AFTER a week when he was being hawked around Europe this was the night for Erling Haaland to show what he was made of.
Now, of course 49 goals from 50 games for Borussia Dortmund in the run-up to this match was evidence enough of the 20-year-old Leeds born star’s worth.
Still, when you are hitting the headlines in the way he has you have something to live up to.
After all he had only failed to score in two of the 14 Champions league games he has played in.
But last night at the venue where he could very likely end up, things fell flat.
Not least when he went through one-on-one just after half time in a bid to level things up and stuttered over his lines.
He did, though, tee up Marco Reus’ late but temporary leveller, only for Phil Foden to clinch Manchester City’s 2-1 quarter-final first-leg win.
It is nights like these that put the noughts on the end of transfer deals.
Gareth Bale became one of the best players in the world on the back of a Tottenham defeat at Inter Milan.
Why? Spurs lost 4-3 but his was a stunning hat-trick on a big night, in a big stadium on a big occasion.
So we turned up, if you were lucky enough, turned on, if you were the rest of us, and waited, and waited.
The point is he was playing against, not for, City and that was the problem.
The chances presented to the home side would no doubt have been gobbled up by the son of their former player.
That’s what City need too.
Forget all the hipster joy about the false nine.
Every team still needs that scorer, that poacher.
It is also what neighbours Manchester United are missing.
It’s not a bad team that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has but they don’t have that player to snap up scraps that put you at the head of the table.
City still require that as well, despite their excellence everywhere else on the pitch.
The one who delivers the moment, like that which presented itself to Raheem Sterling against Lyon at the quarter-final stage of this competition last season but went high over the bar.
He was another strange exclusion from the first team last night, along with Aguero and Gabriel Jesus.
You wonder sometimes if Pep Guardiola over thinks it.
You can’t question it or he gets a bit of a strop on.
But you are at home, you have Aguero – best player ever for City, Jesus and Sterling and they are all on the bench.
You’d bet the Dortmund players were delighted.
Guardiola said that City could not afford Haaland. Yes they can. To stay ahead of the rest he is just what they need.
Because have no doubt there are goals still left in Aguero, if not Barcelona would not be 5/2 favourites to land the greatest free transfer in history.
It seems a shame that he is being allowed to dribble out the door rather than being held shoulder high, much like David Silva and Yaya Toure.
Makes you wonder if the boss wants to be the biggest name at the club. Not saying he does but while legends at City get statues, send offs are slightly understated even with Covid-19.
Last week Guardiola said that City could not afford Haaland.
Yes they can.
They will be in the bidding for him.
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To stay ahead of the rest he is just what they need.
Just what they had with Aguero.
A striker who last night watched on and wondered quite why 257 goals in 385 games didn’t afford him a chance to put this tie beyond Dortmund.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
