Pep Guardiola hailed Erling Haaland after the striker’s “fantastic” backheel volley in Manchester City’s 5-0 Champions League win over Sparta Prague.
Haaland put City 2-0 up just prior to the hour mark at the Etihad Stadium with the spectacular acrobatic effort, the first of a brace that took the 24-year-old to 13 goals for the team this season and a career tally of 44 in 42 Champions League outings.
Boss Guardiola said: “I know it’s not easy for him because they defend in the box, no space, three central defenders with him, two holding midfielders close to him, even the wingers close to the holding midfielders.
“Literally there is not space. Every cross they are hugging him and pushing him. So it is not easy.
“But I spoke many times with him ‘be patient, be positive, because the ball is coming, the ball arrives’.
“Today he scored two goals, (also) had two headers, really good, to score two more. Always Erling has this incredible capacity. He can touch 15 balls, 20 balls but have seven, eight chances.
“It is unbelievable this talent this guy has, and of course, he made a fantastic goal. (It was) quite similar to (against) Dortmund years ago with an incredible pass from Joao Cancelo. I don’t know which one is more difficult – for me, both.”
Guardiola agreed when it was suggested to him that there was a comparison to be drawn between Haaland and former Sweden forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, saying: “Yes, his agility to do it is quite similar, you are right.”
City took the lead via Phil Foden in the third minute before scoring three times in quick succession after the break, with Haaland’s two finishes either side of a John Stones header.
Matheus Nunes, who had provided two assists, then completed the rout with a late penalty.
The Portugal international was making only a third start of the season, and Guardiola added: “He’s a lovely guy. He has a specific quality. If you can run in transition, he’s as fast as Erling.
“It’s unbelievable, when he runs for 30, 40 metres nobody can stop him. That’s why we need him. He can play in many roles, his generosity defensively.
“The only problem he has is just one – his manager maybe doesn’t give him the minutes he deserves. But he’s ready and can help us. It’s important to have him.
“Both wingers, Matheus and Savinho (who also contributed an assist), played really, really good.”
The result put City on seven points after three matches in the league phase.
It was a first defeat of the competition for Sparta, who have four points, and the Czech outfit’s coach Lars Friis said: “Up until 2-0 I think it was decent, after that there was just a massive difference more or less in every aspect.
“I can’t blame my boys, tonight we played against the best team in the world, the best players in the world.”
On Haaland, he added: “I think up until that we got actually good hands on him, I think the boys coped with him very well, and then – what to say?
“He is a world-class player, maybe the best striker in the world, and he scores strange goals, good goals, with his head, with his foot, and now also this. World class. He just showed what we all knew.”
