerical disadvantage: "I hope to see him after the match. What Kevin has done over the past 10 years here is indescribable. Winning everything we have without him would have been impossible. You saw the love of the fans for him today, and it is unfortunate that he didn't participate more, but he felt the great affection from the stands."