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Haaland Scores Outrageous Goal for Man City in Champions League

Manchester City's Norwegian striker #09 Erling Haaland (C) celebrates scoring the team's fourth goal during the UEFA Champions League football match between Manchester City and Sparta Prague at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on October 23, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
Manchester City's Norwegian striker #09 Erling Haaland (C) celebrates scoring the team's fourth goal during the UEFA Champions League football match between Manchester City and Sparta Prague at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on October 23, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
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Haaland Scores Outrageous Goal for Man City in Champions League

Manchester City's Norwegian striker #09 Erling Haaland (C) celebrates scoring the team's fourth goal during the UEFA Champions League football match between Manchester City and Sparta Prague at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on October 23, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
Manchester City's Norwegian striker #09 Erling Haaland (C) celebrates scoring the team's fourth goal during the UEFA Champions League football match between Manchester City and Sparta Prague at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on October 23, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

Erling Haaland scored an outrageous backheel volley in the Champions League on Wednesday to issue a timely reminder of his own credentials as a potential Ballon d'Or winner.
A day after Vinicius Junior hit a hat trick for Real Madrid, Haaland scored an early contender for goal of the season with his acrobatic effort in Manchester City's 5-0 win against Sparta Prague.
Vinicius Junior is the favorite to win soccer's most prestigious individual prize when it is presented at a gala ceremony in Paris on Monday. But Haaland, who came runner-up to Lionel Messi for last year's award, once again showcased his scoring prowess with two goals as City set a new Champions League record of 26 games unbeaten, The Associated Press reported.
Haaland's volley in the 58th minute at the Etihad Stadium was a moment of individual brilliance. From around six meters and with his back to goal, the Norway striker leaped in the air and flicked the back of his foot to meet Savinho's cross from the right. Connecting powerfully with his heel, the ball shot down into the turf and bounced high into the top corner beyond Prague goalkeeper Peter Vindahl.
“If I tried to do that I’d pull my groin. I don’t know how he did it, I just think it’s just his long legs. He’s a freak isn’t he?” Haaland’s City teammate Phil Foden said. “It shows he has this talent that no one else can do.”
City manager Pep Guardiola said the goal was not normal “for a human” and likened the forward to Sweden great Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“It’s unbelievable this talent that this guy has,” he said.
Haaland scored his second in the 68th to take his season's total to 13 goals in 12 games in all competitions. His record in the Champions League is now 44 goals in 42 games.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the all-time leading scorer in European club soccer's elite competition with 141 goals. Messi is second on 129. Haaland is 17th and rising quickly.
But he is expected to miss out on this year's Ballon d'Or with Vinicius Junior seen as the man to beat, ahead of Haaland's City teammate Rodri.
Haaland, however, is likely to contend for years to come if he continues his goal scoring exploits, with Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe leading a new generation after Messi and Ronaldo dominated the award for more than a decade.
Neither of those soccer greats, who won 13 titles between them, were nominated this year, appearing to usher in a new era.

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Guardiola Hits 'Reset' with Man City Floundering in the Premier League

Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola watches the play during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)
Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola watches the play during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)
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Guardiola Hits 'Reset' with Man City Floundering in the Premier League

Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola watches the play during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)
Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola watches the play during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)

For Pep Guardiola, the season starts now.

Chastened. Relieved. Defiant. The Manchester City manager displayed a whole range of emotions after his latest ordeal at Anfield that plunged the out-of-sorts English champions to an unlikely low.

Make that seven matches without a win for a team which, not so long ago, never lost.

That’s all in the past for Guardiola, though, The AP reported.

“Reset,” he said after a 2-0 loss to Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday. “There’s a feeling we start from here this season.”

How he intends to move on from the worst run of results in his managerial career remains to be seen. But it all starts Wednesday with a home game against Nottingham Forest.

“We are not used to this,” Guardiola said. “Many, many things are happening. The teams are good and we can’t handle it right now. I have to find the solution to be stable and solid.

“These players gave me a chance to lead maybe the best years of my life. All I can do is find a solution — in the right moment, the club will make the decision what is needed for this club to continue to be there.”

Was he referring to making signings in the January transfer window? City’s fatigued and injury-ravaged squad sure needs some, especially in midfield.

Or was he referring to his own future? It’s not the first time in recent days that Guardiola brought up how fragile his position could quickly become if City keeps on losing.

Moments before walking down the tunnel after the final whistle at Anfield, Guardiola held up one outstretched hand and an extra finger as a retort to taunts by Liverpool fans. It was a nod to the six Premier League titles he has won in eight full seasons at City.

No. 7 doesn’t look likely this season. Not with City already 11 points behind Liverpool.

“Call me delusional or something like that,” Guardiola said, “but I have the feeling we will try to build back our confidence to win games.”

Indeed, Guardiola said he was taking some belief from recent training sessions. From the return to fitness of some players, such as Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku. Maybe from a second-half display against Liverpool that, while hardly vintage City, at least showed some spirit and resolve, even if Liverpool appeared happy to play on the break and never looked troubled.

It felt like Guardiola was relieved to come away from Anfield with the damage limited and City’s hardest fixture of the season out of the way.

Yet his comments will sound so hollow if City goes on to lose to — or even draw with — sixth-place Forest, which is only one point and one spot further back and has a manager in Nuno Espirito Santo who has enjoyed some surprise results at City with former club Wolverhampton. Forest also is the only team to beat Liverpool in 20 games this season.

“Let's not forget they are the champions,” Espirito Santo said of City, “the team that won so many (titles) with so many quality players. It's going to be very tough.

“We'll take what other opponents did right (against City) so we can do it again.”

Guardiola's masterplan might include a change of role for Grealish, who could yet play more centrally as a No. 10 rather than as a winger. Or a first start since September for Kevin De Bruyne, who has had to settle for cameo roles off the bench as he struggles to fully overcome a groin injury.

Getting some energy into his midfield will be important as the absence of Rodri and Mateo Kovacic continues to bite hard and be City's biggest issue. That might come in the form of a new signing next month, unless Guardiola is working on a new plan on the training ground.

A midweek victory for City, coupled with setbacks for Liverpool at Newcastle and Arsenal at home to Manchester United elsewhere Wednesday, could yet rekindle some belief that all is not lost this season.

On current form, this is unlikely.

“I think it’s almost a mini-crisis at Manchester City," said Jamie Carragher, a pundit for British broadcaster Sky Sports. "I think City might have a fight on their hands for top four.”