Erling Haaland returned to his best levels by scoring five goals, leading Manchester City to beat Luton Town 6-2 at Kenilworth Road, to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Tuesday.
Published on: 02/28/2024 – 00:51
3 minutes
Continue Manchester City The campaign to defend his title, and maintained his chances by trying to repeat last season’s achievement, by reaching the quarter-finals of the competition. England Football Cupwith a great victory over its host Luton Town 6-2 on Tuesday, thanks to a five-pointer by Norwegian Erling Haaland, and passes by Belgian Kevin De Bruyne.
City hopes to repeat last season’s achievement, when it won the domestic league and cup treble and the Champions League competition, while the League Cup title escaped it as it did this season, as its campaign ended in the third round at the hands of Newcastle United.
Despite the difficult tests awaiting his team, the first of which was Sunday in the league against arch-neighbor Manchester United before facing Copenhagen in the second leg of the Champions League final (they won the first leg away from home 3-1), and then Liverpool, the leaders in the 28th round of the Premier League, the coach decided Spaniard Pep Guardiola starts the match with Haaland, De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Portuguese Bernardo Silva.
City did not wait long to open the scoring through Haaland after a cross pass from De Bruyne (3), then the Norwegian quickly added the second goal of the match with another pass from De Bruyne, this time a wonderful through ball in the back of the defenders (18).
After a series of missed opportunities, Haaland struck again and added the third before the end of the first half, following a quick counterattack and after another through pass from De Bruyne (40).
Some life returned to Luton thanks to a wonderful goal from a long arc shot by Jordan Clark, who deposited the ball into the upper left corner of the goal of German goalkeeper Stefan Ortega (45).
The stands erupted at the beginning of the second half, when Luton took advantage of an error in clearing the ball from goalkeeper Ortega, to reduce the difference through Clark as well, after a pass from Ross Barkley (52), but after a perfect through pass from Kyle Walker to De Bruyne, the latter sent the ball. To Haaland to score his fourth goal in the match (55).
The Norwegian continued his festival and added his twenty-fifth in 30 matches this season in all competitions, but this time with a pass from Bernardo Silva (58).
This is the second time that Haaland has scored five goals in City colours, after the first last season against German Leipzig (7-0) in the second leg of the Champions League final.
Croatian Mateo Kovacic added the sixth with a shot from outside the area, after a pass from John Stones (72), before Haaland left his place on the field to Argentine Julián Alvarez as part of four substitutions made by Guardiola at once 13 minutes before the end, which also included Bernardo Silva.
Also, Newcastle qualified for the quarter-finals by defeating Blackburn Rovers from the second level on penalties (4-3), after the original and extra time ended in a 1-1 draw.
Leicester City followed suit by beating Bournemouth 1-0 after extra time.
France 24/AFP
2024-02-27 23:51:00
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