Slovan Bratislava had eight qualifying matches under their belt before reaching the real Champions League for the first time in their history, and they were determined to enjoy having the reigning Premier League champions in town.

A huge light show preceded kick-off, with fans dancing and singing in the stands throughout, and they could have celebrated a dream start when Marko Tolic drove a shot just wide of the far post.

But that was as good as it got for the home side as they tried in vain to stop City’s attacking attack for the rest of the match.

For the visitors, this was as comfortable as they had hoped, with Guardiola mixing things up by making six substitutions from the side that drew against Newcastle.

And the big positives were the goals and performances of Gundogan and Foden.

Midfielder Gundogan, who turns 34 later this month, could play a bigger role this season than perhaps expected following Rodri’s season-ending injury, captaining the side for the first time since the triumphant 2023 Champions League final that sealed a Treble .

Returning to the club after a season at Barcelona, ​​he got the ball rolling with a deflected strike – his first for City since the 2023 FA Cup final victory over Manchester United – and he could have had more , as he also fired a rasping attack against the club. bar and was denied by a great save from Takac.

Foden, meanwhile, will hope his goal and assist will kick-start his season.

Having been sidelined by injuries and illness, the England midfielder has struggled to get going this season and has started four of his previous five games on the bench.

But Guardiola backed him to perform well and while this was not the biggest test he faced, there were signs of the Foden of last season when he scored 27 goals in all competitions.

“He’s still not (at) his best,” said his City manager. “Step by step he will come back.”