Haaland celebrates Man City's opening goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, United Kingdom, 4/4. *Reuters*

For the initial 35 minutes, the match was evenly contested, with Liverpool even creating more threatening attacks. However, the turning point arrived in the 37th minute when Virgil van Dijk committed a foul on Nico O’Reilly inside the visitors' penalty area. Referee Michael Oliver immediately awarded a penalty, while the Dutch center-back offered little protest.

From the penalty spot, Haaland shot opposite to goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili's dive, opening the scoring before running to the corner flag for a wild celebration. The stands behind the goal erupted, while many Liverpool players stood motionless, clearly showing their disappointment.

Liverpool nearly collapsed after conceding another goal just before halftime. Haaland cut in to head the ball into the far corner, making it 2-0 from Antoine Semenyo's cross. The Norwegian striker continued his excited celebration, even kicking the corner flag, as home fans chanted his name.

Coach Pep Guardiola, watching from the stands due to a touchline ban, also showed strong emotions several times. He protested when Rayan Cherki was fouled in the penalty area but Man City was not awarded a penalty, and he rose to his feet to applaud after the second goal. The Etihad stands also welcomed former Man Utd coach Alex Ferguson, despite him being booed by the home fans.

After the break, Man City played as if to finish off their opponent early. In the 50th minute, Semenyo scored with a chipped shot, making it 3-0 from a delicate through ball by Cherki. Van Dijk misjudged the opponent's pass in this situation.

Man City's goal-scoring spree continued into the 57th minute when Haaland completed his hat-trick from O’Reilly's cross. The entire Etihad Stadium rose to their feet in applause, with many fans holding up their phones to capture the Norwegian striker's celebration. When he left the field in the 77th minute to be replaced by Omar Marmoush, the prolonged applause served as a tribute to Haaland.

In stark contrast was the performance of Mohamed Salah. From the start of the match, the Egyptian forward was booed by home fans every time he touched the ball. The climax came after his missed penalty kick in the 64th minute, which Trafford saved. When Salah left the field, he continued to receive jeers and whistles, walking slowly with a heavy expression. At the same time, the camera showed Cherki leaving the field and sitting on the bench, wearing the shirt of his compatriot and opponent, Hugo Ekitike.

Conversely, Liverpool's bench clearly showed helplessness. Coach Slot made continuous substitutions from the 60th minute, bringing on Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo, and Federico Chiesa, but they made no difference. Some away fans even left the stadium early, before one hour of play had passed. By the 90th minute, only a few scattered spectators remained in the away section.