Pep Guardiola says people want Erling Haaland to fail as he came to the defense of his striker following Manchester City’s win against Young Boys.
The Norwegian had eight shots with five on target against Young Boys but he left the match with two more goals in a pretty routine 3-1 win for Manchester City.
City took the lead with a scrappy goal by Manuel Akanji early in the second half, following a disjointed first period on the astroturf pitch.
However, Meschak Elia skillfully chipped the ball over Ederson to bring Young Boys level.
City got their noses back in front in the 67th minute when Haaland put plenty of power behind his penalty that narrowly slipped through the goalkeeper’s hands.
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In the 86th minute the striker sealed the victory with a with a fine, top-corner finish.
“People expect he has to score four goals. People want him to fail,” Guardiola said after the game when asked about the missed chances rather than the goals.
“I’m sorry, he will score goals all his life,” Pep added.
Haaland found the back of the net for the first time in six European matches for City, with his penalty marking his first goal of the season in the Champions League.
Despite registering 11 goals and two assists in 13 games this season, Haaland’s current performance is not as prolific as last season’s.
However, Guardiola remains adamant that the striker’s overall contributions to the team are always improving.
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Following his defense of the striker from external criticism, Guardiola emphasized that he doesn’t assess Haaland solely based on goals even if others do so.
“I told him many times I don’t judge him to score goals, I know you want to score but he is involved in the last games, he is participating more in the process. I don’t want him to stay in the box just and score a goal,” Guardiola said.
In their next fixture, the treble winners will be up against their bitter rivals, Manchester United at Old Trafford in a Premier League clash on Sunday.
