Micah Hamilton sparks Manchester City win at Red Star Belgrade
Whatever else Micah Hamilton achieves in his career it will glisten with the honeyed memory he created 19 minutes into his Manchester City debut here.
Running in from the right, the 20-year-old elite development squad captain collected a crafty Matheus Nunes ball, rounded Peter Olayinka and Aleksandar Dragovic and, from a tight angle, smashed past Omri Glazer.
It sent Hamilton into ecstasy and racing for the right-hand corner of the Rajko Mitic Stadium where the boy from Crumpsall, who joined the club as an under-nine, was mobbed by Nunes, Rico Lewis, Kalvin Phillips and the other stellar names in the City XI.
In a match of zero jeopardy thanks to City already being in Monday’s draw for the knockout phase as group winners, this was a delightful moment, Hamilton’s finish instantly prompting pictures on X of him six years ago taking instructions as a ballboy from Pep Guardiola during a match against Crystal Palace.
If this was fairytale stuff then, just after the hour, Oscar Bobb matching Hamilton’s first senior strike was as memorable. In his 13th appearance, the Norwegian danced from midfield through a backpedalling Red Star rearguard to beat Glazer, unloading close to the six-yard box.
Bobb and Hamilton are 20 and with Lewis – their junior by a year – an established first-team player this was a fine night for City’s academy and for Guardiola’s nurturing of its homegrown talent.
Despite the game being a glorified training exercise, he still demanded standards be as high as ever. So when, early on, Cherif Ndiaye broke into City’s area the sight of John Stones guarding Stefan Ortega’s goal and shepherding the forward to safety will have pleased him. Yet after Hamiliton’s strike drew jubilation for City and their 1,200 loyal fans here, the “Delige” – Red Star supporters – soon felt their own exhilaration, though without the end product.
Inside a packed venue with its low-slung oval bowl and running track between pitch and punters, Kosta Nedeljkovic surged along a right channel, twisted inside to leave Sergio Gomez behind, and fashioned a curled left-foot effort that went high and wide.
Gomez was in a back four that had Manuel Akanji and Stones at its centre and Lewis moving into midfield from right-back to support Phillips. The latter was in City’s lineup for only the second time this season – and, perhaps, a lasttime should he depart next month in search of the minutes required before England’s tilt at the European Championship.
When Gulor Kanga ran at him Phillips failed to thwart the No 8 so he was happy to see the Red Star midfielder’s pass go awry. A little later, Olayinka was equally as loose when a shot he hoped to squeeze past Ortega was off-target.
For the second half a quiet Jack Grealish was removed, Phil Foden entered, took up Hamilton’s right-sided berth, and the youngster switched to the left. Almost instantly, from this flank, he came close to adding with a bending attempt that went inches wide.
Next, Red Star roved upfield and, first, a Ndiaye scissor-volley was beaten away by Ortega and then, in the same passage, Kalanga’s 30-yard piledriver again warmed the German goalkeeper’s fingers.
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After Jovan Mijatovic, on as a substitute, hit the base of Ortega’s right post Red Star struck via Hwang In-beom, who got away from Phillips to beat City’s keeper.
This was greeted with home delirium and what sounded like a small bomb going off but five minutes from the end there was another nice moment for City when Phillips converted from the penalty spot.
A Red Star bombardment of City’s goal followed and, late on, Aleksandar Katai scored a consolation as City ended as only the second English team to win all six games of the stage.
The one low note had been the champions’ fans who were targeted on Tuesday night in an assault and required hospital treatment, though they were able to leave later.
A club statement said: “Manchester City FC is concerned by the news of an attack on our travelling fans last night in Belgrade. We are working closely with the local police to provide additional safety advice and support to all fans attending this evening’s match.”
This, though, did not sour Hamilton’s and Bobb’s evening. And with five homegrown talents on the pitch by the end as they, Lewis and Foden were joined by the later replacement, Mahamadou Sissoho, the victory will have a particular resonance among the club’s youth set-up.