Erling Haaland's double propels treble-winners Man City to victory over Yokohama F. Marinos
Erling Haaland scores twice as Manchester City beats Yokohama F. Marinos.
In an exciting clash during Manchester City's Asia tour, Erling Haaland shone as he scored two goals to lead his team to a remarkable comeback victory over Yokohama F. Marinos. The match took place in Tokyo, and it was captained by Kyle Walker, who is currently being targeted by Bayern Munich for a potential transfer.
The game started off in favor of the Japanese title holders, as they took a 2-0 lead with goals from Anderson Lopes and Ken Matsubara. F. Marinos, currently placed second in their league, showed their strength and determination.
However, Manchester City quickly turned the tide with John Stones finding the back of the net from inside the box. Julian Alvarez played a crucial role in the goal, providing a cutback pass from Walker, who was leading the team on that day. Alvarez then scored a rapid second goal, taking advantage of a poor pass from F. Marinos.
At halftime, Pep Guardiola made wholesale changes, replacing all 10 outfield players. This decision proved to be a turning point for City as they took control of the game in the second half. Within seven minutes of the restart, Haaland displayed his clinical finishing ability by scoring a goal with a turn, bringing the score to 3-2. Rodri, the hero of the Champions League final, added a fourth goal with a beautiful curling shot.
F. Marinos managed to pull one back through Kenta Inoue, but Haaland had the final say as he tapped in another goal from a cross by Joao Cancelo, securing City's two-goal advantage.
The match also marked Mateo Kovacic's debut for Manchester City, as he joined the team from their sister club. Kovacic formed a formidable midfield alongside James McAtee and Kalvin Phillips. However, all eyes were on Walker, whose inclusion in the starting lineup raised eyebrows due to his potential move to Bayern Munich.
Talks between the two clubs are set to take place in Japan in the coming days, with Bayern looking to secure Walker's services for a fee of £13m. Walker has expressed his interest in joining the Bundesliga, where he is expected to be offered a two-year contract with the option for an additional year.
Manchester City's next match will be against Bayern at the Japan National Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 11:30 AM UK time. After that, they will travel to Seoul, South Korea, to face Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Comments on Erling Haaland's double propels treble-winners Man City to victory over Yokohama F. Marinos