Manchester City youngsters Micah Hamilton and Oscar Bobb have led the English title holders to a 3-2 win against Red Star Belgrade in their final group stage game in the Champions League.
City were already through to the last 16 as group G winners, while Red Star also entered Wednesday’s match with their fate sealed as bottom of the table.
Debutant Hamilton made his evening even more special with a goal in the 19th minute, while Bobb, who had already played for the team in the Champions League, scored his first-ever goal in the competition in the 62nd.
Hamilton was the team’s ball boy in 2017 and has now become the youngest English player to score in the Champions League since Marcus Rashford in the same year.
“What a goal and what a game,” City boss Pep Guardiola said of Hamilton. “I’m so happy for him. We saw his skills and he made a fantastic goal.
“Our academy is working so well, so many players [are] now playing at a top level. It’s not easy to give opportunities in that level because in big clubs people don’t wait but the situation we had was really good. It’s a big compliment for the academy.”
Red Star halved the deficit in the 76th through Inbeom Hwang, but Kalvin Phillips, who has failed to really make an impact with City after his big move from Leeds, added a third for City from the spot in the 85th.
Aleksandar Katai’s stoppage-time goal came too late for a turnaround.
In the other group game, Leipzig, who had also already qualified for the last 16 as runners-up, defeated Young Boys 2-1.
Benjamin Sesko scored Leipzig’s opener in the 51st after having a goal ruled out early in the first half, but Ebrima Colley equalised for the Swiss side just two minutes later.
Leipzig regained the lead and sealed the win in the 56th with a goal from Emil Forsberg.