Silva 8

                                                                                                                                               Jo 63

Big-spending Manchester City got their Europa League Group A campaign off to the best possible start with a comfortable victory in Austria.

£24m Spanish striker David Silva paid back the first tranche of that transfer fee with his first goal in City colours. And a rare City strike for Brazilian striker Jo sealed the three points for Roberto Mancini’s men.

Silva’s goal came on only eight minutes after Jo knocked Wayne Bridge’s left-wing cross into his path and he curled the ball past Salzburg keeper Gerhard Tremmel from 15 yards.

The hosts rarely threatened, their best first-half effort Ibrahim Sekagya’s scuffed shot which bounced onto the top of the crossbar.

Carlos Tevez had regular shots on goal all night but turned provider just before half-time for Silva, whose left-foot shot was blocked by a briefly out-of-position Tremmel.

Nikola Pokrivac flashed a 48^th-minute free-kick wide for Salzburg before City resumed control.

They went two-up a quarter-of-an-hour later when another Tevez long-ranger was palmed into Jo’s path by Tremmel and the much-maligned Brazilian made no mistake with his left-foot shot.

An unmarked Sekagya headed a stoppage-time opportunity wide from a corner. But it was too little, too late for the outclassed hosts Red Bull Salzburg.