Erling Haaland scored twice as Manchester City beat Porto 2-0 in the first round of the Champions League league phase, taking his record in the competition to 59 goals in 59 games. The brace also made him the third-highest scorer in Manchester City’s history.
Speaking on CBS Sports after the match, Jamie Carragher said he could not see Haaland failing to reach 1,000 career goals. The Sun reported his comments.
Carragher’s prediction
Carragher said: “I completely cannot see Haaland not scoring 1,000 goals, or not becoming the greatest scorer in history. I have never seen goals and numbers like his, and he scores in almost every game.”
He added: “But because he always does it, it doesn’t feel that extraordinary. He just scored two goals away in the Champions League. For any other striker that would be a brilliant night. For him it feels like a normal night.”
Since joining Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund, Haaland has scored 167 goals in 203 appearances. His total across club and international football stands at 366 goals.
To reach 1,000 goals, Haaland would need 634 more. If he plays for another ten years, that works out at an average of 63.4 goals per season. Cristiano Ronaldo, aged 41, leads the all-time scoring charts with 978 career goals, with Lionel Messi, aged 39, second on 927.
Guehi incident sparks debate
The match was not without controversy. In the 40th minute, Manchester City defender Marc Guehi caught Porto midfielder Gabri Veiga with his elbow during a challenge. Referee Szymon Marciniak gave no punishment, according to The Sun.
Fans reacted on social media. One wrote that Guehi had “taken out” Veiga. Another called it “getting away with murder.” A third said Guehi had been “very lucky” given how dangerous the challenge looked.
Former Chelsea and Everton player Pat Nevin defended Guehi on the BBC’s post-match programme. He said: “Where do you put your arms? If you are going up for a header and the other player is lower, you cannot make your arm disappear. The only thing they can stand by is that Marc Guehi’s movement was a little reckless. The referee has been completely correct so far.”
Veiga received treatment for several minutes before continuing. After the half-time whistle, a confrontation broke out in the tunnel between players and staff from both clubs. Amazon Prime reporter Gabriel Clarke described it on television: “The Veiga-Guehi clash sparked fury, with pushing, arguing and bad behaviour continuing into the tunnel as players went in at half-time. Security from both clubs separated them.”
