Manchester City is trembling with fear. 'Monster striker' Erling Haaland (25) left the stadium with the aid of crutches.
The British Telegraph reported on the 31st (Korea time) that "Haaland raised concerns that the remaining season is at risk as he left on crutches wearing protective shoes. His appearance looks very doubtful. Manchester City is anxiously awaiting the results of the examination."
On the same day, Manchester City secured a 2-1 come-from-behind victory against Bournemouth in the quarterfinals of the 2024-2025 FA Cup held at Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, England. By advancing to the semifinals, Manchester City maintained hopes for their last championship this season.
It was not an easy victory. This was because Haaland missed several crucial opportunities in the early stages of the match. He missed a penalty kick in the 14th minute of the first half. Two minutes later, he faced the goalkeeper one-on-one but shot over the goal.
After missing opportunities, Manchester City conceded a goal to Evaniusong in the 21st minute of the first half, giving away the opening goal. A pass mistake from the defensive side was the cause. Justin Kluivert mis-hit a shot from a cross that came in from the right, directing it towards the goal, which Evaniusong tapped in.
However, the last winner was Manchester City. Coach Pep Guardiola's gambit paid off. He made a change by bringing in 2005-born midfielder prospect Nico O'Riley for center-back Abdoukadir Husanov at the start of the second half.
The effect of O'Riley was immediate. In the 5th minute of the second half, O'Riley received a through pass from Kevin De Bruyne, penetrated into the left side of the box, and delivered a perfect low cross to the opposite side. Haaland calmly finished it off to make it 1-1, compensating for his earlier struggles in the first half.
In the 12th minute of the second half, a misfortune occurred as Haaland collapsed due to injury. He sustained an ankle injury during a contest with an opponent and signaled to the bench to request a substitution. Ultimately, Omar Marmoush came on to replace him.
Manchester City scored a comeback goal. This goal again started from O'Riley's feet. In the 19th minute of the second half, after O'Riley kept possession of the ball near the arc, he provided a clever left-footed pass. Marmoush received the ball and scored with a right-footed shot, making it 2-1. The match concluded with Manchester City's victory.
As a result, Manchester City managed to avoid being confirmed without trophies this season. However, they could not fully rejoice as Haaland collapsed due to injury. With eliminations already in the Carabao Cup and the UEFA Champions League, and their precarious 5th place in the Premier League, Manchester City is indeed in an emergency situation.
After the match, Haaland was spotted leaving the stadium wearing protective footwear on his left foot and using crutches. With a stern expression, he did not respond to fans calling his name and walked away.
Coach Guardiola sighed, commenting on Haaland's injury, "I still do not know well. I saw him on the massage table, but I haven't talked to the medical staff separately. It seems I need to keep an eye on it."
Haaland has scored 30 goals in 40 official matches this season, including 21 in the league. For Manchester City, his absence due to injury could be fatal as he is responsible for the attack. With only about three months left in the season, Haaland may end the season this way. It seems he is likely to miss the upcoming matches against Leicester City and Manchester United in the 'Manchester Derby.'
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (reprinting and redistribution prohibited), @celebstarclips.
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