Afrigather 
Phil Foden and Pep Guardiola paid tribute to Manchester Metropolis’s “freak” Erling Haaland after an outrageous volley in a 5-0 win in opposition to Sparta Prague.
Haaland netted twice on Wednesday, however his first aim dominated the post-match dialogue.
An astonishing effort, Haaland’s twentieth Champions League strike for Metropolis, noticed the ahead acrobatically flick Savinho’s right-wing cross contained in the close to publish.
“If I attempted to try this, I’d pull my groin,” Foden informed TNT Sports activities. “I don’t understand how he did it; I simply assume it’s simply his lengthy legs.
“He’s a freak, isn’t he? I’ve seen him rating one related in opposition to Borussia Dortmund.”
Haaland’s beautiful effort in opposition to Dortmund in his debut Metropolis season additionally got here to thoughts for supervisor Guardiola.
“It’s unbelievable,” Guardiola stated. “He’s so tall and so versatile.
“It’s similar to the Dortmund one just a few years in the past. Unbelievable. I don’t know which was tougher, each very tough.”
20 – Erling Haaland has scored his twentieth and twenty first UEFA Champions League targets for Man Metropolis tonight, in simply his twenty third such look. Solely Ruud van Nistelrooy (20 in 21 video games for Man Utd) has scored 20 targets for a membership in fewer video games in #UCL historical past. Hungry. pic.twitter.com/93jWJBMH7a
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 23, 2024
Haaland is but to lose a Champions League match in Metropolis colors. He has performed in 23 of their 26 video games within the competitors since becoming a member of the membership in 2022.
Certainly, Metropolis’s 26-match unbeaten run is now a European Cup report, surpassing Manchester United’s 25 matches between 2007 and 2009.
Guardiola ended that sequence as Barcelona coach, and he in contrast one among Haaland’s fellow goalscorers to a former Blaugrana star.
John Stones netted Metropolis’s third aim for his third in his previous six matches. After Sunday’s controversial winner in opposition to Wolves, he has scored in consecutive video games for the primary time in his membership profession.
“When Erling is just not out there, John can play as a striker,” Guardiola stated. “Gerard Pique in Barca had an unbelievable sense of aim, and John is similar.
“He’s already scored just a few targets. He’s again and I’m joyful for him.”
Additionally again within the crew and again in kind is Foden, who’s now assured he can put his sluggish begin to the season behind him.
The England midfielder opened the scoring and added: “I used to be the very best participant final 12 months, and that’s what everybody desires to see. That’s the usual I’ve set myself, and I need to get again to that.
“I don’t really feel stress. I simply benefit from the soccer and don’t take into consideration the surface. However I do put stress on myself to get higher. I at all times need to push myself.
“The intention is to hit what I hit final 12 months. I confirmed over a protracted season I used to be constant.”
Foden remains to be ready on his first Premier League aim of the season, however his European kind has by no means wavered. This was his seventh aim in eight Champions League begins.
