Erling Haaland Net His 50th Champions League Goal As Manchester City Defeat 10-Men Napoli At Etihad

Published

8 months ago

September 19, 2025

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Erling Haaland Net His 50th Champions League Goal As Manchester City Defeat 10-Men Napoli At Etihad—-Erling Haaland scored a record-breaking goal as Pep Guardiola’s side kicked off their Champions League campaign with a dominant 2-0 victory over 10-men Napoli on Thursday.

The Norwegian forward became the quickest player in Champions League history to hit 50 goals in what was his 49th appearance in Europe’s elite competition when he cleverly headed home Phil Foden’s perfectly-placed flick in the 56th minute.

Belgian forward Doku doubled City’s lead in the 65th when he turned quickly and darted past two defenders before slotting the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic from a tight angle.

Serie A leaders Napoli were reduced to 10 men in the 21st minute when captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo was shown a straight red card for his last-ditch tackle on Haaland.

That spoiled the return of former longtime City captain Kevin De Bruyne, whose night was cut short after 25 minutes as Antonio Conte shuffled his team to adjust for the sending off.

City had the ball glued to their feet for most of the night and attacked in waves as Conte’s men defended for their lives and Milinkovic-Savic was kept on his toes with City taking 23 shots to Napoli’s one.

Guardiola summed up City’s night by saying: “A really, really good performance against a team, the culture, the DNA of the Italian teams, how they are able to stay when 10 men, defend every ball, defend every block, and defend the shots, the crosses, how aggressive they are, how strong their mentality.”

HAALAND FASTEST TO 50 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GOALS

One of City’s best chances resulted in a diving save on the line from Milinkovic-Savic to prevent a near own-goal from Matteo Politano seconds before halftime.

Haaland had a couple of near-misses before his record-breaking goal. He smashed the previous mark of 50 goals in 62 games by former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2007.

“Erling is always going to make that run,” said Foden. “It’s just about getting that connection. He seems to break every record going. It’s unheard of what he’s doing. What an unbelievable player.”

Haaland, who was not at his best last season, already has 12 goals in seven games for club and country so far this season.

The 34-year-old De Bruyne, who won 16 trophies in a glittering decade at City before leaving for Italy when his contract expired in June, received a warm reception from the Etihad crowd. Banners dotted the stadium including a huge one that read: “King Kev, once a Blue, always a Blue.”

The fans chanted his name in the game’s dying seconds, and he did a lap of the pitch after the final whistle to thank them.

Conte said taking De Bruyne off early was “the only substitution that I could do, honestly.

“I was really sorry for him because it was a game against his old team, but Kevin understood very well. I had only this decision.”

Conte lamented the early red card, saying “It is already difficult against City 11 v 11, and then after 20 minutes, it was impossible.

“With 10 men, defensively, we were really good. We are talking about Man City, a fantastic team. I go back to Italy with the mentality of the team, which I liked as they suffered together.”

City, 2023 Champions League winners, are aiming to finish in the top eight in the league phase and clinch an automatic last-16 spot to avoid a two-legged knockout playoff after they were eliminated by Real Madrid in the playoffs last season.

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Anfield Showdown Brewing as Enzo Fernandez vs Dominik Szoboszlai Comparison Heats Up

Published

4 days ago

May 8, 2026

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Anfield Showdown Brewing as Enzo Fernandez vs Dominik Szoboszlai Comparison Heats Up—-A fierce online debate has erupted ahead of the Premier League clash between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC, with fans comparing the performances of Enzo Fernández and Dominik Szoboszlai.

The discussion gained traction after a stats graphic shared by Premier League India asked fans to pick between the two midfielders ahead of the highly anticipated encounter at Anfield.

Both players have made 33 Premier League appearances this season, but the numbers reveal contrasting strengths in their games.

Szoboszlai has registered six goals and five assists for Liverpool, highlighting his attacking influence and ability to contribute in the final third during the Reds’ European football qualification.

Enzo, meanwhile, has recorded eight goals and three assists for Chelsea while also dominating creatively with an impressive 24 through balls compared to Szoboszlai’s six.

The midfield battle appears even tighter defensively and physically, with Enzo narrowly edging duels won at 125 compared to Szoboszlai’s 124.

Enzo Fernandez vs Dominik Szoboszlai Stats

The comparison has sparked heated reactions across social media, with Chelsea fans pointing to Enzo’s creativity and all-round midfield control, while Liverpool supporters argue Szoboszlai’s energy, pressing, and influence in a title-challenging side give him the edge.

With both midfielders expected to play key roles when Liverpool host Chelsea, the online arguments are only adding more tension and excitement ahead of one of the weekend’s biggest fixtures.

As kickoff approaches, fans remain divided over one question: who truly has had the better season — Enzo Fernández or Dominik Szoboszlai?

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Alex Jimenez Frozen Out by Bournemouth Amid Growing Online Controversy

Published

5 days ago

May 8, 2026

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Alex Jimenez Frozen Out by Bournemouth Amid Growing Online Controversy—-AFC Bournemouth have confirmed that defender Alex Jimenez will not be part of the squad for their upcoming Premier League clash against Fulham FC following social media controversy involving the player.

In an official statement released on Friday, Bournemouth said the club is aware of posts currently circulating online concerning the right-back and has launched an investigation into the matter.

“The club understand the seriousness of the matter and it is currently being investigated,” the statement read.

As a result, Jimenez has been withdrawn from selection for the Fulham fixture while the club continues its internal review.

Bournemouth added that no further comments will be made at this stage.

The nature of the posts or allegations has not yet been publicly clarified, but the development has quickly generated attention online ahead of the club’s latest Premier League outing.

Further updates are expected as investigations continue.

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