Manchester City, the reigning champions of the English League Cup, advanced to the quarterfinals following a dramatic match that ended 2-2 in regulation time. The team triumphed 4-3 in the penalty shootout.
Head coach Enzo Maresca opted to rest several key players, including striker Erling Haaland. After the game at Etihad Stadium, Haaland joined his teammates on the pitch to celebrate, capturing everyone’s attention.
Haaland’s Unique Celebration on the Pitch
Dressed in a long coat and wearing a hat, the Norwegian danced on the pitch to commemorate Manchester City’s qualification for the quarterfinals of the League Cup. He acknowledged goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, who made crucial saves to keep City in the game.
After playing the full match in the Premier League defeat against Aston Villa, where City lost 1-2, Haaland was granted three days off to recuperate. This short break was intended to help him regain his energy before returning to full capacity for upcoming matches.
He is expected to be back in the squad for Saturday’s Premier League match against the same opponents, Brighton.
At the end of the match, Maresca expressed satisfaction with the outcome, noting that the team had not practiced penalties prior to the game. He praised goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli and showed support for Mateo Kovacic, who scored during regulation but missed in the shootout.
“To be honest, since I’ve been here, we’ve never practiced penalties. We’re very pleased with the five, including Mateo. It often happens: the one who scores in the 90 minutes misses the penalty. Aside from the penalties, Geronimo was good. I was happy with how we prepared for the match, with the rotation.” – Enzo Maresca, Manchester City Manager
Manchester City’s next challenge will be against Bradford City, a team from League 3 that has been performing impressively in the current competition after defeating Peterborough 2-0.
Complete Line-up for League Cup Quarterfinal Matches
Fleetwood Town – Everton/Newcastle United
Manchester City – Bradford City
Crystal Palace – Sunderland
Liverpool – Bournemouth
