Foden nets hat-trick as Man City cruise past Athens in Champions League

Phil Foden scored a hat-trick as Manchester City overwhelmed AEK Athens 5-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Enzo Maresca's side had suffered a 4-2 defeat to European champions PSG in their previous Champions League encounter, but a comprehensive victory restored their winning form. Within just 12 minutes, AEK Athens fell behind to a crossbar-clearance miss by Enzo Fernandez, which was pounced upon by teammate Elliot Anderson.

Rico Lewis and Foden combined to add a second goal before halftime. Foden, returning from a one-month lay-off following his red card, scored his second goal of the night – his first hat-trick in the Champions League. Just five minutes into the second half, Stavros Pilios leveled the score for AEK Athens. However, City's Gianluigi Donnarumma could not keep his clean sheet for long, as Pilios extended the Greek side's lead shortly after the restart.

Within five minutes of that goal, Foden's exquisite first touch from Rayan Cherki set him up for a deft finish into the bottom corner. Foden added another two goals to his tally as City firmly reasserted their two-goal lead. Though the match was marked by some chaotic moments at the Etihad, including City conceding nine goals in their last three home games, Foden's hat-trick provided a much-needed morale boost for the home side.

Maresca had emphasized the importance of Foden's return to top form, and the young midfielder's performance provided a glimpse of that bright future.