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Haaland’s brace not enough as Manchester City surrender three-goal lead to draw 3-3 at the Etihad Stadium.
City’s dreams of bouncing back from a disastrous losing streak were dashed on Tuesday night, as they threw away a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Dutch side Feyenoord in their latest Champions League clash.
The match, which had looked like a certain victory for Pep Guardiola’s men, ended in heartbreak as defensive errors in the final 15 minutes allowed Feyenoord to secure a dramatic draw.
Erling Haaland’s brace and Ilkay Gündogan’s goal had City in the driver’s seat at 3-0, with fans at the Etihad Stadium looking forward to a much-needed win to lift spirits after five consecutive defeats across all competitions.
However, disaster struck as Feyenoord capitalized on two costly mistakes in the defense, starting with a goal in the 75th minute, followed by two more strikes in quick succession to level the score.
City’s Shaky Defense Exposed
The evening started brightly for the hosts. Haaland opened the scoring just before halftime with a penalty, and Gündogan doubled the lead in the 50th minute with a deflected long-range effort.
Haaland completed his brace three minutes later with a tap-in from Matheus Nunes’ cross, making it 3-0 and seemingly putting the game beyond Feyenoord’s reach.
However, the visitors had other plans. Anis Hadj Moussa capitalized on a poor back-pass from Josko Gvardiol to pull one back in the 75th minute.
Just seven minutes later, Feyenoord’s Santiago Giménez seized on another Gvardiol mistake to level the score at 3-3.
The final blow came in the 89th minute when Dávid Hancko headed in a cross from Igor Paixão, sending Guardiola into a visible state of frustration on the sideline.
The draw leaves City in 15th place in the Champions League standings with just eight points from five games, and their defensive fragility continues to be a major concern.
The team has now conceded two or more goals in six consecutive matches for the first time since 1963—when City were relegated from the premier league.
City will now face a crucial test this Sunday, when they visit Premier League leaders Liverpool.
A defeat could see them fall 11 points behind Jurgen Klopp’s side, further deepening the crisis.
Arsenal Thrash Sporting CP 5-1 in Lisbon
In other Champions League action, Arsenal continued their fine form with a stunning 5-1 victory over Sporting CP in Lisbon.
The Gunners, led by Bukayo Saka, overwhelmed their Portuguese hosts with a dominant performance, recording their biggest away win in the competition in 21 years.
Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring early, and goals from Kai Havertz and Gabriel put Arsenal 3-0 up at halftime.
Goncalo Inacio pulled one back for Sporting, but Saka restored the visitors’ advantage with a penalty, and Leandro Trossard added a fifth late on to complete the rout.
Arsenal now sit in 7th place in the Champions League standings, above Sporting on goal difference, and will be looking to maintain their momentum after recent back-to-back wins.
Bayern Edge PSG 1-0 in Tight Encounter
Bayern Munich also claimed a crucial 1-0 victory over 10-man Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League clash.
Kim Min-Jae’s first-half header proved to be the difference in a hard-fought match, with PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé sent off just after the hour mark.
Bayern’s win lifts them to 11th place in the standings, while PSG remains in 26th, facing an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages with just four points from five matches.
