Erling Haaland showcased his scoring prowess with a hat trick, helping Manchester City secure a 4-2 win against Chelsea in an English club football friendly held in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday. The match drew a crowd of 71,280 as part of the pre-season tour for both teams.
The reigning Premier League champions took control early, netting two goals in the first five minutes. Haaland converted a penalty kick in the fourth minute before striking again just 17 seconds after the restart, capitalizing on a mistake by Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo to fire a right-footed shot into the right corner, establishing a 2-0 lead.
Oscar Bobb further extended City’s advantage in the 55th minute, driving down the right wing and curling a left-footed shot past a defender into the near post. Haaland then completed his hat trick in the 56th minute, scoring after a turnover in Chelsea’s half. He received a pass at the top of the box, maneuvered between two defenders, and flicked in a left-footed shot for a 4-0 lead just 25 seconds after the restart.
Chelsea responded in the 59th minute with a goal from Raheem Sterling. Noni Madueke added another for Chelsea in the 89th minute, but their efforts came too late to change the outcome.
This match served as a precursor to the 2024-25 Premier League season, with Manchester City set to face Chelsea in their opening match on August 18.
In another pre-season friendly, Liverpool triumphed over Manchester United with a 3-0 victory in front of 77,559 spectators in Columbia, South Carolina. Fabio Carvalho initiated the scoring for Liverpool in the 10th minute. Mo Salah provided a perfect centering pass to Curtis Jones in the 36th minute, who tapped it in to extend Liverpool’s lead to 2-0. Kostas Tsimikas rounded out the scoring in the 61st minute, finishing a rebound off the left post to secure a 3-0 advantage for the Merseysiders.
