In the goalfest that is Erling Haaland’s remarkable career, the reverse-flick while airborne that beat Peter Vindahl while facing away from Sparta Prague’s goalkeeper is surely a glittering standout. It was Manchester City’s second, coming on 58 minutes, and Haaland’s nonchalant, whadda-you-expect grin illustrated just how impressed he was with his own work.
Asked if the 24-year-old’s strike was normal, Pep Guardiola said: “For a human being I would say not. It’s unbelievable. He made an incredible goal, similar to [against Borussia] Dortmund a few years ago. I don’t know which one is more difficult but I would say both [are equal].”
City now have seven points and – as Opta’s “supercomputer” calculates nine should secure progress to the playoff round, and 15 to the last 16 – Guardiola’s relentless team are in cruise control.
On Tuesday Guardiola said Phil Foden “will be back soon” – meaning to his finest – and he started here by gliding past three Sparta players and sweeping the opener into the left corner, his wand of a left foot beating Vindahl from 18 yards or so.
John Stones and Manuel Akanji knitted the play for the midfielder’s strike. Soon after they were backpedalling as Sparta broke along the right where Veljko Birmancevic had a shot blocked. Lars Friis’s men hoped to prosper on the breakaway, but had to be ruthless to do so.
Haaland is the master when it comes to ruthlessness and, on leaping to meet a cross from the left and heading down to Vindahl’s right, thought he had doubled the score. The effort drew a gasp followed by a louder exhortation as the goalkeeper, Gordon Banks-like, dived to his right to scoop the ball to safety from under the bar.
Sparta’s packed away end pogoed despite how City looked to eviscerate their side via 81% possession and the travelling faithful’s party nearly ratcheted up when Victor Olatunji raced into enemy territory. The forward sent a chip over Stefan Ortega but it was too high.
Guardiola, resplendent in a natty woollen turtleneck, was at his usual technical area station. He wanted more goals – as always – and a second dipping Haaland header in a crowded Sparta area went close.
It was repelled and, after a fleeting bit of pinball around the six-yard box, City went close to being sucker-punched as, again, Birmancevic skated from his half toward goal. With Matheus Nunes and Rico Lewis puffing behind, he aimed across Ortega, from the right, but the keeper tipped away.
The highlights of what was left of the first half were a Foden attempt Vindahl beat out, and a Savinho twist-and-unload. As the interval arrived, the Czech champions of the last two seasons had kept the deficit to one.
As with Wolves on Sunday, Sparta were a low-block proposition. City had to find a way past again to make themselves comfortable. The order was to go more direct: Foden dropped a corner in from the right, Olatunji inadvertently flicked on, Haaland tipped the ball back from the far post and Nathan Aké converted. Except he was culpable of handball, so the finish was chalked off. It appeared harsh – his hand had nowhere to go – and Guardiola’s chuntering in the ear of Andrea Colombo, the fourth official, underlined the point.
Guardiola is quick to point out when sides defend in a bank and quick to follow up with a line about not judging them. A second Foden corner – from the same right quadrant – again caused disarray and, knowing how shrewd the 53-year-old is, it seemed a ploy to attack the flanks in the hope of breaching the opposition defence aerially.
Savinho skipped along the right, scooped the ball high and Haaland jumped and saw Vindahl save again. Not so, the Norwegian phenom’s next act. Once more Savinho jogged down his corridor, pivoted and floated the ball over. What followed was supreme: Haaland, back to goal, let go the flying backheel that went into the turf and bounced over and beyond Vindahl.
Stones was the match winner at Wolves and he hopped to meet a clever dink from Nunes and head in City’s third. Guardiola’s charges, rampant, collected a fourth, as Haaland ran in, took Nunes’s delivery and struck an emphatic – and rare – right-foot finish. The fifth was added via Nunes’s late spot kick. Even before the clocks go back, City are in imperious form. As Guardiola said: “I enjoy a lot the way we are playing lately.”
Source: theguardian.com
