Manchester City secures comeback victory but fears Haaland injury

Manchester City cried over a monster's injury despite a dramatic comeback victory.

The British 'Telegraph' reported on the 31st (Korea time) that "Haaland left on crutches wearing protective footwear, raising concerns that he may be in danger for the remainder of the season. His condition looks very questionable. Manchester City is anxiously awaiting the results of the examination."

Manchester City achieved a 2-1 comeback victory over Bournemouth in the quarterfinals of the 2024-2025 FA Cup, held in the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, England, on the same day. With this advancement to the semifinals, Manchester City continues to hold on to its last hope for a title this season.

It was not an easy victory. This was because Haaland missed crucial opportunities at the beginning of the game. He failed to convert a penalty in the 14th minute. Two minutes later, he faced the goalkeeper one-on-one but shot over the goal.

Manchester City, having missed chances, conceded the opening goal to Evaniusong in the 21st minute. A pass miss in the defensive sector was exploited, leading to the goal. Justin Klavivert's shot from a cross that came from the right deflected towards the goal, which was pushed in by Evaniusong as he rushed in.

However, the final winner was Manchester City. Coach Pep Guardiola's gamble paid off. He made a change by substituting center-back Abdulkodir Husanov with 2005-born midfielder prospect Nico O'Riley right at the start of the second half.

The O'Riley effect appeared immediately. In the 5th minute of the second half, O'Riley received a through pass from Kevin De Bruyne, penetrated into the left side of the box, and delivered a perfect ground cross to the opposite side. Haaland, who surged in, calmly finished to level the score at 1-1. It was a goal that redeemed his earlier struggles in the first half.

In the 12th minute of the second half, a bad situation arose when Haaland collapsed due to injury. He sustained an ankle injury during a contest for the ball and signaled to the bench for a substitution. Eventually, Omar Marmoush came on in his place.

Manchester City scored a turnaround goal. Once again, the goal started from O'Riley's feet. In the 19th minute of the second half, O'Riley maintained possession near the arc and delivered a clever left-footed pass. Marmoush, who received the ball, penetrated the goalkeeper's defense with a right-footed shot, making the score 2-1. The game concluded with Manchester City’s victory.

With this, Manchester City managed to avoid the certainty of a title-free season. However, they could not fully rejoice as Haaland collapsed due to injury. Having already been eliminated from the EFL Cup and UEFA Champions League, and with their fifth-place spot in the Premier League precarious, Manchester City truly faces a crisis.

After the match, Haaland was seen exiting the field wearing protective footwear on his left foot and using crutches. With a stiff expression, he moved on without showing any particular reaction to fans calling his name.

Meanwhile, the extent of Haaland's injury is unknown. Guardiola briefly stated, "It seems we'll need to wait for the examination to know the condition of Haaland's body," and added, "Seeing the comeback victory, our team's winning mentality has revived. I worked to regain this. The spirit and passion of Manchester City have returned."

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