Rio Ferdinand believes Erling Haaland could make all the difference in Manchester City's pursuit of Champions League glory after scoring his 48th goal of the season in Wednesday night's 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich in Germany.
Leading 3-0 on aggregate following the first-leg of their quarter-final showdown at the Etihad Stadium last Tuesday, Haaland wasted a glorious opportunity to put City 4-0 up in the tie shortly before half-time, blazing a penalty over the crossbar. However, he atoned for his earlier miss by netting the opening goal of the evening shortly before the hour-mark.
He capitalised on Dayot Upamecano slipping on the edge of the penalty area and smashed an unstoppable shot past Bayern goalkeeper Yann Sommer, making it 1-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate. It marked his 48th goal of the campaign in all competitions and his 12th in the Champions League.
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Although Bayern did draw themselves level with seven minutes or normal time remaining, courtesy of a Joshua Kimmich penalty, it was nowhere near enough to prevent City from booking a mouthwatering semi-final showdown with Real Madrid next month.
The Blues were knocked out of the competition at the semi-final stage by Madrid last season, losing 6-3 on aggregate in dramatic fashion, ending their dream of laying their hands on their first-ever Champions League crown. But with Haaland in their ranks this time around, Ferdinand believes he could be the difference maker.
Ferdinand, speaking to BT Sport, said: "Is he the problem? That's what people were trying to suggest, but this guy is the solution - that's what he is.
"He's coming up with big moments. He missed the penalty - unfazed - gets another opportunity and bang, back of the net.
"He is a phenomenal player, and could he be the icing on the cake that actually gets them over the line? At the moment he's looking like he's answering every question at every opportunity."
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