Inter Milan showed the world how to keep Manchester City goalscorer Erling Haaland at bay, despite him being in frightening form at the start of the season.
Simone Inzaghi’s side did so with plenty of other City players as they frustrated them in the 0-0 draw between both sides in the Champions League.
Jamie Carragher labelled Haaland’s performance “quiet” as he failed to well and truly test Yann Sommer on Wednesday night.
The 24-year-old also missed out on the chance to beat Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of becoming the fastest player to score 100 goals (in 105 games for Real Madrid) as he did not score in his 104th game for Manchester City.
The £375,000-a-week striker could equal Ronaldo’s record if he gets on the scoresheet against Arsenal — something he has done in two of his four outings against them in the Premier League.
Haaland will perhaps primarily be upset about City not getting over the line against Inter Milan.
Guardiola explains Man City superstar’s struggles against Inter Milan
Being the serial winner he is, another one of the Norwegian’s primary focuses will also be on why he could not score a goal against the Italian giants.
In his two games against Inter Milan, the Leeds-born phenomenon is yet to put the ball in the back of the net.
The Serie A champions are one of the few teams in world football Haaland has not scored against during his time at the Etihad Stadium.
Heading into the contest, the former Borussia Dortmund poster-boy would have been hoping to score after failing to do so in the Champions League final.
Simone Inzaghi will be satisfied that his masterplan to restrict the two-time Premier League winner worked to a tee.
After the contest, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola broke down why Haaland was shut out by Inter Milan.
Guardiola said, as quoted by journalist Simon Bajkowski: “There were six players around him. Six. Three behind, three in front. That’s how they kept him out of the game.”
Pep Guardiola sums up how Inter Milan kept Erling Haaland quiet perfectly
Unlike the teams which have come up against Haaland in the Premier League this season, as Pep Guardiola explained, Inter Milan did not give him any space to exploit.
The visitors’ defence stuck to Inzaghi’s plan and were resolute.
Furthermore, the likes of Alessandro Bastoni, Franco Acerbi and Yann Bisseck all had brilliant games.
Haaland did not give any breathing space inside Inter Milan’s box to cause any problems.
Pep Guardiola will return to the drawing board to eke out how to ensure his talismanic frontman is not marked out of such high-profile fixtures.
