Erling Haaland has accused Porto midfielder Pablo Rosario of grabbing his bottom during a bad-tempered Champions League encounter at the Estádio do Dragão. The match also saw players clash in the tunnel at half-time as Manchester City opened their European campaign under new head coach Enzo Maresca.
The Norway international, chasing a hat-trick in the closing stages, was involved in a heated flashpoint with Rosario deep into stoppage time, capping off a fiery night in Porto that had already boiled over once before the second half had even begun.
Speaking to Norwegian broadcaster TV2 after the match, as reported by ESPN, Haaland did not hold back when describing the incident, insisting Rosario had gone to unusual lengths to stop him adding to his tally.
“I was really keen on a hat-trick and it seemed like he [Rosario] was very eager to stop me from getting it. It was a little interesting, that,” Haaland said.
He went further, suggesting the evidence would speak for itself once footage and photographs from the incident circulated.
“You’ll be seeing a picture where he’s grabbing my bottom. It’ll be interesting to see that picture,” he added.
Tempers frayed long before full time
The late flashpoint between Haaland and Rosario was merely the most eye-catching moment in a fixture that had bite from the first whistle.
Porto, unbeaten domestically this season under Francesco Farioli and back in the Champions League proper for the first time since 2023-24, matched City’s physicality throughout, and tensions had already spilled over once before, with players clashing in the tunnel during the half-time interval.
Such needle is nothing new when these two sides meet. City have never lost to the Portuguese club in four previous European ties stretching back to 2012, and Tuesday’s meeting carried the same competitive edge that has characterised the rivalry, only this time with an added subplot. It marked City’s first Champions League outing since Pep Guardiola’s decade-long reign at the Etihad Stadium came to an end.
For Haaland, though, the frustration was more personal. Already among the most prolific forwards in Europe, the 26-year-old has made a habit of setting new scoring landmarks for City.
Having already found the net earlier in the contest, a hat-trick would have extended his remarkable individual record in the competition. Rosario’s close attention, whatever form it ultimately took, proved enough to deny him.
A test passed for the Maresca era
Beyond the histrionics, the trip to northern Portugal represented an early marker for Maresca, who succeeded Guardiola over the summer and has overseen a squad reshaped by a record summer outlay of more than £460m.
The Italian had already guided City to a perfect start in the Premier League heading into the midweek trip, and Tuesday’s assignment against a Porto side unbeaten across five matches so far this season was widely regarded as the sternest test of his young tenure to date.
Maresca has previously spoken of wanting his team to combine control in possession with a ruthless edge in front of goal, and Haaland’s continued sharpness will be central to that project regardless of off-the-ball distractions.
