Haaland Left Frustrated from the Bernabéu and Pointed Out the Culprit: “It’s Tough…”

One of Manchester City’s main assets is Erling Haaland. However, the ‘9’ experienced a similar disappointment to last year’s semifinals.

Erling Haaland is one of the least talked-about names right now. The Norwegian striker is one of the most sought-after and feared players in European football: his goal-scoring ability is unmatched by almost anyone. But his visit to the Santiago Bernabéu didn’t go as expected. In fact, he was hardly involved.

Once again, Pep Guardiola failed to involve his ‘9’ in the offensive production. Haaland himself knows it and left the Bernabéu stadium very angry with himself for his below-par performance: it fell short of his expectations. But he found the one responsible for his limited impact today, despite being on the field throughout the game.

What held Erling Haaland back at the Santiago Bernabéu, once again, was Antonio Rüdiger. The German ’22’ replicated his tireless marking of the Norwegian striker from last season, preventing him from posing a threat to Andriy Lunin’s goal. There were many occasions when the German defender won their duels… and ended up being cheered by the Madridista fans.

Impossible to Beat Haaland couldn’t believe it: “It’s impossible with this guy, it’s tough.” It has happened twice in a row now: during last year’s semifinals, he faced a similar situation that he hasn’t been able to correct from one season to another. But everything could change in the return leg, a match that Rüdiger seems unlikely to miss this time.

The European center-back is a sure bet for Real Madrid. Ancelotti has two alternatives to partner with Rüdiger in central defense, Militão or Nacho, as Tchouaméni will miss the game due to accumulated yellow cards. While the coach from Reggiolo evaluates who should accompany Rüdiger in defense, Haaland is already thinking about how to get rid of him for the match on Wednesday, April 17th.