Man City suffered a humiliating defeat against a "small team," and Haaland didn't dare to "look them straight in the eye."

Returning to his home country of Norway with the expectation of helping Man City win, striker Erling Haaland had to apologize for Man City's "shameful" defeat to "small team" Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League on January 21st (Vietnam time).

Man City thua thảm “đội bóng nhỏ”, Haaland không dám “ngước mặt nhìn thẳng” - Ảnh 1. — Erling Haaland has apologized for Manchester City's performance against Bodo/Glimt. (Photo: X/footballontnt)

Man City thua thảm “đội bóng nhỏ”, Haaland không dám “ngước mặt nhìn thẳng” - Ảnh 2. — The 25-year-old striker disappointed on his return to his native Norway. (Photo: Shutterstock Editorial)

The shocking defeat to the "small team" Norway not only put the English team in a difficult position in the race for the top 8 in the group stage, but also forced star striker Haaland to publicly take responsibility and apologize to Man City fans.

"I take full responsibility for not being able to score. I apologize to everyone, every single Man City fan who came here," Haaland was quoted as saying by SunSport.

Man City were completely helpless against the home team when having to play in weather conditions of -9 degrees Celsius.

"My performance and the team's performance were truly unacceptable. I don't know what else to say because I have no answer, and the only thing I can say is to bow my head in apology," the 25-year-old striker added.

Haaland also admitted that Bodo/Glimt's victory was well-deserved: "It was a complete win for them and a performance that wasn't good enough from us. They played incredibly well at home."

The home side won thanks to a brace from Kasper Hogh in the 22nd and 24th minutes, and a goal from Jens Petter Hauge in the 58th minute, while Man City only managed a consolation goal from Rayan Cherki in the 60th minute.

"We played well until they scored the first goal, then everything changed. We tried, but it was clear we were missing something. The big players have to take responsibility for this defeat," Haaland emphasized.

Even manager Pep Guardiola couldn't hide his disappointment after his team suffered a crushing defeat against Norway. "I have a feeling that right now everything is going in the wrong direction for Man City," the Spanish strategist admitted.

He added: "We are missing many key players and have become vulnerable. This is a great opportunity, but every detail is against us. We have to change immediately."

Man City thua thảm “đội bóng nhỏ”, Haaland không dám “ngước mặt nhìn thẳng” - Ảnh 3. — Manager Pep Guardiola has suffered two consecutive humiliating defeats with Man City. Photo: SunSport

The defeat in Norway capped off a nightmare week for the Etihad Stadium side following their 0-2 loss to rivals Man Utd in the Manchester derby.

The result against Bodo/Glimt means Haaland's team must beat Galatasaray in the final matchday to have any hope of competing for a top-eight spot and a direct ticket to the knockout round.

Conversely, coach Kjetil Knutsen was proud of Bodo/Glimt's historic victory. "It was fantastic. We played very well against a world- class team, defended tightly and fought with all 11 players," he shared.

This unforgettable victory gives Bodo/Glimt hope of securing a play-off spot if they beat Atletico Madrid in the final matchday, potentially continuing their fairytale run in the Champions League.