After goals from Haaland and Bernardo Silva, Manchester City defeated Villarreal 2-0 in the third round of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League. Coach Guardiola said he was very satisfied with Stones' performance and praised the defender as a very smart player.

In the 17th minute, Rico Lewis received Savio's through ball and passed it across the goal. Haaland stepped forward and shot the ball into the goal, helping Manchester City take the lead 1-0.

In the 40th minute, Savio made a pass from the right and Bernardo Silva headed the ball into the goal, helping Manchester City extend their lead to 2-0.

In the end, Manchester City defeated Villarreal 2-0 away. After 2 wins and 1 draw in the last 3 Champions League games, Manchester City is currently ranked 7th in the standings with 7 points.

Manchester City manager Guardiola said, "This is a very good and top performance. Stones can play his position very well and is very smart. He is of great help to the team."

"Stones played well in this game and I am very satisfied. He played extremely well in the season when we won the treble and was one of the key players at that time."

Talking about Rico Lewis's performance, Guardiola said, "I admire this player very much. He is very sharp in a small space. Maybe he will suffer a little in man-to-man or physical confrontation, but when facing a team like Villarreal that is good at zone defense, you need a top player like Rico Lewis who can run flexibly in that position."

"When the team needs to play in this way, Rico Lewis is a top player. We need fitness because the schedule is very tight. I think Bernardo Silva is in better physical condition, but our performance dropped in the second half because we didn't understand how to deal with the changes well."

In addition, Guardiola also said, "I know very well what kind of team Villarreal is, so I am very satisfied with the team's performance and victory. I am very happy that Haaland scored again and I am also happy for Bernardo Silva's wonderful header."

"If you analyze the first half and part of the second half, we created a lot of good chances. In terms of overall performance, we played a wonderful game. I know that Spanish fans understand that Villarreal is a very strong team."