Haaland’s Double Sends Manchester City to Last 16

Erling Haaland was the hero for Manchester City as they secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League. The Norwegian striker, who was a doubt for the game due to an injury, showed no signs of any issues as he calmly converted a penalty in the 23rd minute to open the scoring.

City continued to dominate the game and doubled their lead just before half time, with Phil Foden calmly slotting the ball into the far corner. Haaland then added his second of the night shortly after the interval with a powerful 25-yard strike. Young Boys’ misery was compounded when they were reduced to 10 men following Sandro Lauper’s second yellow card.

Despite having opportunities to extend their lead, City couldn’t find the net again in the final half an hour. However, the result means that they have qualified for the Last 16 of the Champions League with two games to spare. They will secure top spot in Group G if they avoid defeat against RB Leipzig in their next match.

Next up for City is a Premier League clash against Chelsea on Sunday. Young Boys will host Luzern in the Swiss Super League on Saturday.

The performance of Erling Haaland was a talking point of the match. The striker responded to a challenge from Chelsea legend Didier Drogba by imitating his goal celebration. Haaland also made headlines by reluctantly passing his shirt to Mohamed Ali Camara at half time, stating that it was too early. Unfortunately for Haaland, he was substituted on the hour mark, denying him the chance of a hat-trick.

Haaland was named the player of the match for his impressive performance, scoring two goals in just over an hour of play. His goalscoring record in the Champions League is remarkable, with 39 goals in 34 appearances.

Player Ratings:
Manchester City: Ederson 6, Walker 7, Stones 6, Dias 7, Gvardiol 7, Kovacic 8, Lewis 7, Nunes 7, Foden 8, Grealish 7, Haaland 8*.
Young Boys: Racioppi 7, Janko 6, Amenda 6, Camara 6, Benito 6, Garcia 6, Niasse 6, Lauper 3, Ugrinic 6, Elia 5, Itten 5.

In the match highlights, Haaland opened the scoring with a clinical penalty in the 23rd minute. Foden then doubled City’s lead just before half time with a composed finish. Haaland completed his brace with a stunning 25-yard strike shortly after the interval. Young Boys were reduced to 10 men when Lauper received a second yellow card for a dangerous challenge on Ake.

Key Stats:
Haaland has now scored 39 goals in 34 appearances in the UEFA Champions League.