Haaland recounts a strange incident that sparked the Porto clash

Norwegian international star Erling Haaland, the top scorer for Manchester City, claimed that Pablo Rosario of FC Porto acted inappropriately towards him during the match between the two teams, which ended with a 2-0 victory for "the Citizens" in the UEFA Champions League.

He added in comments reported by the British news agency PA Media: "You will see a picture of him grabbing my backside. It will be interesting to see that picture."

Manchester City is waiting to see if UEFA will take any action following a series of tense events during the match, the most serious of which occurred as players were leaving the field at halftime.

There was a sense of anger within the FC Porto team over the failure to send off City player Marc Guéhi after he struck Portuguese player Gabriel Veiga in the head with his arm while attempting to play a high ball at the end of the first half.

A heated debate ensued, with Porto players arguing with the referees and Manchester City players, and the tension did not subside until the break.

The scuffles continued as players left the field, with reports of a crush in the tunnel leading to the locker rooms, prompting security personnel to intervene to prevent the situation from escalating.

Some footage showed City captain Ruben Dias placing his hand on Porto coach Francesco Farioli's chest as they arrived in the tunnel.

UEFA is awaiting reports from Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, who officiated the match, and match observer Stephanie Ford, before deciding on disciplinary actions, as City could face a fine if any action is taken.

Despite City's deserving victory, Farioli pointed out that the result would have been different had the opponent been forced to play with ten players.

Farioli said: "The footage of the foul committed against Gabriel Veiga is very clear, and a second yellow card should have been shown to (Josko) Gvardiol, the English team's player, for his unsportsmanlike conduct after already receiving a yellow card."

He added: "At this level, playing against ten players in the second half, things would have been different."

He continued: "He (Marciniak) is a world-class referee and I respect him, but when an opponent charges with his elbow and causes bleeding, there is no need for much discussion. We all make mistakes."

Haaland overcame the tension that prevailed at halftime to give City the lead with a header just 47 seconds into the second half, which sparked a strong response from Porto, who created several good chances before Haaland sealed the deal with his second goal for the visiting team.

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The match, held last Tuesday at the Estádio do Dragão as part of the group stage, was marked by tension and violence.

The two players got into a heated argument during stoppage time in a match that was already intense, which also saw a confrontation between players in the tunnel leading to the locker rooms at halftime.

The altercation occurred moments after the Norwegian striker confirmed his team's victory by scoring his second goal.

Haaland had been fouled by Rosario, leading to another scuffle, and the striker received a yellow card for his involvement, but he indicated that there were other details related to the incident.

Haaland told Norwegian channel TV 2: "I was really determined to score a hat-trick, and it seems that (Rosario) was very eager to stop me from doing that. It was kind of interesting."

He added in comments reported by the British news agency PA Media: "You will see a picture of him grabbing my backside. It will be interesting to see that picture."

Manchester City is waiting to see if UEFA will take any action following a series of tense events during the match, the most serious of which occurred as players were leaving the field at halftime.

There was a sense of anger within the FC Porto team over the failure to send off City player Marc Guéhi after he struck Portuguese player Gabriel Veiga in the head with his arm while attempting to play a high ball at the end of the first half.

A heated debate ensued, with Porto players arguing with the referees and Manchester City players, and the tension did not subside until the break.

The scuffles continued as players left the field, with reports of a crush in the tunnel leading to the locker rooms, prompting security personnel to intervene to prevent the situation from escalating.

Some footage showed City captain Ruben Dias placing his hand on Porto coach Francesco Farioli's chest as they arrived in the tunnel.

UEFA is awaiting reports from Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, who officiated the match, and match observer Stephanie Ford, before deciding on disciplinary actions, as City could face a fine if any action is taken.

Despite City's deserving victory, Farioli pointed out that the result would have been different had the opponent been forced to play with ten players.

Farioli said: "The footage of the foul committed against Gabriel Veiga is very clear, and a second yellow card should have been shown to (Josko) Gvardiol, the English team's player, for his unsportsmanlike conduct after already receiving a yellow card."

He added: "At this level, playing against ten players in the second half, things would have been different."

He continued: "He (Marciniak) is a world-class referee and I respect him, but when an opponent charges with his elbow and causes bleeding, there is no need for much discussion. We all make mistakes."

Haaland overcame the tension that prevailed at halftime to give City the lead with a header just 47 seconds into the second half, which sparked a strong response from Porto, who created several good chances before Haaland sealed the deal with his second goal for the visiting team.