YOKOHAMA F.MARINOS 3-5 MAN CITY: Erling Haaland came on as a half-time substitute and made an immediate impact by scoring two goals for Pep Guardiola’s Treble winners
Erling Haaland needed just six minutes to show why he’s big in Japan.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola gave the 61,618 fans in Tokyo’s National Stadium what they had come to see by sending on the goal machine as a half-time substitute after seeing his side hit back from two goals down against the Japanese champions to go in at the break on level terms.
And last season’s 52-goal sensation needed just three touches of the ball to find the back of the net from Phil Foden ‘s raking pass. Haaland scored again in injury-time, arriving at the far post to walk home Joao Cancelo’s brilliant low cross. It certainly sent the punters home happy.
It is clear that the treble winners are winning hearts and minds on their sell-out three-game pre-season tour of East Asia. Pep Guardiola started the game with only four of the players he picked for the Champions League final last month in a team that included £30million new-boy Mateo Kovacic as well as Kalvin Phillips and academy graduates Cole Palmer and James McAtee.