Manchester Metropolis’s awayday blues haunted them once more as Monaco snatched a late 2-2 draw of their Champions League league part conflict via Eric Dier’s controversial late penalty.
Metropolis had been seemingly heading for a deserved victory within the dying minutes when referee Jesus Gil Manzano was despatched to the VAR monitor to overview Nico Gonzalez’s excessive boot on Dier at a free-kick, which he finally dominated a foul – with a variety of visiting backroom employees despatched off as tensions boiled over.
Even with out eager to immediately criticise the choice, Pep Guardiola took clear difficulty with the referee’s name, later telling TNT Sports activities: “We didn’t defend [the free-kick] perfectly, we conceded a penalty despite touching the ball first, it touched the opponent but touched the ball too.”
Dier stepped up from 12 yards to ship Gianluigi Donnarumma the mistaken approach, and stretch Man Metropolis’s winless away run within the event right into a second 12 months – 12 months to the day since they final received a sport on the street at Slovan Bratislava.
Even with that call, Metropolis ought to have been out of sight after twice hitting the crossbar and racking up 18 pictures with out managing so as to add to their first-half Erling Haaland double.
The large Norwegian was in tremendous kind once more to attain twice earlier than the break from simply seven touches – with one a kick-off.
A deft flick on Josko Gvardiol’s lofted cross after 14 minutes was his first contact of the evening, however the intrigue about his effectivity was shortlived when Jordan Teze rifled a tremendous 20-yard equaliser into the highest nook three minutes later.
Phil Foden hit the bar amid Metropolis’s growing domination earlier than Haaland lastly powered a header from Nico O’Reilly’s cross past Philipp Kohn for his second simply earlier than the break.
“I still think I’m involved in the game with my movements, giving space to others. It’s not only about touching the ball as to if you’re in the game or not,” he informed TNT Sports activities after the sport.
Haaland scored his second purpose with a strong header
Metropolis ought to have added to their lead with Tijjani Reijnders additionally denied by the woodwork after the interval, and Haaland spurning a tremendous likelihood for his hat-trick quickly after.
The guests appeared sure to emerge victorious however, with out managing to extend their fragile lead, had been made to pay late on when Gonzalez’s problem was punished within the harshest phrases.
Guardiola: Many issues had been in opposition to us
Man Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola to TNT Sports activities:
“I haven’t seen the stats or the chances, but I think we were much more energetic than them, sometimes that isn’t possible. Many things was against us in situations.
“Haaland performed actually good. He performs to attain targets, to have probabilities. The workforce was actually, actually good.”
On taking Rodri off after an hour: “It is step-by-step, we’ve to do this. Ninety minutes is an excessive amount of.”
Haaland: We didn’t deserve to win
Double goalscorer Erling Haaland to TNT Sports:
“I do not suppose we performed adequate. We do not need to win. We want extra power. We wanted to do extra of what we did within the first half. We dominated way more after which within the second half they took the lead way more. It is not adequate.
“I didn’t see [the penalty]. I don’t know, if you kick someone in the face I guess it’s a penalty.”
