Manchester City and Erling Haaland have received the wake-up call they didn't know they needed ahead of their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid.
The Norwegian scoring machine has barely made a mistake this season. But against Leeds on Saturday, he allowed himself a moment of indulgence and nearly backfired on the reigning Premier League champions.
Taking a 2-0 lead at the Etihad Stadium, Haaland missed his chance to score a late penalty by handing the task to Ilkay Gundogan, who was about to score a hat trick.
Gundogan hit the post and Leeds scored a minute later to set up a nasty finish in a game that City dominated. City won 2-1, but against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, such poor judgment could cost them much more.
An annoyed Pep Guardiola has ensured that Man City has learned its lesson.
"Erling is the best penalty taker at the moment so he has to take it," said the manager. "If Gundo scores, everyone is 'OK, hat trick, well done'. But the scorer is the one who scores. When it's 2-0, it's a business, not a situation. situation where you can't forget it."
Memories are still fresh from last season's semi-final against Madrid, when City took a two-goal lead in the 90th minute of the second leg. In a spectacular final, Madrid scored twice forcing extra time, and a 95th-minute penalty stunned City.
City seem unstoppable in their pursuit of a treble of trophies, including the Premier League and FA Cup, but perhaps things are getting too easy for Guardiola's players. Haaland has 51 goals, and Saturday's win extends his unbeaten run to 20 games in all competitions, not to mention putting the league leaders four ahead of second-placed Arsenal. point.
“Everybody is very focused knowing what we are playing for,” said Guardiola. "But at 2-0 you have to turn it off and give them nothing. If you have control, you have control.
Rodrigo's goal changed the atmosphere inside the stadium as relegation-threatened Leeds under new manager Sam Allardyce looked for an unlikely equalizer.
He didn't come but after that belated scare, Haaland certainly wouldn't have missed the penalty if someone showed up in Madrid on Tuesday.
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