Tijjani Reijnders laid down a marker prior to the return of the Premier League with two goals while Manchester City Palermo defeated 3-0 in Sicily.
Match report
Reijnders was a half-time replacement, but scored two stylish, similar goals of impressive late runs in the box to the victory for Pep Guardiola's side in their only present season match for the top-off-off of next weekend.
Guardiola also called James Trafford in his starting line -up after his £ 27 million move from Burnley – but the goalkeeper of England contributed to a shaky start of the match for City.
The carelessness of Trafford in possession led to one of the great opportunities that Palermo ended in the first half. After his approval was closed by Matteo Brunori, the resulting corner of Pietro Ceccaroni saw from a few meters away.
Palermo had more chances of breaking the impasse, which exposed a non -convincing city to the counterattack, but eventually struck that it struck Haaland.
The attacker was found by the impressive Rayan Cherki just outside the area and found the bottom corner with his weaker right foot.
Palermo had a good chance to deliver, but Trafford held the header of Joel Pohjanpalo after Abdukodir Khusanov briefly switched off, but City laid their foot on the pedal with Cherki who ran the show.
The Frenchman himself almost got a deserved goal when he looked to tap the cutting back of Oscar Bobb after good play by Nico Gonzalez. But his efforts of a few meters from the line were released by Salim Diakite.
That was one of Cherki's last involvement of the game, while Guardiola replaced everyone Bar Haaland during the break. But it was Cherki's direct replacement reijinders who doubled the lead shortly after rising.
The Dutch midfielder, who came to AC Milan this summer, made a smart run into the area to lock Savinho's Pass and shoot it in the far corner.
Reijnders almost got a second goal from a very similar step, but his effort was well stored. Yet it would not take too long before he came back to the score sheet when he took a smart film from Divine Mukasa – in which the Dutchman finished in the same angle as his first goal.
Reijnders could have had a hat trick in the dying moments while he won the ball high for a one-on-one and completed Palermo goalkeeper Alfred Gomis-but stumbled over himself at the most important moment.
Match -Events
0 'The game is about to start!
3 'Palermo almost takes the lead from the corner as the header of Ceccaroni wide
25 'goal! Haaland opens the score of Lewis' Assist! Palermo 0-1 Man City
26 'Highlight of Palermo vs Man City
33 'Rayan Ait-Nouri's effort from Haaland's Pass Skies High
45 'Cherki's effort was released just beyond the goal line by the Palermo defense
52 'Doku falls down and asks for a penalty, but the referee says nothing
59 'goal! Reijnders doubles the management of the Savinho assist! Palermo 0-2 Man City
61 'competition event for Palermo vs Man City
73 'Match event for Palermo vs Man City
80 'Savinho one-on-one with the Palermo goalkeeper, but he misses the target
82 'goal! Mukasa helps Reijnders to score brace! Palermo 0-3 MAN City
Line-ups
Palermo XI: Pohjanpalo, Gomis, Matteo Luigi Brunori, Bani, Tommaso Augello, Pietro Ceccaroni, Emmanuel Gyasi, Jacopo Segre, Claudio Gomes, Filippo Ranocchia, Salim Diakité.
Subs: Francesco Bardi, Blin, Antonio Palumbo, Jérémy Le Douaron, Aljosa Vasic, Niccolò Pierozzi, Alessio Buttaro, Patryk Peda, Francesco di Bartolo, Giacomo Corona, Francesco Cutrona, Pietro, Pietro, Pietro, Pietro, Pietro, Pietro, Pietro, Pietro, Pietro, Pietro, Pietro, Pietro, Pietro, Pietro, Pietro, Piet.
Man City XI: Stones, Haaland, Omar Marmoush, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Nico González, James Trafford, Cherki, Bobb, Lewis, Nico O'Reilly, Abdukodir Khusanov
Subs: Gundogan, Ake, Ederson, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Akanji, Reijnders, Matheus Nunes, Doku, Savinho, Divine Mukasa