Reason why both Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne was taken off the pitch just before the penalty shootout during Manchester City vs Real Madrid UEFA Champions League quarter-final match

Wednesday night, Manchester City needed to score against the “Kings of Europe,” Real Madrid. They therefore abandoned Erling Haaland.

And with extra time approaching and penalties approaching, City saved one of their best spot kick takers, goalscorer Kevin De Bruyne.

Pep Guardiola disclosed after the match that both players requested to be removed, casting doubt on their fitness at the very least in advance of the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea. Even more alarming, however, was the fact that both substitutions were possibly the correct decisions.

Haaland encountered similar difficulties in exerting any significant impact on the match against Madrid. Although a deft header rebounded off the post, he was largely averted from peril for the second time in a week by Antonio Rudiger.

Haaland has started all four of City’s meetings with Madrid over the past two seasons, contributing 90 minutes in three and 89 minutes in the other. His lack of goals and assists will contribute to complacent evaluations of his overall performance for City in crucial contests.

Haaland has scored twice for his club and country in his last nine matches, with one of those coming from open play. Despite surpassing 30 goals for the season and remaining the Premier League’s joint-leading scorer in goalscoring with 30, his output falls short of the lofty expectations he has established for himself.

Any City supporter will be aware that Real Madrid utilized two center-backs to contain him, thereby creating space for the other players. It proved effective in Madrid the previous week; however, Real Madrid positioned themselves more deeply than they normally would have at the Etihad, leaving no room for maneuver. This is despite the fact that City recorded the most touches in the Madrid box among all teams in the Champions League knockouts.

Consequently, Haaland again played a scoreless contest. As Guardiola made preparations for extra time, Haaland’s substitution came as a surprise, but after 90 minutes, he was no longer unassailable. Even in the absence of Haaland’s request to enter the game, Guardiola might have assumed that responsibility.

De Bruyne, similarly, did not emerge as the contentious replacement that it had previously been. Despite his intention to extend the time limit, De Bruyne’s performance fell short of his usual caliber, characterized by careless touches, subpar deliveries, and errant shots. According to Guardiola, De Bruyne and Haaland “help us win games” even though they may not improve City’s performance.

Although De Bruyne was subpar at Crystal Palace, he assisted Haaland and scored twice, garnering Guardiola praise for the game-winning contribution he made alone. Despite scoring a crucial goal against Real Madrid, he continues to yearn for his former form following his return from injury.

Given that Phil Foden performs admirably at number ten when De Bruyne is absent, it is conceivable that City could enter a game without Haaland or De Bruyne when they are both healthy and available. They appeared more formidable in the second half against Madrid when Foden was moved inside to play alongside De Bruyne.

Guardiola will allow sufficient time for both to recover to their peak fitness and performance. The turnaround between Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final and Champions League final may compel him to make this decision.

However, if it were necessary to take a step back by removing them from the team in order to bring them back in full force for the remaining games, that decision might be justified despite the temporary attention it may attract. Even the two most valuable members of the team should not be exempt from being substituted to the sideline due to subpar performance.