Teenager Rico Lewis kick-started a Manchester City comeback as Pep Guardiola s side beat Sevilla 3-1 to cap a successful Champions League Group G campaign.
City were without Erling Haaland through injury and rested other key players for Wednesday s meeting at the Etihad Stadium, which was stunned into silence when Rafa Mir put the visitors ahead.
However, City deservedly levelled through 17-year-old right-back Lewis when he fired home in the 52nd minute of his full debut, becoming the youngest player in Champions League history to score on his first start in the competition, breaking the record set by Karim Benzema in 2005.
Having teed up Lewis equaliser, Julian Avarez scored with 17 minutes remaining before playing in Riyad Mahrez to round off the victory late on.
City went close within two minutes when Cole Palmer fired over following a sloppy pass from Yassine Bounou, before Stefan Ortega pushed Mir s low strike away at the other end.
Mir sent a header narrowly wide, but City didn t heed those warnings, and it was third time lucky for the Sevilla striker when he nodded Isco s right-wing delivery into the top-right corner after 31 minutes.
City piled on the pressure, which finally told when Lewis latched onto Alvarez s pass to hammer a shot into the roof of the net.
Guardiola sent on Kevin De Bruyne in a bid to complete the turnaround, and the playmaker had only been on the pitch for three minutes when he released Alvarez, who rounded Bounou before converting.
Alvarez was not done there, however, joining a high press before finding Mahrez, who fired home left-footed to complete the scoring.
17 Aged 17 years and 346 days, Rico Lewis has become the youngest player in history to score on his first start in the competition, breaking the record previously held by Karim Benzema (17 years 352 days for Lyon vs Rosenborg in 2005). Knockout.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)
What does it mean? Unbeaten City click back into gear
City cruised to qualification from Group G in rapid fashion, but had let standards slip in their previous two games in the competition, being held to goalless draws by Copenhagen and Borussia Dortmund. But in their final European game before the World Cup, the Premier League champions came good to post their 27th win in 33 Champions League home games under Guardiola.
Among managers with at least 20 home games in charge of a team in the Champions League, Guardiola s City have the highest home win percentage in the competition s history (81.8 per cent).
Landmark day for Lewis
While the result meant little in the grand scheme of things for City, it was a game to remember for Lewis, who found the net on the day he became just the fifth English player to start a Champions League game before turning 18. Only Jack Wilshere, Josh McEachran, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham had previously achieved that feat.
Aged 17 years and 346 days, Lewis surpassed Real Madrid star Benzema as the competition s youngest scorer on their first start.
No Erling, no worries
Haaland s incredible start to life at the Etihad has limited Alvarez s game-time as a central forward, but the Argentina international showed his worth by claiming a goal and two assists.
At 22 years and 275 days old, Alvarez is the youngest Argentine to be directly involved in three goals in a single Champions League match since the great Lionel Messi, who did so aged 21 years and 288 days for Barcelona against Bayern Munich in April 2009.
Key Opta Facts
City have topped their group in each of their last six Champions League campaigns, having done so only once in their previous six participations.
Sevilla have won only two of their last 14 Champions League matches (D6 L6) and are winless in seven on the road (D5 L2).
Mir scored in England for the first time in what was his 19th club appearance in the country, previously failing to score with Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Sevilla.
What s next?
City host Fulham in their next Premier League match on Saturday, while Sevilla go to Real Betis for a huge derby clash in LaLiga on Sunday.
