Pep Guardiola is more than ever under the Cosh in Manchester City – but it is clear that he has the non -repellent support of Haaland.
City has passed their most turbulent season in the recent memory, which is currently in fifth place in the Premier League classification with only 12 wins of 24 games to date. And the side has also made no impression in Europe, so that the knockout qualifications of the Champions League were hardly made after 22nd in the new competition phase after eight games.
It was bad for City on Tuesday evening, because two late goals saw them a 3-2 defeat in the first stage of their draw with Real Madrid in the Etihad. They will now have to bring their A-Game to the Bernabeu in the reverse match next Wednesday when they hope to continue to the round of 16.
However, Star Striker Haaland showed that the dressing room still has a lot of confidence in their coach from nine years ago in December, with a simple gesture on the pitch and some respectful words aimed at the 54-year-old. City traveled to the King Power Stadium to take on Leicester City when 2024 approached, making a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Savinho and Haaland – and in the aftermath of the victory the last ran to his manager and pushed him On the way to the traveling fans who sang his name.
A smile broke over the face of Guardiola at the time, who had just secured his first road in six games after losing Aston Villa, Liverpool, Brighton and Bournemouth, as well as a stalemate with Crystal Palace. Elsewhere in December, Haaland also showed faith in his manager by standing on it: “He will find the solutions.” He continued: “He did that every year.
“We still believe in him, we have to work harder than ever.” Since the reins of the city in 2016, Guardiola has won six Premier League titles, two FA cups, four competition cups, three community shields and a Champions League -which are protected in the 2022/23 season.
However, the 2024/25 campaign is a million miles away from that level of success, with their last league outing in the form of a 5-1 that is beaten from the Arsenal of Mikel Arteta, while a 4-0 defeat against one Wrestling traces earlier in the season also raised eyebrows. The cup competitions are now realistic the only chance of silverware from Guardiola, making the defeat really even more painful.
Haaland opened the score with a well-placed volley from the box after a pinpoint ball over the top of Jack Grealish, which was dressed in his path via Josko Gvardiol. And while City largely seemed like the first half to the game, the second was a fully opposite state of affairs.
Kylian Mbappe leveled the playing field in the hour, ran at the back before he cut the ball to the extremely right -wing of the goal after Niererson was wrong because of the effort. Haaland then laid the city in the front again with 10 minutes to play by converting a spot kick after Phil Foden had been brought down in the area by Dani Ceballos.
Los Blancos, however, once again equated in the 86th minute thanks to Brahim Diaz, who followed a parried shot by Vinicius JR, with which Ederson should have done better. The worst scenario of the city was then completed when Vinicius JR broke past Rico Lewis along the left before he pulled the ball to Jude Bellingham in the middle of the box, who stabbed home to make Real overcome in the second minute of three added.
City will now have to travel to the Bernabeu next Wednesday to destroy a shortage of one goals if she hope to consider Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the Tour of 16 of the tournament. It seems that things might get worse before they get better for Guardiola – but he is safe in the knowledge that he has the support of his players anyway.
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