It came from a lovely combination down the City left between Grealish and Josko Gvardiol: Grealish flipped a perfectly dinked instant pass into Gvardiol’s path, he chested the ball to Haaland, who zinged it across Thibaut Courtois into the far corner, finding just the right empty spot, and doing so against a goalkeeper who looms up like the Angel of the North in these one-on-ones.
This would provide its own point of interest, because for City the other significant element was that Erling Haaland still managed to have a brilliant game, surely his best for City given the stage and the opposition.
In practice City attacked at speed when they had the chance, often with direct forward passes to Haaland, with a clear sense that unleashing that startling running power really would be the best way to hurt Madrid.
Even Total Haaland cannot stop Manchester City’s continuing nightmare | Barney Ronay Pep Guardiola had a plan with his Norwegian striker at the centre, but it was no match for Carlo Ancelotti’s aura.
And half an hour later, as Jude Bellingham scored to make it 3-2 to Madrid, City’s hopes of making the post‑playoff second knockout phase of this competition had narrowed to a fine point.
