Football fans have figured out what Erling Haaland said to Yassine Bounou after video of their conversation went viral following Manchester City’s shocking 4-3 loss to Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup Round of 16 on Tuesday morning. Following a spotless group stage, Pep Guardiola’s team was anticipating for another easy match at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium.
Bernardo Silva scored City’s first goal after nine minutes, but Marcos Leonardo and Malcom scored in the 46th and 53rd minutes to give Al-Hilal the lead. Haaland equalised just two minutes later to send the game to extra time, and after Kalidou Koulibaly’s strike was cancelled out by Phil Foden, Leonardo scored the winner despite the 10-time Premier League champions dominating possession and registering 30 shots in 120 minutes.
It will be viewed as a watershed moment in the Middle East, as Saudi Arabia’s huge investment appears to have been justified in their desire to challenge Europe as the world football leader. And it appears Haaland has the highest regard for ‘Bono’, as he appeared to be attempting to persuade the Moroccan goalie to relocate to the Etihad Stadium this summer.
What Erling Haaland Said To Bono After Al-Hilal 4-3 Man City
The striker appeared to try to convince him to join Man City
Man City’s shocking defeat to Simone Inzaghi’s new side was a contest that required the goalkeepers to be at their best. While the Etihad Stadium faithful were unequivocal in their belief that Ederson should leave the club after surrendering four goals from only six shots on target, Bono received a lot of appreciation.
Despite surrendering three goals, the former Sevilla shot-stopper saved ten shots and finished 12 of 19 long ball efforts. Following the final whistle, Haaland could be seen embracing and thanking the Moroccan international before seemingly saying (see the video below):
“Come to [Manchester] City.”
The 34-year-old was a member of the Moroccan national team that advanced to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, earning a berth in the Team of the Tournament after winning Man of the Match against Spain in the Round of 16 and conceding only once in the quarter-finals.
At the time, it appeared that he would be joining the Premier League, but his performances in the Club World Cup this summer have shown that he still has it. Watch his unbelievable save to deny Savinho below:
Interestingly, Haaland’s positive exchange with Bono represents a significant shift in his opinion of the goalkeeper from 2021, when he screamed in his face after believing Bono was attempting to cheat by being off his line for a penalty earlier in the match.
The recent incident demonstrates that the greatest way to defeat your opponents is via hard work and exceptional performances, which Bono undoubtedly gave by advancing Al-Hilal to the quarter-finals, where they will meet Brazilian club Fluminense on Friday night.
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