Dhe English football champions Manchester City did not show any weakness in their domestic league before the Champions League second leg against FC Bayern on Wednesday (9 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Champions League and on DAZN). Coach Pep Guardiola’s team easily won 3-1 (3-0) against Leicester City, who were threatened with relegation, on Saturday and stays close to leaders Arsenal.
John Stones (5th minute) and the Norwegian star striker Erling Haaland with two goals (13th/hand penalty/25th) made everything clear for the clearly superior Cityzens in the first half. The former Dortmunder Haaland was then replaced during the half-time break. With 32 goals after 30 games, Haaland equaled the record for most Premier League goals in a season with 38 game days. He is only ahead of Andrew Cole (1993-94 season) and Alan Shearer (1994-95) with 34 goals each. However, both set their best marks in seasons with 40 match days.
Man City vs Arsenal on April 26th
After 60 minutes, Guardiola also took Kevin De Bruyne out of the game early. Man City did less as a result and let Leicester do their thing. Kelechi Iheanacho (75th) punished this with his goal. The guests couldn’t do more, also because Iheanacho hit the post in added time. In the league table, Man City are three points behind leaders Arsenal. The two competitors will meet in Manchester on April 26 in a direct duel. City has the better goal difference. In the quarter-final second leg of the Champions League at Bayern Munich on Wednesday, Man City are the clear favorites after a 3-0 win in the first leg.
Meanwhile, Chelsea FC is unable to get out of its crisis, even under interim coach Frank Lampard. In the Premier League home game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, the Londoners lost 2-1 (1-1) despite an early lead. The ailing German national soccer player Kai Havertz watched the deserved defeat from the stands.
Conor Gallagher (13th minute) initially gave the Blues a rather fortunate lead at Stamford Bridge. Brighton dominated the game for long stretches, but missed numerous top chances and needed Danny Welbeck’s well-deserved equalizer until the 42nd minute. Julio Enciso (69th) finally turned the game around with his dream goal from 25 meters. Chelsea stayed in the game, but acted too unimaginatively to change the result.
Chelsea remain eleventh in the Premier League table and have virtually no realistic chance of qualifying for European competition. On Tuesday (9 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Champions League and on Prime Video) the Blues are due to play the second leg of the Champions League against Real Madrid. Then Havertz should be available again after the 23-year-old complained of knee problems in the first leg in Madrid (0: 2). “He should be fit again by Tuesday,” said Lampard.
Frank Lampard received enthusiastically
The manager was enthusiastically greeted by Chelsea fans before the game. He had been head coach of the Blues from July 2019 to January 2021, but was replaced by current Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel due to a lack of success. Tuchel, who had won the Champions League with the Londoners, was replaced by the hapless Graham Potter, who was now replaced by Lampard again.
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