Haaland makes history, but Manchester City’s collapse steals the spotlight

A dramatic comeback by Feyenoord in the final minutes turned the tables on Manchester City's 3-0 lead-the latter with another great performance from Erling Haaland-in Tuesday's match in the fifth round of the Champions League league stage. The result brought several critical questions to Pep Guardiola's team. The result not only exposed City's defensive vulnerabilities but also marked their sixth consecutive winless game - the worst streak of Guardiola's managerial career.

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A promising start, disappointing end

Manchester City took to the Etihad Stadium with a complete domination of the game from the first minutes. Pep Guardiola trusted in a dynamic midfield, consisting of Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes, and Phil Foden, in charge of the rhythm. In the early minutes of the match, City made several shots at the goal, with Foden, Gundogan, and even the recently recovered Jack Grealish shooting at Timon Wellenreuther's goal.

It wasn't until the 44 that City turned their dominance into a lead; Erling Haaland was brought down inside the box and then converted the penalty, while achieving a historic milestone by being the fastest to 50 goals in Champions League history, reaching this figure in just 44 matches.

The dominance of City continued in the second half. Gundogan doubled the lead in the 49th minute, slotting in a rebound from a corner, and Haaland added his second in the 53rd minute, finishing a perfect cross from Nunes. The game was seemingly headed towards a routine win for the hosts at 3-0, but soon the tide changed. A drop in performance and defensive collapse

Until the 75th minute, Feyenoord had not looked like causing too much trouble, but space opened up as City's defense started to fail them. One goal came from a defensive mistake by Gvardiol as Anis Hadj Moussa pulled one back, another from a deflected cross tapped in by Santiago Gimenez. The pressure culminated in an equalizer from David Hancko in the 89th minute, the crucial assist provided by Igor Paixão.

City pushed for a late winner, but a Grealish strike hit the post in stoppage time. The full-time whistle was greeted by frustration from both the players and supporters.

Guardiola: thoughts and challenges

Pep Guardiola, who demands excellence and tactical finesse from his team, seems to be in uncharted territory. After the match, he conceded, "It's hard to swallow. We played well, scored three goals, and could've scored more. But we're not stable enough. That needs to change."

Manchester City is in an unusual position, with a now six-match winless streak including the 4-0 loss to Tottenham in the Premier League. Thus, the Achilles heel was in the defense as 17 goals were conceded across the aforementioned games. Despite everything, Guardiola renewed his contract for two more years in recent times, which also points to the fact that even the club believes in the coach to turn things around in the right manner.

Erling Haaland: the shining light in the shadows

Amid all the chaos, Erling Haaland continues to shine. The Norwegian forward broke personal records and remains the standout performer for the team. By reaching 50 goals in the Champions League quicker than legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Haaland further cemented his status as one of the game's elite forwards.

Haaland was one of the few bright spots in this match, displaying composure in converting his penalty and sharp instincts to score City's third goal. Yet even his brilliance couldn't compensate for the team's defensive frailties.

Feyenoord's resilience on the road

While City grapple with the challenges, Feyenoord showed their sparkling form from the Champions League. In this draw, the Dutch side extended their unbeaten away record in the competition, having previously beaten Girona and Benfica. Under Igor Paixão, Feyenoord capitalized on the lapses within City's backline and showed they can stand against European big guns.