The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Haaland leaves it late to secure edgy victory over his former club
MANCHESTER CITY 2 BOR DORTMUND 1
Erling Haaland struck a late winner against his former club as Manchester City came from behind to snatch a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund.
The prolific Norwegian was kept quiet by his old team-mates for much of a cagey Champions League encounter at the Etihad Stadium but clinically volleyed in six minutes from time.
England international Jude Bellingham had given Dortmund a surprise lead after the break but City levelled with a stunning strike from John Stones 10 minutes from time.
Haaland, who scored 86 goals in 89 appearances for Dortmund before leaving in the summer, then struck his 13th in nine for his new club.
The victory gave City the outright lead in Group G ahead of backto-back games against Copenhagen.
When the action got under way, it was City who initially dominated but they struggled to create meaningful opportunities.
Dortmund attempted to inject some life into proceedings after the break and were rewarded after 56 minutes by Bellingham, who timed a run to the near post perfectly to head home from a Reus cross.
City manager Pep Guardiola responded by sending on Julian Alvarez, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden and City began to show some urgency. The tide had turned although the equaliser came from an unlikely source. Stones decided to chance his luck from distance and the ball swerved into the top corner.
The momentum was now with City and Haaland had the final word when he leaped to reach a Cancelo cross and volley home.
CHELSEA 1 RED BULL SALZBURG 1
Graham Potter’s Chelsea debut ended in a 1-1 draw with RB Salzburg as the Blues slipped to the foot of Champions League Group E.
Raheem Sterling’s curled strike should have handed new boss Potter lift-off at Stamford Bridge on his Champions League and Blues bow.
But a mistake from Thiago Silva opened the door for Noah Okafor to snatch a draw for Salzburg with a neat finish.
Chelsea were back in action after the Premier League’s weekend hiatus due to the Queen’s death, but the Blues could not atone for last week’s 1-0 Champions League loss at Dinamo Zagreb.
Potter employed a clutch of formations in a shape-shifting Chelsea set-up, but 37-year-old Brazilian Silva always appeared under duress at the back of that system.
The defender conjured many a manful intervention only to slip just shy of completing a slide tackle – which allowed Salzburg to steal in and secure a leveller.