‘In his defence’… TNT pundit expresses sympathy for ‘excellent’ £51m Man City star against Real Madrid

Redaction Simon Brett with Tom Procter
Published on 2024-04-09 21:30:00

Manchester City played to a 3-3 draw with Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at the Bernabeu. Despite struggling in the first half, City managed to equalize in the second half with goals from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol. Fede Valverde found an equalizer for Real Madrid, leading to a shared result. However, one City player who had a quiet night was Erling Haaland.

Erling Haaland, who has been a prolific scorer, had a subdued performance against Real Madrid with limited involvement in the game. Commentator Steve McManaman expressed sympathy for Haaland, noting that his movement was excellent but he struggled to receive the ball due to City’s possession-based style of play. With just 20 touches and six completed passes in the game, Haaland was kept quiet by the Real Madrid defense led by Antonio Rudiger.

Without key playmaker Kevin De Bruyne in the lineup, Haaland seemed to struggle to make an impact against Real Madrid. The absence of De Bruyne, who typically looks to find Haaland with incisive passes, hindered the Norwegian striker’s performance. Despite making some good runs, Haaland was largely ineffective against a well-organized Real Madrid defense. The draw sets up an intriguing second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

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