By Angu Lesley
Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon
Cameroon international Harold Moukoudi and AEK Athens endured a difficult evening in the UEFA Champions League after suffering a heavy 5-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
The Indomitable Lions defender captained the Greek side but could not prevent the English giants from running riot in the third round of the league phase. Phil Foden was the standout performer, scoring a hat-trick as Manchester City demonstrated their attacking quality to condemn AEK to another disappointing European result.
City made a strong start and took the lead in the 12th minute through Elliot Anderson, who reacted quickest to a rebound following Enzo Fernández’s free-kick. The hosts continued to dominate possession and doubled their advantage in the 34th minute when Foden finished off a move involving Rico Lewis to give the English side a comfortable 2-0 lead at half-time.
AEK returned from the break with renewed determination and briefly raised hopes of a comeback. Stavros Pilios reduced the deficit in the 52nd minute, finishing a promising attacking move to make it 2-1. However, the response from Manchester City was immediate, with Rayan Cherki restoring the two-goal advantage five minutes later after a fine individual effort.
Foden then took centre stage once again, scoring in the 65th and 76th minutes to complete his hat-trick and put the result beyond doubt. His three goals, alongside strikes from Anderson and Cherki, ensured City secured an emphatic victory despite AEK’s brief second-half revival.
Moukoudi, who wore the captain’s armband, had a difficult assignment against a Manchester City attack that repeatedly tested the Greek defence. The Cameroonian centre-back did produce an important defensive block against Fernández after the restart, but AEK ultimately struggled to contain the hosts’ movement and finishing quality.
The defeat represents another setback for AEK in the Champions League, following their 3-1 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk in their previous European outing. The Athens-based club had hoped to respond positively in Manchester, but City’s quality proved too much as the hosts scored five times in a commanding performance.
For Moukoudi, the result is a disappointing chapter in a European campaign in which AEK must now regroup and improve defensively. The Cameroon international remains an important figure for the Greek club, but Tuesday’s heavy defeat underlined the challenge facing his side against Europe’s elite.
Manchester City, meanwhile, claimed a convincing 5-1 victory, with Foden’s hat-trick providing the highlight of an evening that left AEK Athens searching for answers ahead of their next European assignment.
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