City is on fire, Ancelotti warns
“Android” Haaland causes excitement in Madrid
05/09/2023 06:51 am
Manchester City is eager for revenge – and relies on Erling Haaland’s goal hunger: In the semifinals against Real Madrid, the reparation for the bitter end of the previous year should succeed. Coach Carlo Ancelotti, however, warns his team not to focus too much on Haaland.
The hype is real. Superstars have flocked to the glorious Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, but the appearance of what is currently the biggest attraction in world football is causing tense excitement even in Madrid. The club-related sports daily “Marca” called Manchester City’s goal machine Erling Haaland an “android”.
With his seemingly superhuman qualities in front of goal, the 22-year-old Norwegian is in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg (9 p.m. Prime Video and in the live ticker at ntv.de) the greatest danger for the royals. “Haaland is a very dangerous player, he shows impressive quality. He’s an obvious danger,” coach Carlo Ancelotti paid tribute to the goal machine. The match plan of the nerve-racking royals is not only designed to “stop Haaland” – the rest of the team is too dangerous.
“Haaland can do many, many things”
And yet the Norwegian is Manchester’s strongest weapon for the hoped-for revenge on his first appearance in Madrid. The almost unreal semifinals of the English in May 2022 against Real (4: 3 / 1: 3 aet) is unforgettable. Two goals conceded late in the second leg, then the knockout in extra time: Defensive mistakes and their own usury of chances allowed the Spanish record champions to have one of the biggest surprises in recent Champions League history.
A year later, City have the competition’s top scorer in their own ranks. “If you give him chances, he scores in all situations. Penalties, crosses, combinations, transitions. He can do many, many things,” said team manager Pep Guardiola of his striker phenomenon, who scored 12 goals in eight appearances in 2022/23 has achieved in the premier class. The self-confidence of the sky blue is not only enormous because of Haaland. Manchester has been unbeaten in 20 games, they are top of the table again in the Premier League and City have also reached the final in the FA Cup. The dream of being the first English club to win the treble since unloved city rivals United in the 1998/99 season is alive.
“We are measured by this competition”
Real Madrid is probably the biggest remaining hurdle on the way there. “We’re up against a world-class team that’s almost used to reaching the final year after year and winning this trophy often. It’s going to be brutally difficult,” said international Ilkay Gündogan. He calls the duel with Toni Kroos, Antonio Rüdiger and the other royal stars “gigantic”: “It’s always something special against Real.” For the royals, however, these encounters are almost routine, the number of titles won on the international stage speaks a language of its own. “We’ve played many games of this kind. I’m convinced of our experience,” said a visibly relaxed Kroos before the semi-final cracker.
“We will definitely be judged by this competition,” said Guardiola. In 2016 he took over the Citizens and established them as the best English team. He was champion four times and won the FA Cup once. But even after seven years he is still waiting in vain for the Champions League triumph. Without this, Guardiola knows, his work in Manchester would be incomplete.