Otamendi gets a late yellow for an unnecessary slide on Muriel. He got nowhere near the ball - and yellows do tot up in this competition.
Muriel hits the free-kick hard towards the bottom-right corner and Ederson spills it behind for a corner, which again is cleared simply enough.
90' +1
Freuler collects a pass at the edge of the area and shoots right-footed, but it's fairly close to Ederson and he makes the save easily enough. The resulting corner is cleared.
90'
Otamendi puts a very simple pass out for a throw-in in the left-back spot, as we go into three minutes of stoppage time.
89'
Atalanta play themselves into, and then back out of some trouble with some dodgy passing at the back. City don't press as ferociously as they might have done if this was still 1-1, so the away side get away with it.
88'
Castagne fouls Mahrez, similarly to the first Foden yellow. No card from the referee, and the home crowd are suitably annoyed.
87'
Ederson gets a pass wrong for once, sending a goal kick out for a throw-in on the half-way line. This match is rather petering out now.
86'
Malinovskiy gets the ball 20 yards out and tries his luck with his left foot, but it sears well over the crossbar. There were men up with him, but he never looked like going for a pass there.
85'
Fernandinho puts a foul in at the edge of the centre circle, but Atalanta are content enough to hold onto the ball from the free kick and avoid any further damage.
84'
The free kick eventually falls to De Roon, but he spanks his shot well over the crossbar.
Minute
Description
82'
P. Foden gets a second yellow card and is sent off.
Foden is sent off, second yellow! The first one looked harsh but this one was a bit silly as he pulls De Roon back. Suspect we'll be hearing about this from Guardiola after the game. Foden, to his credit, makes no complaint and hurries straight off the pitch.
81'
Gosens and Muriel look to combine with a one-two at the edge of the area, but Stones anticipates well and puts the return pass behind for a corner.
80'
Cancelo stops Castagne after he collected a cross-field pass over on the right touchline.
79'
Muriel does well to hold off Stones as he comes infield from the left, but Otamendi is alert to the danger and cuts out the attempted cut-back.
78'
City win a free-kick in the centre circle as Hateboer goes through the back of Sterling. The away side are about ready for this game to end, by the looks of things.
76'
P. Foden gets yellow.
Foden gets a harsh-looking yellow for a late challenge on Malinovskiy. Guardiola is apoplectic.
75'
Mahrez lays the ball off for Walker on the overlap, but his powerful side-footed cross is too close to Gollini, who catches it low down.
73'
Castagne delivers a low cross towards the near post from the right, and Ederson can't quite collect it cleanly. He spills it behind for a corner which Pasalic meets with a powerful header, but Ederson gets down to his other post to make a good save.
72'
H. Hateboer enters the game and replaces J. Iličić.
Ilicic has blown hot and cold tonight, and he's now replaced by Hateboer.
71'
João Cancelo enters the game and replaces B. Mendy.
City looked half asleep for the first 15 minutes of this one, but they're fully in the mood now. Aguero wants his hat-trick, and everybody else wants a go too.
Cancelo comes on for Mendy, who will be happy to get 70 minutes under his belt.
69'
R. Sterling has scored a goal for Manchester City! Assist by R. Mahrez.
Mahrez gets the assist for an inch-perfect left-footed cross from the right.
GOAL! Hat-trick for Sterling, it's 5-1! Aguero gets in behind from Foden's pass and draws a good save from Gollini after a beautiful bit of control, but the ball comes back out to Mahrez on the right. He puts it into a similar area where Sterling assisted Aguero for his first, and Sterling makes no mistake with the finish.
67'
N. Otamendi enters the game and replaces K. De Bruyne.
Otamendi comes on for De Bruyne. City have two centre-backs on the pitch!
64'
R. Sterling has scored a goal for Manchester City! Assist by İ. Gündoğan.
GOAL! Sterling gets his second, 4-1 Man City! Sterling gets in behind after a nice bit of combination play between Mendy, Gundogan and Foden, and he never looks like not scoring. He drifts inside a defender and plants it inside the near post as Gollini looks to cover the other side.
Gundogan gets the assist for a simple pass in a nice move, wonderfully finished by Sterling.
63'
K. De Bruyne gets yellow.
De Bruyne is booked after catching Freuler with a flailing hand.
62'
Ilicic gets in behind and does well to beat Mendy, jinking one way and then the other to get the ball onto his right foot. His powerful shot is parried by Ederson but the ball comes back to him. He shoots again and Ederson this time holds on.
61'
Atalanta enjoy a spell of possession for the first real time in the second half, but they're struggling to do anything with it now. Gosens, who had been crucial in the first half, hasn't really had a look-in since the break.
59'
Castagne delivers a nice ball in towards the back post from the right, but Walker gets his positioning right and heads it away for a throw-in, which City deal with. Ederson relieves the pressure with another brilliant long pass, he's been superb in that regard tonight.
58'
R. Sterling has scored a goal for Manchester City! Assist by P. Foden.
Foden gets the assist after keeping a cool head and putting the ball on a plate for Sterling.
GOAL! 3-1 City, lovely goal! City win possession in midfield, De Bruyne carries it forward down the right and lays it square for Foden. He can't quite work the angle for the shot but feeds it onto Sterling, who smashes it in under the crossbar. Sterling's tenth of the season.
57'
Atalanta are wilting a bit here. Their passing hasn't been anywhere near as crisp or penetrative as it was in the first half, and City are dealing with their combination play much more easily.
56'
City's corner is cleared, and Atalanta eventually relieve the pressure as Walker fouls goalscorer Malinovskiy. He goes up for a header and leaves an elbow in.
55'
Sterling does brilliantly to get between Castagne and Toloi, but the cross is cut out again. The ball eventually comes to De Bruyne to hit at the edge of the area, and Gollini has to get down to his left to tip it wide.
54'
Guardiola looks to have had a word with Ederson at the break. He picks out another brilliant long ball, this time for Sterling down the left. He collects and fires a cross in, but it's just about cut away at the back post.
51'
Ilicic gets into space down the right with Mendy committed upfield, but he totally fouls it up. Bad first touch, bad shot selection, bad execution and it flies across goal and well wide. He had team-mates up in support who aren't very pleased with him.
50'
Mendy hits a shot from the left, but it's straight into a crowd of players and Atalanta counter. The ball eventually ricochets back to Ederson to fall on, but Mendy might get an earful there; the shot was never on.
49'
Ederson finds Mahrez with a wonderful pass forward, but the Algerian miscontrols and it bounces back to Gollini. The flag eventually goes up against him anyway.
48'
Walker has to work to get around and away from Gosens on the right, and City eventually win a free kick over by the right touchline. The ball is played back to Stones as City opt to build from the back.
47'
De Bruyne takes a free-kick quickly and looks to slip Foden in behind, but a defender gets back to cut it out for a corner, which is cleared.
46'
L. Muriel enters the game and replaces P. Gómez.
M. Pašalić enters the game and replaces A. Masiello.
45' +3
HALF-TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 2-1 ATALANTA
45' +2
De Bruyne floats the corner to Gundogan at the edge of the area, he hits it on the volley but it's cleared away. We've all tried that one, haven't we?
City almost play their way into trouble at the edge of their own area - shades of 2016-17 - but eventually get the ball away after a firm challenge on De Roon.
45' +1
Atalanta deal with the corner from the left, but only at the expense of another on the right. City play the ball around the penalty before Gundogan plays a ball in from deep, and Gollini reacts late - he can only spill it behind.
45'
The corner is cleared but eventually comes out to Walker who connects beautifully on the half-volley, drawing another good save from Gollini with a swerving shot towards the top-left corner.
Double change for Atalanta, first Pasalic comes on for Masiello.
Muriel comes on for Gomez in the second half-time switch for the away side.
Atalanta get the second half underway. Have they got a comeback in them?
44'
Masiello has committed himself upfield for no readily obvious reason, and City take advantage with a quick break forward. Sterling is just tackled inside the area, and it goes behind for a corner.
43'
Gomez just fails to control a pass infield from the right at the edge of the area and City get the ball back under control. He might have just had a yard of space to make something happen if his touch had been right there.
42'
Fernandinho is down for a moment after taking a bit of a whack defending a corner, but he's fine to carry on.
41'
J. Stones enters the game and replaces Rodri.
Stones - who is sporting an absolute shiner of a black eye - is coming on for Rodri, who's been forced off with what looks like a hamstring injury. City defenders continue to drop like flies.
38'
Penalty goal scored by S. Agüero for Manchester City!
GOAL! City lead, Aguero at the double! He goes hard to the bottom left as Malinovskiy did, and the result is the same. Gollini goes the right way but can't get near it.
37'
Gosens finds a pocket of space down the left yet again and crosses toward the back post, but it's in between two Atalanta forwards and Mendy can head it away.
36'
Ilicic looks to flick the ball around the corner on the halfway line, but it's a lazy effort which balloons out for a throw-in. Gasperini is very annoyed.
34'
S. Agüero has scored a goal for Manchester City! Assist by R. Sterling.
GOAL! City are level! Sterling cuts infield from the left, clips a ball in between the line of defence and the goalkeeper, and Aguero latches onto it to sidefoot it between Gollini's legs.
Sterling gets the assist after finally finding Aguero from the left. They've tried to combine a few times to no avail, but have stuck to their guns and it's paid off.
32'
City press high but Atalanta play their way around it well, and Rodri eventually cleans Gosens out as he looks to spray the ball infield from the left.
31'
Gundogan looks to find Sterling in behind with a one-two down the left, but Toloi cuts it out.
30'
De Bruyne looks to take matters into his own hands, breaking in between two Atalanta defenders but eventually running into Freuler at the edge of the area. There are some half-hearted shouts for a free-kick, but nothing from the referee.
28'
Penalty goal scored by R. Malinovskyi for Atalanta!
GOAL! Atalanta lead, Malinovskiy powers the penalty into the bottom-left corner, Ederson going the other way.
23'
Sterling gets in again down the left and Aguero is wide open in the middle for a tap-in, but he's over-run it and Sterling's pass is just behind him.
21'
De Bruyne gets back to help his defence out, robbing Malinovskiy of the ball as the away side's front three looked to combine on the break.
Sterling looks to produce a classic City cut-back after getting in behind, but there's a defender there to cut it out.
20'
Ilicic has his first shot in anger, cutting infield from the right and drilling a left-footed shot hard towards the near bottom corner. It's a decent enough strike, but Ederson is equal to it.
19'
City are seeing more of the ball in the Atalanta half now, gradually advancing up the pitch after a slow start. They're still struggling to combine to any great effect when they get towards the penalty area, though.
17'
Big shouts from the home crowd as Foden goes over in the penalty area under pressure from Djimsiti, but there's nothing doing from the referee. Foden did well to bustle his way through after combining with Sterling, but that's probably the right call.
15'
Gomez latches onto a long ball down the left channel, but Rodri puts him under enough pressure for the Argentine to put the ball behind for a goal kick. Again, Walker was nowhere to be seen.
14'
Sterling drifts infield from the left and looks to float a ball towards the far post for Aguero to latch onto, but he overhits the pass and it flies behind for a goal kick.
12'
Gosens again gets into space on the left, Walker looking off the pace again. He floats a teasing ball along the line of the six-yard box but Castagne can't keep his header down under pressure and it's over the bar.
11'
Foden's free kick in from the right is headed straight up by the first man and while Atalanta take a while to get it away with Rodri making a nuisance of himself, it is eventually cleared.
10'
A. Masiello gets yellow.
Masiello gets Atalanta's first yellow of the night for a late tackle on De Bruyne.
9'
Gosens gets in behind Walker on the left but his attempted pull-back is behind Ilicic and eventually cut out by Gundogan at the edge of the area.
8'
De Bruyne can't quite control an attempted flick round the corner as a pass is fizzed into him at the left corner of the penalty area, and Masiello clears it away fairly simply.
7'
Gundogan and Foden combine to give Sterling his first chance to run at his defender down the left and he does well, breezing past Toloi, but his low cross is cut out at the edge of the six-yard box and cleared.
6'
Masiello steps out of defence to intercept a pass from De Bruyne as he looks to combine with Aguero in the right channel. The away side have had plenty of the ball already tonight, they don't look overawed by the occasion at all.
5'
De Roon slides a lovely pass in for Ilicic inside the penalty area. It's a great opportunity to cut inside and shoot, but his first touch lets him down and Fernandinho gets across to take the ball away. Ilicic had all sorts of space there.
4'
B. Mendy gets yellow.
Mendy gets an early yellow card for lunging in on Ilicic after losing control of the ball in the centre circle, just inside the City half.
3'
Freuler puts some pressure on Rodri as he attempts a clearance and manages to charge it down, but it deflects behind for a City goal kick.
2'
De Bruyne gets his first crossing opportunity of the night, but he's slightly off balance when he hits it and it flies over the crossbar.
1'
We're off! City get the ball rolling. Two high-scoring teams here tonight, this should be a whole load of fun.
A high ball in from Gosens on the left causes a bit of uncertainty in the City box, but Fernandinho hammers it away after a slight spill from Ederson.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of this Champions League group stage clash at the Etihad, as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City host Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta in Group C.
With wins over Dinamo Zagreb and Shakhtar Donetsk under their belts, City are looking to maintain a 100 per cent record in Europe so far this season. Champions League debutants Atalanta, meanwhile, are still looking for their first point after conceding a 95th-minute winner against Shakhtar last time out.
MANCHESTER CITY (4-3-3): Ederson; Kyle Walker, Rodri, Fernandinho, Benjamin Mendy; Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne; Riyad Mahrez, Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling.
SUBS: Claudio Bravo, John Stones, Gabriel Jesus, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo, Nicolas Otamendi.
ATALANTA (3-4-3): Pierluigi Gollini; Rafael Toloi, Berat Djimsiti, Andrea Masiello; Robin Gosens, Remo Freuler, Martin de Roon, Timothy Castagne; Alejandro Gomez, Josip Ilicic, Ruslan Malinovskiy.
SUBS: Marco Sportiello, Luis Muriel, Mario Pasalic, Musa Barrow, Ibanez, Guilherme Arana, Hans Hateboer.
Right, the players are on their way out, and we’re almost ready for kick-off. Will the City machine roll on, or do the Italians have a surprise up their sleeves?
City haven't been at their best here, but it's made for a good game so long may it continue. Rodri's injury will be a huge concern for Guardiola - he'll be praying it's nothing too serious. Stones has to step up straight away.
City continue their 100 per cent start to the group stage, and they go five points clear at the top after a draw between Dinamo Zagreb and Shakhtar Donetsk elsewhere tonight. Atalanta were excellent in the first half and nowhere in the second, and they're still without a point in their first Champions League season.
That's it from me tonight, I hope you've enjoyed what was a very entertaining - if eventually rather one-sided - game. Raheem Sterling really is very good, isn't he?
Commentary
More…