Kevin De Bruyne Brilliance Can't Mask Manchester City's Big European Issues

Kevin De Bruyne scored the most important goal of Manchester City’s season as they beat Sevilla 2-1 on Wednesday to move into second place in Group D of the UEFA Champions League.

His superb stoppage-time winner was the latest example of the Belgian’s brilliance. The 24-year-old has been nothing short of sensational since his £54 million club-record transfer from Wolfsburg late in the summer transfer window, consistently displaying an ability to influence the game in the final third with his technical ability and creativity.

Manuel Pellegrini’s assessment at full-time was unequivocal: “I think in all senses he was the perfect player to arrive in our team.

“We bought Kevin because we thought he is a very creative player, because he has goals, because this team try always to play attractive football and offensive football, and for that you need good players and a style of play that allows us to demonstrate all those players the techniques that they have.”

City, it seems, have signed a player of exceptional quality.

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Happy I could help the team get the three points yesterday! #mcfc pic.twitter.com/WkMAi2i66d

— Kevin De Bruyne (@DeBruyneKev) October 22, 2015"

In truth, this was one of his least effective games in a sky-blue shirt. He spent much of the match on the periphery, unable to influence proceedings in his usual way. But it was a mark of his quality that when a chance presented itself in a highly pressured situation, he was able to produce emphatically. 

Much was made of the huge fee City paid to secure his signature, but talk of money has died down in light of his form. His brilliance is now the talking point.

Quite how Jose Mourinho sanctioned his £18 million switch away from Chelsea 18 months ago remains a mystery. This is a player who looks set for stardom in the coming years.

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#cityvsfc in numbers... #mcfc pic.twitter.com/3nV2SjzPzJ

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) October 21, 2015"

His goal, though, could not mask another unconvincing display in Europe from Pellegrini’s side.

Having scored 11 goals in their previous two league matches, at home to Newcastle United and Bournemouth, City were expected to be buoyant going into this one.

Sevilla, of course, were always going to provide a sterner examination of City’s credentials at the Etihad Stadium, but the home side looked inhibited by their own inferiority complex. It’s become an all-too-familiar story.

Once again, they were too open and too easy to play against. Despite history suggesting a two-man central midfield is too easy for quality Champions League sides to play through, Pellegrini insists on persevering with his bold, attacking formation with seemingly no Plan B to fall back on.

Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the City chairman, was clear in his expectations when he released a statement to accompany the club’s latest financial results. Pellegrini needs silverware and progress in the Champions League to convince the club’s decision-makers he’s the man to take the club forward, with the spectre of Pep Guardiola, out of contract at Bayern Munich this summer, looming large.

PAUL ELLIS/Getty Images

On the evidence of their three Champions League games so far, they are no nearer to becoming a side capable of impacting the latter stages. 

Where City deserve credit, though, is for the character they have shown in their last two Group D matches. Not at their best in Monchengladbach or against Sevilla on Wednesday, they’ve continued fighting and found a way to win, something Pellegrini was keen to tell reporters after the game:

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Well it’s important because we won both games in the last minute and in both games we were one goal down.

I think you have a lot of criticism about this team in Europe, but I think that these two last games that we played in Europe reflect that we have the character to try to win.

We will continue trying to improve our play but for me the character, concentration, intensity in Europe is very important to win also.

"

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.@pablo_zabaleta hails the strength of the #mcfc squad. His post-match interview in full: https://t.co/i5ba5Oj39s pic.twitter.com/A2LkGf6rGC

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) October 21, 2015"

Jesus Navas deserves huge credit for his performance, which was perhaps the best of his City career—a mixture of pace, energy and sheer hard work. 

And Eliaquim Mangala, too, showed his quality on a night where he was overworked. 

PAUL ELLIS/Getty Images

The victory over Unai Emery’s side puts City in a strong position to qualify for the last 16 for the third consecutive year, and Juventus’ draw at home to Borussia Monchengladbach means first place isn’t out of the question. They will have to improve, though, if they want to leapfrog the Old Lady.

City still have to go to Seville and Turin in their final three matches—the two hardest fixtures of the group stage.

Thoughts now return to the Premier League and Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford to face cross-town rivals Manchester United. It may not have been a stellar performance against Sevilla, but a last-gasp win provides them with the perfect fillip going into a crucial top-of-the-table derby match.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard_.