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Erling Haaland got here off with an obvious knee damage in Manchester Metropolis’s 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle United on Saturday at hand Pep Guardiola a priority forward of their Champions League journey to Actual Madrid subsequent week.
Haaland went down grimacing and clutching his proper leg within the closing minutes of the match and was changed by Matheus Nunez. It was the one unfavourable be aware on a powerful efficiency by the hosts, wherein Egyptian ahead Omar Marmoush scored a first-half hat-trick earlier than substitute James McAtee added a late fourth.
Metropolis go to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday needing to overturn a 3-2 defeat on the Etihad Stadium with the intention to keep within the Champions League.
However Guardiola appeared assured when requested in regards to the damage. “When he was down, everybody was scared however he acquired up and walked smiling like all the time,” the supervisor mentioned. “I didn’t converse to him or the docs however the docs didn’t include unhealthy information so hopefully he’s nice.”
Marmoush’s targets have been his first for Metropolis in his fifth look and lifted spirits forward of the daunting journey. Right here, Metropolis regarded extra just like the facet that has gained the previous 4 titles than the one which has laboured by most of this marketing campaign.
Actually for a day their defensive issues – with Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake all lacking – have been put apart as Marmoush took centre stage. The Egypt worldwide regarded the antidote to Metropolis’s struggles as he made his mark in spectacular trend.
His opener got here after 19 minutes as he latched onto an extended ball from Ederson, the ball bouncing invitingly over Kieran Trippier’s head. With Martin Dubravka off his line, it sat up completely for Marmoush to lob into the unguarded internet. Remarkably it was Ederson’s sixth Premier League help – a brand new report within the competitors for a goalkeeper – and his third this season.
Marmoush doubled the lead 5 minutes later, this time after a driving run from Ilkay Gundogan. Trippier was once more the defender caught out as Marmoush reduce inside and drilled a shot into the underside nook from the sting of the field. And his hat-trick got here when the difficult Savinho weaved his approach into the world on the fitting and reduce for him to sidefoot dwelling.
McAtee, who got here on for Foden on the similar time, quickly made his mark as he turned in from a Haaland flick-on, earlier than the Norwegian – who had captained Metropolis from the beginning for the primary time – suffered the damage that may have Metropolis involved earlier than midweek.
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