PEP GUARDIOLA was clearly worried ahead of this outing on an artificial pitch.

Yet despite a comfortable win here in Switzerland, the Manchester City boss will still have cause for concern ahead of the trip to Old Trafford for the Manchester derby on Sunday.

Erling Haaland plants his superb second goal to seal victory

Haaland celebrates his latest double but the goal machine had gone five Champions League games without netting

Manuel Akanji arrived perfectly for the Man City breakthrough

Man City started with a 3-2-4-1 formation

Once again, City scored three goals without playing that well.

Erling Haaland had not scored for five Champions League matches but grabbed a couple inside 17 minutes to ease the nerves.

Until he struck, the scores were level at 1-1 and City, as they have done a few times this season, were making life hard for themselves.

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One plus point for Guardiola was a much better performance from Jack Grealish.

He has struggled since missing a month with a dead leg but this was, without doubt, the England international’s best run-out of the season.

Particularly in the first half, he was at the heart of everything and realising he was City’s most effective player, the home crowd started jeering him.

Making a difficult pass look easy, he created a good chance for Jeremy Doku but he delivered an embarrassingly weak shot at keeper Anthony Racioppi.

The 1,800 travelling City fans were expecting Doku to bury the ball into the corner so little wonder he placed his head in his hands.

Haaland put City back in front with his first goal – from the spot

Meschack Elia lobbed a brilliant but temporary leveller for Young Boys

Guardiola was getting restless on the touchline. He was furious with Mateo Kovacic whose lazy pass sparked a Young Boys attack which saw Cedric Itten given a clear run on goal but his tame shot failed to trouble Ederson.

On the balance of play, City deserved to be ahead and Swiss international Akanji, back on home soil, grabbed only his second goal for the club.

Kovacic’s header was pushed onto the bar by Racioppi but Akanji reacted first and stuck out a leg.

Following a Haaland effort, Young Boys quickly counterattacked, with Cheikh Niasse laying a long pass to international Elia from the Congo. Elia attempted the riskiest of lobs from about 22 yards out as Ederson sprinted towards the goal. To the joy of the boisterous Wankdorf Stadium crowd, the ball appeared to take an eternity to land in the goal.

For a while, City had to play defense, but then Rodri was fouled by Camara (it was a cheap penalty), and Haaland was always going to make the kick.

Sub Alvarez thought he had made it 3-1 but VAR spotted a handball from Grealish. Danish ref Morten Krogh was called over to the screen and he agreed that it was a foul.

Yet City finally moved up a gear and ended any Young Boys hopes of snatching a point. Haaland delivered a fabulous strike with his right foot which he curled into the top corner.

And against their rivals this weekend, City will need Haaland – along with Grealish – to be at their very best.