Erling Haaland ends Champions League goal drought as City ease past Young Boys

The prolific striker took his career tally in the competition to 37 in 33 ties to move City on the brink of the knockout stages.

DROUGHT OVERl Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates. Photo credit: Zac Goodwin/PA Wire.

Young Boys 1 Manchester City 3

ERLING Haaland ended his Champions League goal drought, hammering home two second half efforts, for his first in six games, and clinching a victory that lifted Pep Guardiola’s holders to the brink of qualification for the knock-out stages,.

The prolific striker took his career tally in the competition to 37 in 33 ties, starting with a beautifully-blasted 67th minute spot kick, awarded harshly for a trip by Mohamed Camara on Rodri.

And, with the hosts pushing forward, he had space four minutes from time to switch the ball from left to right foot and curl in a simple finish from 15 yards for his second.

But, as has been the case in recent weeks, it was far from a vintage performance from last season’s treble winners in Bern.

Manuel Akanji looked like he had assured City of a comfortable second half when he marked his return to Switzerland with the opening goal just two minutes after the restart.

Rodri’s lofted ball found the head of Ruben Dias who thundered an effort against the bar, via the hand of keeper Anthony Racioppi with his brilliant save seeing the ball fall for Akanji to scramble in the rebound.

A game of largely relentless City pressure looked decided and might have been, less than two minutes later, when Haaland saw his chance from 20 yards, only to hit his effort straight at the keeper.

Racioppi responded brilliantly, rolling the ball immediately to Cheikh Niasse for a pass which sent Meschak Elia racing away from Rico Lewis. The midfielder finished with amazing cool, chipping the ball over the advancing Ederson from the edge of the City box.

The looming Manchester derby on Sunday had clearly influenced Guardiola’s team selection, especially with his team facing 90 minutes on a muscle-sapping artificial surface in Switzerland.

And when Joel Monteiro won possession and set up Filip Ugrinic for a shot, which was hit straight at Ederson after 30 seconds, the tie had the makings of a trying night for his team.

Nor did the torrential rain help, with Lewis and a number of other City stars, losing their footing at various times in the early exchanges.

But, with wingers Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku particularly threatening, it could have turned into the sort of predictably dominant European night that has become so expected since they last lost a game in the competition - the semi defeat to Real Madrid in April 2022.

The pair combined on 24 minutes, Grealish feeding Doku who brilliantly carved out space but hit his effort too close to Racioppi. And a minute earlier, Akanji had set up Haaland who could only roll his shot wide of the far post.

There was a rare break, and a shot that was again straight at the City keeper, from Cedric Itten, but it was not long before Young Boys were back under pressure, and somehow avoiding conceding the opening goal.

Grealish’s fierce left-wing cross was fumbled by Racioppi with the ricochet striking Matheus Nunes and tolling towards the home goal until Loris Benito made a goalline clearance.

Doku’s curling shot and Rodri’s effort would also be well saved by Racioppi before the break while half-chances wasted by Sandro Lauper and Itten at least gave the home side hope, heading into the interval.

The exchange of goals made way for a far more open and entertaining second half, with Cedric Itten’s swerving shot forcing Ederson into an awkward save before City regained the lead.

But Haaland showed he is still a way from the faultless best of last season, sliding in to miss a chance that would have completely finished the tie on 71 minutes.

The striker also thought he had helped City wrap it all up on 74 minutes when he set up Julian Alvarez for what looked like a third goal, only for the effort to be ruled out by VAR for a Grealish handball.

Young Boys (4-2-3-1): Racioppi 7; Blum 6 (Janko 80), Camara 8, Benito 7, Garcia 6 (Persson 80); Niasse 6, Lauper 6 (Males 80); Monteiro 7 (Ganvoula 73, 5), Ugrinic 7, Elia 8; Itten 6 (Nsame 73, 5). Substitutes (not used): Amenda, Lakomy, Colley, Chaiwa, von Ballmoos, Lustenberger, Marzino.

Man City (4-2-3-1): Ederson 6; Lewis 6, Akanji 7, Dias 7, Ake 7; Kovacic 7, Rodri 8; Doku 7 (Silva 72, 6), Nunes 6 (Alvarez 72, 7), Grealish 9; Haaland 7.

Substitutes (not used): Walker, Phillips, Stones, Ortega, Gomez, Gvardiol, Carson, Foden, Bobb, Hamilton.

Referee: M Krogh (Denmark) 6.