Haaland Remains the Top Choice: Maresca’s Bold Call and the VAR Blind Spot in Porto – Manchester City

At the Dragão, Manchester City entered a Porto match where nothing felt safe. Manager Enzo Maresca had hinted that Erling Haaland needed rest after a demanding campaign, yet when the line-up was confirmed, Haaland was still there, next to Ayyoub Bouaddi. What looked like a gamble became the only logical choice once the match began. Maresca was not gambling; he was using Haaland as the lever to break Porto’s defensive structure. Porto pressed intensely from the first minute, limiting the visitors’ build-up and forcing Marc Guehi into constant aerial battles. But just as Porto believed they had controlled the rhythm, a header changed the match. Late in the first half, Guehi and Gabri Veiga competed for a high ball. Guehi’s arm struck Veiga, leaving the Porto midfielder bleeding. VAR reviewed the contact but did not recommend an on-field review. Szymon Marciniak was jeered as the teams left the pitch. Blood is a powerful image, but the law does not treat blood as the standard for a penalty. The arm swung by natural motion, not as a deliberate blow; VAR could not treat the incident as a clear and obvious error. Soon after, Enzo Fernandez delivered a cross and Haaland out-jumped Jakub Kiwior, directing the ball away from goalkeeper Diogo Costa. It was his 58th Champions League goal in 59 appearances, moving him beyond Thomas Muller. It also made Haaland’s league-season total five, after his winner against Coventry at the weekend. I checked that number twice before writing it. Manchester City then lost control. Donnarumma almost gifted Porto a goal when he collided with Pepe and later misread a back pass in the chase with William Gomes. Maresca responded by replacing Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo with Iliman Ndiaye and Elliot Anderson. Haaland sealed the win with his second goal before the final whistle. The performance is worth praising, but Haaland cannot hide structural flaws in ball progression. Manchester City survived because their striker made the difference, not because their build-up play was secure. The next question for Maresca is how to manage Haaland through a long season. Meanwhile, the VAR debate will continue. If a bloodied head caused by an arm is not clear enough for an intervention, we need to ask what the threshold for clarity really is.