Manchester, Oct 24 (IANS): Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola hailed Erling Haaland as an 'unstoppable' force after the Norwegian grabbed a brace in Wednesday’s 5-0 Champions League win over Sparta Prague in the Champions League clash.
Phil Foden had given City an early third minute lead at the Etihad with a fine strike of his own before the Sparta side then proved difficult to break down.
However, Haaland provided the key to unlocking the opposition defence. The Norwegian doubled City’s lead just before the hour with a stunning strike, jumping acrobatically to meet Savinho’s cross with an outrageous backheeled volley.
He then followed that up with another fine finish before a John Stones header and Matheus Nunes penalty sealed the win.
“It’s unbelievable the talent this guy has. When Erling gets in behind, he is unstoppable. Erling has this incredible capacity. He can touch the ball 15 times but have seven or eight chances. Today he scored two goals and could have scored two more. Erling has this incredible capacity. He can touch the ball 15 times but have seven or eight chances," Guradiola said.
“He made a fantastic goal but scored similar goal against Dortmund a couple of years ago with an incredible pass from Joao Cancelo. I didn’t know how it was scored. There was a player in front of me. Yeah, against Dortmund it was quite similar. For a human being, it’s not normal. I don’t know which one is more difficult. For me, both!" he added.
Guardiola further praised Nunes, who scored his first goal in the Champions League in City's victory over Sparta Prague from the penalty spot after being brought down in the box himself. The City boss said that Nunes deserves more minutes and he will turn to the Portuguese midfielder in the coming weeks.
"He was really good—when he scored a goal, you can see how happy his team-mates are. He is incredibly beloved and he is a lovely guy,” Guardiola said. He has a specific quality. In transitions, he is as fast as Erling [Haaland]. When he runs for 30-40 metres, no one can stop him.
“He has a special quality that we don’t have. That’s why we need him and he can play in many roles. The only problem he has is one, his manager doesn’t give him the minutes he deserves. He’s ready always and he can help us. With the circumstances we have now, with 15 players plus goalkeepers available, it’s important to have him," said Guradiola.