Manchester Metropolis suffered late disappointment as a controversial late Eric Dier penalty earned a degree for AS Monaco within the UEFA Champions League.
The Blues had been forward for everything of the second half as a consequence of two Erling Haaland objectives both facet of a Jordan Teze wonderstrike, however Dier transformed previous Gianluigi Donnarumma after Nico Gonzalez’s foot was deemed to be too excessive on the Englishman, regardless of getting a slight nick on the ball.
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Meaning Metropolis have now gone 5 video games in a row with out profitable away from residence in Europe, after defeats to Actual Madrid, PSG, Juventus and Sporting final season.
Listed below are three issues we realized from the draw within the south of France:
Haaland is at his best possible
Manchester Metropolis’s striker is taking part in at his best possible proper now, scoring objectives at a stage of inevitability that we haven’t seen for nearly three years.
Haaland scored his 134th and one hundred and thirty fifth objectives in 154 appearances for Metropolis towards Monaco, the approaching from pouncing on a ball in behind and lobbing over the keeper and the second a correct 6 ‘4 centre ahead’s purpose – rising excessive to energy a Nico O’Reilly cross past goalkeeper Philipp Kohn.
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The remainder of the staff nonetheless have some adapting to do to get to Haaland’s elite stage, however while the Norwegian is performing as he’s, this Metropolis staff will all the time be a purpose risk.
Refereeing didn’t resolve that sport
My preliminary intuition was that the foul by Nico was a deserved penalty; he’s all the time working a threat placing his foot that top and his shin did contact Dier’s head.
However on reflection, it’s harsh {that a} penalty was given when it was proven he’d received the ball and his problem didn’t actually influence the shot.
Both means, Metropolis ought to have had that sport wrapped up lengthy earlier than the incident, they usually even ought to have received it within the closing few seconds after that.
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Tijjani Reijnders and Phil Foden each smacked the crossbar, and Haaland had a handful of half probabilities {that a} participant of his high quality might simply have scored.
And on the very finish, Josko Gvardiol had Haaland free within the center, however opted to shoot and noticed his shot blocked simply by the Monaco defenders.
Metropolis have to seek out their ruthless edge extra persistently in the event that they’re going to compete for the largest titles within the Premier League and Champions League once more.
Rodri shouldn’t have began
It’s clear to me that Rodri continues to be fairly far off the tempo, and with Pep Guardiola emphasising the acute ache the 29-year-old felt in his previously injured knee simply three days earlier than, throwing him in from the beginning appeared silly.
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Notably given the very fact Nico got here on and performed properly. The previous Porto participant was tidy, composed and aggressive, placing in an all spherical good defensive midfield efficiency.
Add to that Mateo Kovacic’s return to first staff squads, and I believe that while it’s tough to say no to a participant who desperately needs to influence the staff, Rodri should solely begin at the very least one sport per week for the foreseeable future.