Guardiola demands improvement from strikers after Alvarez rescues City

Holders Manchester City recovered from falling a goal behind to outclass Red Star Belgrade 3-1 in their Group G opener with Julian Alvarez scoring twice at The Etihad on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola's side dominated the opening period but were guilty of wayward finishing and trailed to a sucker-punch just before halftime as Osman Bukari broke clear to finish in style.

City began the game on a 26-match unbeaten run in Champions League home games and normal service was resumed almost immediately after the restart as Alvarez levelled after combining with Erling Haaland.

A misjudgement by Red Star keeper Omri Glazer allowed an Alvarez cross to go into the net on the hour and Rodri made it 3-1 with a clinical finish after 73 minutes as City made it 19 home wins in succession in all competitions.

Just over three months since City finally claimed Europe's biggest club prize with victory over Inter Milan in Istanbul they began their defence in ultimately comfortable fashion.

But for 45 minutes it looked as though it might be one of those nights as chance after chance went begging.

Once Argentina's Alvarez levelled in the 47th minute, however, only one outcome looked likely.

"The last two games I didn't know how many chances we missed. If we scored two goals early in the beginning it would've been completely different," said Guardiola, who was frustrated at his side's finishing after having 22 shots in the first-half alone.

"Having 22 shots on goal means you are playing really good. It has to be the responsibility of the people in front to score the goals."

Norwegian goal-machine Haaland has now gone four Champions League games without hitting the net and he was guilty of some poor misses in a first half in which City's 22 goal attempts were the most in the competition since data began to be compiled.

He headed one effort wide, another even easier chance against the crossbar and then lashed a shot over.

Red Star keeper Glazer was superb in the first half, denying Phil Foden from close range and also keeping out efforts by Nathan Ake and Rodri.

But City switched off in the 45th minute and a ball forward sent Bukari through with only Ederson to beat.

The Ghanaian kept remarkably calm to place his shot beyond the City keeper but his joy was initially curtailed by an offside flag before referee Joao Pinheiro allowed it to stand after an intervention by VAR.

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