- Haaland's goal sparked controversy, with Real Madrid players and supporters insisting it should have been called offside.
- A lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) review took place to determine if Haaland was in front of the ball when it was released.
- The city will face Real Madrid in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League, where they will need to reverse the current score to continue competing.
International Champions League giants secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over English Premier League giants Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the first leg of their knockout phase playoff on February 11, 2025.
The match was extremely exciting, with both teams demonstrating top-class football. Pep Guardiola's team scored first in the 19th minute, thanks to Erling Haaland's first goal against Madrid.
Why Haaland's goal versus Real Madrid stood despite offside claims.
Sportbible reported that Haaland's first goal for Manchester City against Real Madrid triggered a lengthy VAR review, which lasted nearly four minutes, due to controversy over whether Haaland was ahead of the ball when Gudmundsson passed it to him.
According to the offside rule, a player is considered offside if any part of their body is closer to the opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last defender when the ball is played. In this case, VAR verified that Haaland was in line with or behind the ball when Gvardiol played it, thus keeping him onside and validating the goal.
Why did VAR take so long to review Haaland's goal against Real?
Haaland's 19th-minute goal was subject to a lengthy VAR review, which led to a near five-minute delay before the officials finally confirmed the decision.
The extended review was caused by worries about a possible offside position. Despite the application of semi-automated offside technology, the decision-making process was notably slow.
Following a thorough review, officials concluded that only Haaland's hand was ahead, which does not constitute an offside offense, as a player cannot score with their hand. Consequently, the goal was permitted to stand.
City Pulls Off Stunning Comeback Win
Real found their equalizer in the 60th minute with Kylian Mbappé capitalizing on a rebound from a free kick, skillfully lifting the ball over Ederson.
with a decisive finish.
What's in store for Manchester City?
This outcome puts the Premier League powerhouses in a difficult situation ahead of the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, where they must reverse the deficit to remain in the competition.
Why City can still win it all.
This article previously discussed three potential reasons why Guardiola's team may be able to eliminate Ancelotti's team from the UEFA Champions League.
One of the reasons is Real's defense is severely weakened due to injuries, with Antonio Rüdiger, Éder Militão, David Alaba, and Dani Carvajal all set to miss the first leg of the tie.