'Not normal for a human being' - Pep Guardiola leads tributes to Erling Haaland's wonder goal

As the Etihad erupted in a roar of shock and awe, Pep Guardiola turned to his bench in confusion.

Manchester City's obstructed manager had a player blocking his view when Erling Haaland took to the sky, contorting his hulking frame to somehow back-heel Savinho's chipped cross beyond Sparta Prague's helpless goalkeeper. On a night when City set a new Champions League record with a 5-0 thrashing, Haaland's brilliance outshone everything else.

"I didn't know how he scored," Guardiola gushed post-game after pouring over the replays. "For a human being, I would say no [it's not normal]. He made a fantastic goal. He can touch 15 or 20 balls but have seven or eight chances. It's unbelievable."

Haaland scored with just his 12th touch - which happened to be his eighth shot - in the 58th minute of a one-sided contest. After a flurry of conventional headers had been beaten away by Peter Vindahl, Haaland ascended his invisible staircase.

While his staggering effort on Wednesday night would represent a once-in-a-lifetime strike for most players, there was a sense of deja-vu for Haaland. "He made an incredible goal, similar to [Borussia] Dortmund a few years ago," Guardiola recalled. "I don't know which one is more difficult but I would say both."

City's dumbstruck coach likened Haaland's flying back-heel against Dortmund in September 2022 to Johan Cruyff's legendary strike for Barcelona in 1973. The Norwegian's most recent stunner was quickly compared to the best of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's acrobatic efforts.

Matheus Nunes was still a Wolverhampton Wanderers player for Haaland's homage to Cruyff, but was the closest City player to his feat of aerial artistry in midweek. "What an amazing goal," the Portuguese midfielder spluttered. "I was speechless after that. When he scored a similar goal against Dortmund I was watching on TV, so to see this live, it was amazing."

Phil Foden opened the scoring against Sparta with a deft finish after a weaving run which looked pedestrian in comparison to Haaland. "I just spoke to him and said: 'If I tried to do that I'd pull my groin!'" Foden laughed. "I don't know how he did it I just think it's just his long legs. He's a freak, isn't he?"

"What can you say," Sparta Prague coach Lars Friis sighed, "he's maybe the best striker in the world. He's world class. We felt we had good hands on him but then he pops up with a goal like this."

Bernardo Silva delivered the most fitting tribute. As Haaland wheeled away to the corner flag, suppressing a childish grin, City's midfielder was frozen, planting one hand on his hip while scratching his head with the other.

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