Haaland scores hat-trick as Manchester City beat Chelsea in pre-season friendly

This Saturday at Ohio Stadium, the Manchester City won from Chelsea by 4-2 in a friendly in preparation for the 2024/2025 season. Pep Guardiola’s team started with the pedal to the metal and had goals from Haaland (3) and Oscar Bobb, while Sterling pulled one back for the London team.

The friendly is part of the teams’ pre-season. City, for example, were defeated by Celtic (4-3), Milan (3-2), and lost to Barcelona on penalties (4-1, after a 2-2 draw). Chelsea beat América-MEX (3-0), lost to Celtic (4-1) and drew with Werxham (2-2).

Manchester City will return to the pitch to face Manchester United next Saturday (10) for the English Super Cup. The ball will roll at 11 am (Brasília time) at Wembley. Chelsea, in turn, will play another friendly match in the pre-season, against Real Madrid, at 8 pm on Tuesday, at the Bank of America Stadium.

Manchester opened the scoring just 4 minutes into the first half. After a mistake when clearing the ball, Haaland regained possession inside the penalty area and was brought down. The referee then awarded a penalty. The Norwegian player converted the first attempt, but it was identified that he was invading the area and another penalty was taken. The number 9 did not disappoint and scored his first goal of the match.

A minute later, in the 5th minute, Chelsea’s Caicedo lost the ball, which fell to Haaland. The striker, who had already scored once, adjusted his body and, from the edge of the area, finished low into the left corner of Robert Sanchez’s goal.

Ten minutes into the second half, after another error in Chelsea’s passing, City regained possession and launched a very quick counterattack. McAtee passed to Oscar Bobb who, inside the area, beat the defender and shot past Sanchez.

Again, a minute later, at 11, the Manchester team regained control of the ball and went on the attack at speed. McAtee found Haaland, who finished with his left foot into the bottom right corner of the Chelsea goal to open the score 4-0.

Fantastic 🇳🇴💫

Watch now on CITY+ ▶️ https://t.co/11Lu4E5gbw

🩵 4-1 🔵 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/sKa7mZPKm7

— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 3, 2024

Chelsea reduced the deficit to four goals in the 14th minute. From the right, Madueke got past the defender and crossed into the box, where Sterling was unmarked. The former City man then took the ball first time with his left wing and fired a rocket into the top right corner of the goal, with Ortega standing still.

Before the end of the match, Chelsea managed to score another goal. Noni Madueke received the ball on the right side of the penalty area and finished with his left foot, in the corner of Ortega’s goal.