Manchester Metropolis set a brand new Champions League file as they swept apart Sparta Prague 5-0 on the Etihad on Wednesday.
Metropolis made it a record-breaking 26 video games unbeaten over 90 minutes within the competitors, courtesy of targets from Phil Foden, John Stones, Matheus Nunes and an Erling Haaland brace.
Guardiola’s aspect now transfer one forward of fierce rivals Manchester United, who recorded 25 Champions League video games with out defeat beneath Sir Alex Ferguson between 2007 and 2009.
Champions League targets:
Haaland – 44
Drogba – 44
Neymar – 43
Del Piero – 42He’s nonetheless solely 24 years previous 🤯 pic.twitter.com/SiW5phZKC7
— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) October 23, 2024
The UK has had 4 totally different Prime Ministers since Metropolis final tasted defeat in regular time in Europe, a run stretching again to September 2022.
And Guardiola’s workforce have been on their strategy to extending that feat inside three minutes.
Foden, considered one of 5 gamers introduced into the aspect following the 2-1 win over Wolves on Sunday, took the ball on the half-turn earlier than gliding between two Sparta gamers and arrowing a left-footed strike into the far nook of the web.
From there, Metropolis predictably dominated possession, with the guests, again within the Champions League after 19 years, seemingly content material to get our bodies behind the ball.
Stones, the matchwinner towards Wolves, picked up a reserving for a mistimed problem on the midway line after seven minutes earlier than Haaland’s downward header drew a positive cease from Sparta goalkeeper Peter Vindahl.
The contact.
The fast toes.
The end.Phil Foden strikes first and provides Man Metropolis an early lead ✨
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/2xv9nG16gt
— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) October 23, 2024
On 35-minutes, Vindahl was once more referred to as into motion when Foden unleashed one other left-footed drive that the Danish stopper needed to palm away.
Stefan Ortega within the Metropolis purpose then needed to be alert to maintain out Veljko Birmancevic’s low strike in a uncommon enterprise into Metropolis’s defensive third for the guests.
However regardless of being within the lead, Guardiola appeared removed from a cheerful going into half-time, maybe resulting from his aspect not absolutely capitalising on their dominance.
Virtually instantly after the restart, nonetheless, his gamers appeared to heed their supervisor’s frustration.
From a nook, the returning Nathan Ake thought he had doubled Metropolis’s lead when he bundled the ball over the road on the second try. However the purpose was finally dominated out for handball following a VAR examine.
Haaland, who by his requirements had reduce a largely nameless determine for a lot of the recreation, then did make it two when he popped up with a exceptional piece of improvisation on 58-minutes.
Savinho did nicely to get to the byline earlier than chipping a cross to the close to submit the place the Norwegian leapt into the air and backheeled the ball into the web to maneuver onto 43 Champions League targets.
ACROBATIC BACK-HEEL! 🤯
43 targets in 42 Champions League video games for Erling Haaland… and this one was scored in type 🤖
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/hgwjPgSHTD
— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) October 23, 2024
It was an astonishing, acrobatic end that gave the hosts elevate off. Sparta may do little to resist the ensuing onslaught, as lower than ten minutes later, Stones added a 3rd when he headed Nunes’ cross into the highest nook.
The hosts have been nicely and actually in full stream, oozing confidence as Haaland helped himself to a second 5 minutes later when he despatched a right-footed end into the underside nook after a slick passing transfer.
Metropolis’s quantity 9 wouldn’t, nonetheless, get the possibility to assert a hattrick and gave a wry smile when he was changed on 80 minutes, with Guardiola handing a Champions League debut to 19-year-old Nico O’Reilly.
However that was to not be the top of the motion as Nunes grabbed a fifth when was fouled within the field with two minutes of the 90 left to play.
The Portuguese midfielder picked himself as much as dispatch the ensuing penalty, sending Vindahl the fallacious manner within the course of.
For the guests, who had come into the competition unbeaten within the competitors this time period, it was maybe one thing of a actuality examine.
For Metropolis, in the meantime, the end result was one which many can have predicted earlier than kick-off. However with it, Guardiola’s aspect once more look a pressure to be reckoned with on this season’s Champions League.
