Foden hat-trick fires 10-man City past AEK Athens as Haaland rests

Phil Foden delivered a commanding hat-trick as Manchester City defeated AEK Athens 5-1 in the Champions League, with manager Enzo Maresca rotating heavily and handing a rare start to 17-year-old academy midfielder Floyd Samba.

Erling Haaland, carrying a knock from the weekend win over Ipswich, was named in the squad but left unused on the bench. His absence placed greater responsibility on Foden and the returning midfield pair of Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez — a combined £241m of talent that helped City control the game from the outset.

Samba, whose only previous senior start came against Norwich in the Carabao Cup, more than justified Maresca’s bold selection. The teenager won the free-kick that led to Anderson’s opening goal in the 12th minute, nodded in after Fernandez’s delivery clipped the crossbar and rebounded into play. Samba then drove at the AEK defence with purpose before Foden and Rico Lewis combined for City’s second before half-time, prompting warm reactions from academy staff watching on.

Foden, characteristically selfless, pushed Lewis towards the supporters to take the applause for his assist — but the evening ultimately belonged to the England forward. The 26-year-old has endured a difficult stretch, including a red card at Old Trafford and a subsequent suspension, but his response has been emphatic.

City’s evening briefly wobbled early in the second half when slack play allowed Stavros Pilios to pull a goal back and make it 2-1. The atmosphere inside a stadium that was barely half full — a notable contrast to the defiant crowd that packed in at the weekend — threatened to turn anxious. But City reasserted themselves, with Rayan Cherki scoring a fine individual goal before Lewis and Foden combined for a fourth, and Foden completed his hat-trick to seal the result.

The victory moves City back onto the right track in the Champions League following last week’s defeat to PSG. With Haaland rested alongside several other regulars, Maresca retains a full complement of options ahead of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Aston Villa. The manager’s willingness to trust youth and rotate freely was rewarded with a convincing win and an encouraging individual display from Foden, who is building momentum at exactly the right time.