Phil Foden scored a hat-trick as Manchester City thrashed AEK Athens 5–1 in the UEFA Champions League league phase, producing a dominant attacking display to secure an emphatic victory.
Ethan Anderson and Rayan Cherki also scored for City, while Rico Lewis provided two assists as the English side overwhelmed their Greek opponents.
City took the lead in the 12th minute when Anderson found the net to give the hosts an early advantage.
Foden doubled the lead in the 34th minute, converting Lewis’s pass to send City into the half-time break with a comfortable 2–0 advantage.
AEK Athens briefly threatened a comeback seven minutes after the restart when S. Pilios scored in the 52nd minute to reduce the deficit.
But City responded five minutes later, with Cherki restoring their two-goal cushion in the 57th minute after being set up by Foden.
The hosts continued to dominate, and Foden struck again in the 65th minute, converting another Lewis assist to make it 4–1.
The England international completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute, finishing a pass from R. McAidoo to seal City’s 5–1 victory.
Foden’s three goals proved decisive, underlining his attacking influence as City punished AEK’s defensive lapses throughout the encounter.
Lewis also played a key role in the victory, creating two goals as City’s attacking movement repeatedly troubled the visitors.
Despite Pilios’s second-half strike offering AEK a brief lifeline, the Greek side struggled to contain City and failed to build on their response.
The result gave City a convincing victory in the Champions League league phase, with Foden’s hat-trick the standout moment of the contest.
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