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.