THE 10-GAME DROUGHT OVER: HOW HAALAND FINALLY FOUND THE NET AGAIN TODAY.
Erling Haaland ends his 10-game goal drought as Manchester City beat Galatasaray 2-0 to secure a spot in the UCL Last 16.
Erling Haaland finally broke his scoring drought, and Manchester City squeezed into the last 16 of the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Galatasaray.
Haaland hadn’t scored from open play in ten matches, but he put that to rest with a calm finish. Rayan Cherki gave City their second just before halftime. Pep Guardiola’s team handled the Turkish side at the Etihad, but honestly, it wasn’t a smooth ride.
Other results went City’s way, so this win pushed the defending champions up to eighth in the league phase. That means they dodged the dreaded play-off round—the one that tripped them up last season.
After the final whistle, players, coaches, and fans were left waiting for results from other games. When word came through that Real Madrid had lost at Benfica, everyone in sky blue could finally relax. They’d done enough.
The night wasn’t all good news, though. Jeremy Doku, who lit up the first half and set up both goals, picked up an injury and joined City’s already long list of casualties.
Still, City will be relieved. They won’t have to deal with two extra games next month, and with four competitions on the go, every bit of rest matters.
Galatasaray’s travelling fans showed up in force. They packed city bars, marched through the streets, and set off fireworks on the way to the ground. But by the end, they were silent.
Their team, featuring old City faces Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane, managed to cling onto a spot in the top 24. Not much to celebrate, but it’s something.
City came out flying. They nearly scored inside three minutes when Rayan Ait-Nouri whipped in a cross for Haaland, but the Norwegian headed wide.
He didn’t miss his next chance. Seven minutes later, Doku zipped through the Galatasaray defence and slipped a pass to Haaland, who raced clear. Bardakci couldn’t keep up, and goalkeeper Cakir had no chance as Haaland coolly chipped the ball over him.
The city pushed for more. Cakir had to tip over a rocket from Nico O’Reilly. The second goal arrived in 29 minutes—Doku danced into the box, pulled it back for Cherki, and Cherki swept it home.
That was Doku’s last big moment. After taking some rough hits in recent games, he picked up another knock and limped off.
Galatasaray barely threatened before halftime, apart from a weak effort from Victor Osimhen. But they found more energy after the break, especially after Kurdish demonstrators briefly paused the game.
Osimhen was their main danger man. He headed at Gianluigi Donnarumma, then forced a save with a first-time shot.
The city nearly added a third when Omar Marmoush found himself in a great spot but lost his footing at the crucial moment.
A clash of heads between Tijjani Reijnders and Davinson Sanchez brought a long stoppage. Both players got bandaged up and played on, but the tempo never really picked up again.
The game fizzled out, but City did what they needed to do. They’re through.
THE REAL: REASON JEREMY DOKU BELIEVES THE NEXT FOUR GAMES WILL DEFINE CITY’S SEASON
Jeremy Doku praises City's pride after Bernardo Silva's red card, eyeing redemption in Sunday's Carabao Cup final.
Jérémy Doku sees winning the Carabao Cup as a helpful way for Manchester City to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment. After being knocked out by Real Madrid for the third consecutive year, with a 5-1 aggregate loss in the round of 16, the team faces a tough challenge to regroup quickly.
Pep Guardiola's squad now has to shift focus to their upcoming trip to Wembley, where they’ll take on Arsenal on Sunday. Despite the setback in Europe, Doku feels that lifting a trophy this week would help erase the recent frustration.
He said, “It’s a good way to recover. We’ll do everything we can to win that game and bring home a trophy. The next four matches really matter. We have to recover well for Sunday and then take it one game at a time.”
What lies ahead will likely define the city's season. After the Carabao Cup final, they face an FA Cup quarterfinal against Liverpool following the international break, as well as two critical Premier League games against Chelsea and Arsenal.
“There’s still plenty at stake,” Doku added. “We’re competing in three different competitions, with three trophies still on the table. If we manage to win one, it’ll still be a strong season for us. Of course, missing out on the Champions League is disappointing. It’s always a special trophy. But we have to learn from those games against Real Madrid, recover properly, and focus on what’s next.”
City endured a tough week, following a 3-0 loss in Madrid with a narrow 2-1 defeat at the Etihad. One pivotal moment was Bernardo Silva’s early red card in the second leg.
Yet, Doku draws some confidence from how the team performed despite being down to 10 men against such a formidable opponent.
“We have reasons to be proud,” he reflected. “Playing against a team like Real Madrid with one less player and still causing them problems isn’t something every team can do. We didn’t get the win, but we can look each other in the eye knowing we gave a good performance both with 11 players and with 10. We created chances and played well.”
He went on to say, “If we bring that kind of effort to every match, we’ll trouble many teams. There are valuable takeaways from this game that we can carry into the next.”
WHY PEP GUARDIOLA CANCELLED TRAINING BEFORE MANCHESTER CITY’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REMATCH
Pep Guardiola cancels Manchester City training to combat fatigue ahead of the 3-0 comeback attempt vs Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola has shared his reasoning for skipping training the day before Manchester City’s crucial Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid at the Etihad. Facing a tough three-goal deficit from their 3-0 loss at the Bernabeu last week, City are up against the difficult task of overturning this against a team that has won Europe’s top trophy 15 times.
Historically, only four teams have managed to claw back a gap of three or more goals in the knockout stages, so the challenge ahead is immense. Guardiola acknowledges his players will need to deliver an almost flawless performance if they hope to stage a remarkable comeback on home turf. Still, he remains hopeful they will create plenty of scoring chances against Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
In a somewhat unexpected move, Guardiola has decided to give his first team a day off on Monday, opting for a light session just hours before kickoff on Tuesday. At Monday’s press conference, he explained the logic behind this approach, citing the fatigue from travel and recent matches. After returning late from Madrid, then heading to London for a Premier League draw against West Ham, the players have had a packed schedule. Guardiola feels a day of rest will serve them better than trying to squeeze in more training.
He further emphasised the mental aspect, pointing out that mental strength plays a big role in how well they perform. He plans to assess the players’ condition and conduct training on Tuesday afternoon. With travel taking its toll and players spontaneously connecting with their families, he believes keeping them relaxed and fresh is crucial.
Captain Bernardo Silva, who was the only City player present for media duties, supported Guardiola’s decision. He reflected on past occasions when the team took rest days following both wins and losses, trusting the manager’s judgement to help them regroup and come back stronger.
On team news, Guardiola revealed he has most of his starting lineup settled, though one spot remains uncertain. Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture) and Rico Lewis (ankle) are sidelined, but Mateo Kovacic has returned to the bench after recovering from a lengthy ankle and heel injury. With these preparations in place, City will be charging into a daunting but pivotal night against one of Europe’s giants.
