Erling Haaland has accused FC Porto midfielder Pablo Rosario of “grabbing my bottom” during Manchester City’s 2-0 opening-night win in the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League campaign.
Erling Haaland is in strong goalscoring form ahead of Sunday's Manchester derby at Old Trafford.
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Haaland scored the opener in the 47th minute and dashed the hopes of an unnerved and motivated Porto side with a second as the game leaked into injury time.
The opening 45 minutes of the contest were highly entertaining and conveyed a likeable and physical match-up between two of Europe’s most competitive teams, though the scenes turned ugly at half-time - when the two groups of players had to be separated from one another amid pushing and shoving in the tunnel.
As both sides walked to their respective dressing rooms, Porto officials followed the referee down the tunnel and were upset over a situation involving City’s third-choice goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli.
Manchester City kickstarted their 2026/27 UEFA Champions League campaign in style with a resilient and commanding 0-2 win on the road at FC Porto on matchweek one.
cityxtra.co.uk Match Report & Player Ratings: FC Porto 0-2 Man City (UEFA Champions League) Manchester City kickstarted their 2026/27 UEFA Champions League campaign in style with a resilient and commanding 0-2 win on the road at FC Porto on matchweek one.
Haaland: You’ll See a Picture Where He is Grabbing My Bottom
Following the half-time anarchy at the Estádio do Dragão came the odd incident where Haaland clashed with Rosario, the striker seeming certain that the Porto man had touched him inappropriately.
“I was really keen on a hat-trick and it seemed like he [Rosario] was very eager to stop me from getting it," Haaland told Norwegian television, with comments relayed by The Telegraph.
"It was a little interesting, that. You’ll be seeing a picture where he’s grabbing my bottom. It’ll be interesting to see that picture."
The Telegraph have reported that the UEFA disciplinary body will assess the clash and consider summaries from the referee, Szymon Marciniak and match delegate Stephanie Ford to reveal the extent of both the tunnel incident and Haaland’s clash with Rosario.
Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has called upon his teammates to maintain their hunger after a strong start to their 2026/27 UEFA Champions League season on Tuesday night.cityxtra.co.ukWe Have to Deliver on the Biggest Stage, Says Haaland in UCL Message to Man City Squad
Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has called upon his teammates to maintain their hunger after a strong start to their 2026/27 UEFA Champions League season on Tuesday night.
Just before half-time, Porto were frustrated to see that Marc Guehi had escaped a red card after he caught Gabri Veiga in the head with a stray elbow as he leapt for a header. Porto and City players surrounded the referee as both teams skirmished intently.
No Ponytail, No Problem for Manchester City’s Star Striker
Haaland is once again showing his relentless attitude and endless hunger in front of goal, and his brace on Tuesday saved Maresca’s blushes as the Blues looked more likely to concede as the game went on.
Nonetheless, since Haaland shaved his hair off on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, the 26-year-old has scored three headers in four games and has shown no signs of slowing since joining the club in 2022.
On Tuesday, he became the third-highest goalscorer in City history with 167 goals and matched Sergio Aguero’s tally of 36 UEFA Champions League goals while being at the club. Overall, Haaland is seventh on the all-time scoring list in the competition.
Enzo Maresca's Manchester City squad have one nomination from their current first-team squad for the 2026 edition of the Men's Ballon d'Or award, it has been confirmed.cityxtra.co.ukMan City Receive Two Nominations for 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or
Enzo Maresca's Manchester City squad have one nomination from their current first-team squad for the 2026 edition of the Men's Ballon d'Or award, it has been confirmed.
It’s important to recognise that the 2026 Ballon d'Or nominee wouldn’t be scoring so much without the service of his peers, with City’s new signings Enzo Fernandez and Elliot Anderson already playing vital roles in the middle of the pitch for Maresca and their teammates.