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Erling Haaland netted twice for Manchester City against Young Boys in the Champions League. This notably set Twitter abuzz, as he asserted his dominance with an emphatic return to form after a minor injury.
Haaland propelled Manchester City to the knockout stages of the Champions League, easing past Young Boys with a scoreline that read 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium. The Norwegian prodigy shrugged off the remnants of an ankle twist sustained in their last match against Bournemouth and inaugurated the scoring feat from the penalty mark, just shy of the midway point of the first half.
As the match progressed, the spotlight briefly shifted to Phil Foden, who elegantly amplified City's lead. However, the match was unequivocally for Haaland, as his blistering strike from outside the box in the second half added to City's superiority.
This notably marks Manchester City's fourth consecutive triumph in Group G. The strike also tallied as Haaland's 39th in 34 appearances in the Champions League. City will now head to securing the pole position in the group with just a draw needed against RB Leipzig.
Amidst the win, a somber note was struck by injuries to key defenders John Stones and Manuel Akanji, marring an otherwise flawless outing for Pep Guardiola's side.
Twitter's reaction to the match had fans heaping praise on Haaland's commanding performance, with one drawing parallels to a certain Portuguese legend:
"Cristiano Ronaldo, watch your back"
Here is a selection of their tweets:
John Stones sidelined by injury as Manchester City face defensive concerns
In a blow to Manchester City's defensive line, John Stones has been sidelined once again, as confirmed by manager Pep Guardiola. The England defender, already hampered by a hip injury at the season's onset, suffered a muscular setback during the match against Young Boys.
The incident forced Stones to make an early exit from the match, adding to City's defensive woes. The predicament worsens for City as fellow defender Manuel Akanji encountered a back issue during pre-match preparations.
In his dialogue with TNT Sports after the game, Guardiola expressed his dismay over Stones' recurrent injury troubles (via Sky Sports):
"And John felt [his injury] again. I feel so sorry for him because he's so incredibly professional and his commitment again. It is a big loss for us. John is so important for what he does but he will recover and the season is long and he will be back stronger."
For Manchester City, the task now is to fortify their backline as they prepare to navigate a challenging sequence of Premier League fixtures. They will face Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, and Chelsea in the coming weeks.
