Haaland Confronts Scoring Slump After City Loss

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Manchester City’s Champions League campaign suffered a major setback as Bodo/Glimt won 3-1 in Norway, and Erling Haaland publicly accepted blame for the lack of goals. The defeat damaged City’s hopes of finishing in the top eight, making Haaland’s struggles in front of goal even more scrutinised.

Haaland returned to Norway for this fixture but failed to score and looked frustrated. The Manchester City forward has now found the net only once in the last eight matches across all competitions. That goal came from the penalty spot against Brighton in the Premier League, highlighting a difficult run.

City fell behind early as Kasper Hogh struck twice within 24 minutes, before Jens Petter Hauge curled in a third for Bodo/Glimt. Rayan Cherki responded with a goal for Manchester City, but Rodri then received a red card, leaving the visitors with ten players and unable to mount a late comeback.

After the match, Haaland addressed Manchester City’s supporters with a clear message of accountability. "I don't have the answers. I take full responsibility for not being able to score the goals I should do," Haaland told TNT Sports. "I just apologise to everyone; every single Man City supporter and every single supporter that travelled today, because in the end it's embarrassing."

The loss marked Manchester City’s first defeat to a club from that country in major European competition since March 2011, when City lost 2-0 away to Dynamo Kyiv in the Europa League. Bodo/Glimt also became only the sixth side to go three goals ahead in a Champions League game against City.

The previous clubs to establish three-goal cushions against Manchester City in the Champions League were Bayern Munich in October 2013, Barcelona in October 2016, Liverpool in April 2018, Sporting CP in November 2024, and Real Madrid in February 2025. Bodo/Glimt now join that small group after this decisive home win.

Haaland endured a particularly difficult night statistically for Manchester City. The Norway international attempted three shots worth a combined 0.38 expected goals but did not hit the target once. Haaland also recorded only 11 touches, the fewest of any City starter, underlining how effectively Bodo/Glimt restricted service.

Reflecting on the performance, Haaland also pointed to the shared duty among Manchester City’s senior players. "Bodo, they played some incredible football and in the end it was deserved. Honestly, I don't know what to say because I don't have the answers, and what I can say is sorry. I take full responsibility, together with Rodri, Tijjani [Reijnders]; us experienced players. I don't want to blame anyone, but we need to take more responsibility, because in the end it's not good enough. We're Manchester City. We can't go around and not win games. It can't be like this."

The defeat leaves Manchester City needing a response in upcoming fixtures, with Haaland and other senior players under pressure to improve. Bodo/Glimt’s organised display and clinical finishing exposed City’s weaknesses, and the result will likely influence how Manchester City approach both domestic and European matches over the coming weeks.