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Erling Haaland got here off with an obvious knee damage in Manchester Metropolis’s 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle United on Saturday at hand Pep Guardiola a priority forward of their Champions League journey to Actual Madrid subsequent week.
Haaland went down grimacing and clutching his proper leg within the closing minutes of the match and was changed by Matheus Nunez. It was the one adverse observe on a formidable efficiency by the hosts, by which Egyptian ahead Omar Marmoush scored a first-half hat-trick earlier than substitute James McAtee added a late fourth.
Metropolis go to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday needing to overturn a 3-2 defeat on the Etihad Stadium so as to keep within the Champions League.
However Guardiola appeared assured when requested concerning the damage. “When he was down, everybody was scared however he acquired up and walked smiling like all the time,” the supervisor stated. “I didn’t converse to him or the medical doctors however the medical doctors didn’t include unhealthy information so hopefully he’s positive.”
Marmoush’s objectives had been his first for Metropolis in his fifth look and lifted spirits forward of the daunting journey. Right here, Metropolis appeared extra just like the facet that has received the previous 4 titles than the one which has laboured by way of most of this marketing campaign.
Actually for a day their defensive issues – with Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake all lacking – had been put apart as Marmoush took centre stage. The Egypt worldwide appeared the antidote to Metropolis’s struggles as he made his mark in spectacular trend.
His opener got here after 19 minutes as he latched onto a protracted ball from Ederson, the ball bouncing invitingly over Kieran Trippier’s head. With Martin Dubravka off his line, it sat up completely for Marmoush to lob into the unguarded web. Remarkably it was Ederson’s sixth Premier League help – a brand new report within the competitors for a goalkeeper – and his third this season.
Marmoush doubled the lead 5 minutes later, this time after a driving run from Ilkay Gundogan. Trippier was once more the defender caught out as Marmoush minimize inside and drilled a shot into the underside nook from the sting of the field. And his hat-trick got here when the tough Savinho weaved his manner into the realm on the proper and in the reduction of for him to sidefoot dwelling.
McAtee, who got here on for Foden on the similar time, quickly made his mark as he turned in from a Haaland flick-on, earlier than the Norwegian – who had captained Metropolis from the beginning for the primary time – suffered the damage that can have Metropolis involved earlier than midweek.
