Pep Guardiola’s message to Haaland after being shut by Real Madrid
Pep Guardiola has assured Real Madrid that they will see a different Erland Haaland in Wednesday’s second leg of the Champions League semifinal.
Haaland endured a difficult evening at the Bernabeu, as former Chelsea defender and German national Antonio Rudiger won their match. The 51-goal Norwegian striker had the fewest touches of any Madrid starting player, including goalkeepers Ederson and Thibaut Courtois.
Ederson even outscored Haaland in passing statistics, 19 to 13, whereas Haaland, the newly crowned Footballer of the Year, tallied only 13. Haaland, however, has made The Etihad his playground, netting 35 of his 51 goals at home.
Guardiola is hopeful that Haaland will prosper back on familiar turf and with improved support from his teammates in the second leg, which is tied 1-1 after the first match.
“Thus, we congratulate Rudiger. Erling, who is 22 years old, is playing in the Champions League semifinals for the first time in his career.
“For the first time to go to the Bernabeu, one of the biggest stages, Real Madrid are a world-class club with good defenders, good midfielders, and good strikers, and the next time will be a bit simpler.
“Perhaps it will be simpler for him if the team is able to perform marginally better in certain departments on Wednesday.
“In the end, it is what we are attempting to accomplish, but he fought hard and demonstrated extraordinary dedication to what he had to do. I am confident he will be ready for Sunday’s match against Everton and the subsequent fixtures.”
So too will Kyle Walker, whether or not he appears in tomorrow’s title-deciding match at Goodison Park.
The 33-year-old England right back has been an integral part of City’s trophy-winning success, but he has appeared in only 32 of the club’s 54 games this season. Guardiola praised the tenacity of his swift defender after he was benched for both legs of the quarterfinal against Bayern Munich.
Why shouldn’t he be prepared? It is irrelevant whether he plays or not. They are present, receiving excellent care, and will be available when the team requires them.
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“Kyle exemplifies that. He is aware of the reason why he didn’t play for a portion of the season, as we discussed it numerous times and he is aware that it was due to tactical decisions alone.This is the only reason why he is such an essential player for us, despite the fact that he is a very important player for us.
“No participant has a problem with ‘I don’t like you’ or something comparable. Sometimes I require more defenders, sometimes we require improved buildups, and sometimes I require specific items.
“In the FA Cup semi-final, we played Sergio Gomez, who hadn’t played much, because we required a player in that position due to the way Sheffield United defend. It relates to these types of situations the majority of the time, and I am very delighted that Kyle is always prepared.”
Pep Guardiola’s message to Haaland after being shut by Real Madrid