Erling Haaland broke his goal-scoring drought with two second-half goals, and Manuel Akanji celebrated his return to his homeland by finding the back of the net. This performance by Manchester City, the defending champions, effectively secured their position in the Champions League knockout stage with a 3-1 win over Switzerland’s Young Boys on a rainy Wednesday, October 25th. Despite initial concerns about the slippery artificial turf at Wankdorf Stadium, Pep Guardiola’s team continued their flawless run in Group G with three victories.
Guardiola, in an interview with TNT Sports, expressed his satisfaction with the exceptional performance, stating, “It was a remarkable match, and I’m extremely pleased with our style of play. We only need one more game to secure our place mathematically and then two more to finish first.”
Manchester City has the chance to confirm their spot in the knockout stage in their upcoming home fixture against Young Boys on November 7.
Erling Haaland put an end to his scoring drought in the Champions League by converting a penalty in the 67th minute following Mohamed Camara’s foul on Rodri in the penalty area. He followed this up with an impressive second goal in the 86th minute, displaying his skill as he shifted the ball from his left foot to his right before firing it into the top corner.
Erling Haaland scored twice, to help Man City to a 3-1 Champions League win over Young Boys this morning.
— Astro Radio News (@AstroRadioNews) October 25, 2023
City are now unbeaten in their past 16 games in the tournament winning 10 and drawing six.#ChampionsLeague #AstroRadioNews pic.twitter.com/zvNzhJraRB
Haaland, known for rewriting scoring records, reached another milestone by surpassing Kylian Mbappe’s record as the youngest player to reach 37 goals in the Champions League. The Norwegian striker achieved this feat in just 33 games at the age of 23 years and 96 days.
Guardiola emphasized Haaland’s scoring ability, stating, “Having the opportunities is crucial; some people want him to fail. I apologize, but this individual will continue scoring goals throughout his career. Given the chances, he poses an incredible threat… he will keep scoring until his final day in football.”
City had numerous close calls in the first half before Manuel Akanji finally broke the deadlock three minutes into the second half. Akanji seized the opportunity when Ruben Dias’s header hit the crossbar, and the Swiss defender used his right leg to put it into the net.
Nevertheless, Young Boys swiftly equalized four minutes later, capitalizing on Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson’s positioning to set up Meschack Elia with an excellent pass, and he chipped the ball high over Ederson and into the net.
In the first half, City’s relentless pressure created a sense that a goal was imminent, with several close calls, including Jack Grealish’s shot that was fumbled by Racioppi, resulting in Matheus Nunes attempting to push the ball into the goal, only to be saved on the line by Loris Benito.
VAR disallowed a goal by City’s Julian Alvarez after determining that Grealish had handled the ball in the build-up.
After three matches, Young Boys currently occupies third place in the group with one point.
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