Erling Haaland’s Quiet Game in Man City’s Draw vs. RB Leipzig in UCL Frustrates Fans

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Erling Haaland was supposed to be the final piece in Manchester City’s quest to taste European glory. He was anything but Wednesday as the club drew 1-1 with RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League.

Riyad Mahrez put City ahead with a goal in the 27th minute, but the reigning English champions couldn’t press their advantage. That allowed Joško Gvardiol to equalize in the 70th minute.

Manchester City was held to just three shots on target despite maintaining 74 percent of possession. A lot of that had to do with Haaland being totally anonymous across the 90 minutes.

Gvardiol did a good job of marking the star striker, and Kevin De Bruyne’s absence was sorely felt as Pep Guardiola’s squad struggled to create chances.

Despite Haaland’s prolific haul already this season, the extent to which he and Manchester City have a mutually beneficial partnership is increasingly under debate. This kind of result will provide ammunition for the skeptics.

You expect things to almost iron themselves on their own. Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world, and Haaland is perhaps the most lethal pure finisher anywhere.

The 22-year-old is also the kind of player who doesn’t need a lot of service to find his groove on the pitch. He can register little impact for long stretches before he makes one or two touches that totally change a game.

Manchester City will host the return fixture on March 14. You still expect City to advance, but the door is firmly open for Leipzig to pull off the upset.