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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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Sainz Wins Mexico City Grand Prix as Norris Tightens Championship Fight

Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz rises the winner's trophy after winning the Mexico City Formula One Grand Prix at the Hermanos Rodríguez racetrack, in Mexico City on October 27, 2024. (AFP)
Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz rises the winner's trophy after winning the Mexico City Formula One Grand Prix at the Hermanos Rodríguez racetrack, in Mexico City on October 27, 2024. (AFP)
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Sainz Wins Mexico City Grand Prix as Norris Tightens Championship Fight

Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz rises the winner's trophy after winning the Mexico City Formula One Grand Prix at the Hermanos Rodríguez racetrack, in Mexico City on October 27, 2024. (AFP)
Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz rises the winner's trophy after winning the Mexico City Formula One Grand Prix at the Hermanos Rodríguez racetrack, in Mexico City on October 27, 2024. (AFP)

Carlos Sainz Jr. got the win he desperately wanted in the final days of his Ferrari career. The Formula 1 title race, meanwhile, grew a lot more contentious.

Sainz won the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday and Lando Norris closed the gap on Max Verstappen after another furious battle that cost the reigning three-time series champion three penalties and shaved 10 points off Verstappen's lead in the standings.

Sainz not only won but finished on the podium for the first time in Mexico City. It was the fourth win of his career, and second of the season for the driver who is being replaced by Lewis Hamilton next year at Ferrari. The Spaniard had never before won two races in a season.

"Honestly, I really wanted this one," said Sainz, who sounded emotional on his radio on the cool-down lap. "I really needed it for myself, I wanted to get it done. I've been saying for a while I wanted to get one more win before leaving Ferrari, and to do it here in front of this mega crowd, it is incredible."

Verstappen started second and took the lead from pole-sitter Sainz on the start, but the first lap quickly drew a caution when contact between Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon caused Tsundona to crash and Albon to retire with damage to his car.

The restart was spicy with the Ferraris racing Verstappen and Norris for position. And for a second consecutive week, the title contenders clashed.

Norris was penalized last week. This time it cost Verstappen two penalties totaling 20 seconds. After the race, the FIA also penalized Verstappen two points to give him six for the 12-month period.

"I knew what to expect. I don't want to expect such a thing, because I respect Max a lot as a driver, but I was waiting to expect something like this," Norris said of Verstappen's driving. "Not very clean driving in my opinion, but I avoided it."

Norris was penalized a week ago at the United States Grand Prix for forcing Verstappen off track — a punishment that gave the final spot on the podium to the three-time reigning world champion. It also allowed Verstappen to widen his lead in the driver standings to 57 points before the race Sunday.

The tables were turned at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez when Verstappen was given a 10-second penalty for banging wheels with Norris and forcing Norris off the track.

"Ten? That's aggressive," Verstappen said.

He then was slapped with a second 10-second penalty for gaining position when he left the track for a combined 20-second penalty to be served on his first pit stop.

"That's fine then. That's silly, man," Verstappen radioed.

He pitted from third on Lap 27 and his mechanics could not begin his service until the 20-second penalty was served. He dropped to 15th when he rejoined the race.

Although Verstappen recovered to finish sixth, Norris spoiled what looked to be a Ferrari sweep when he snatched second place from Charles Leclerc with eight laps remaining. The finishes were a 10-point swing for Norris, who now trails Verstappen by 47 points with four races remaining.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner brought printed sheets of telemetry to his post-race media session to argue against one of Verstappen's penalties. He also argued that part of the punishments were carry-over from last week's incidents with Norris, when many thought Verstappen also deserved a penalty, and that F1 is in danger of being overpoliced.

"Obviously, there's been a reaction to last weekend and I think it's very important for the drivers, stewards to sit down," Horner said. "It used to be a reward of the bravest driver to go around the outside. I think we're in danger of flipping the overtaking laws upside down. We're overcomplicating things and when you have to revert to an instruction manual for an overtake ... it's something that just needs to be tidied up."

Horner said Red Bull would not appeal the penalties the way McLaren did this week.

Leclerc, meanwhile, finished third and set the fastest lap of the race for Ferrari, which like McLaren is trying to dethrone Red Bull for the lucrative constructors' championship. Ferrari jumped ahead of Red Bull for second in the standings and trails McLaren by 27 points. Red Bull, which won the last two constructors' titles, is now third in the standings.

"Obviously, the constructors is still our target and we are getting closer to it," Leclerc said. "I hope we can continue in that direction and get that constructors' title, which is very important."

Mercedes drivers Hamilton and George Russell finished fourth and fifth and Verstappen was sixth. Kevin Magnussen was seventh for Haas and followed by Oscar Piastri of McLaren, Nico Hülkenberg of Haas and Pierre Gasly of Alpine.

Perez's long day

Embattled driver Sergio Perez had a long day at his home race from the very start.

The Mexican, who was eliminated in the first round of qualifying to earn an 18th-place starting spot, gained five positions at the start. But was immediately handed a five-second penalty for being outside his box at the start.

It dropped him to 16th and he finished 17th.

Perez also got into a wheel-to-wheel battle with Liam Lawson that turned contentious on team radio as the two battled for position on the 19th lap.

"What the (expletive) is this idiot doing? Is he OK?" Perez asked on his radio as the drivers went wheel-to-wheel and made contact. Perez was run wide of the track in the battle.

Lawson was just as irate and flashed his middle finger at Perez.

"Is he (expletive) serious?" Lawson asked on his radio.

"Loud and clear, we'll review it, head down," Lawson was told by his RB team, which is Red Bull's junior team.

Lawson reportedly apologized to Perez after, according to Horner, but Perez's job status is in danger. He is eighth in the driver standings and a huge reason why Red Bull has slipped in the constructors' championship.

When asked directly by The Associated Press if Perez, who this year was signed to an extension through 2025, if Perez would even finish the season, Horner refused to commit.

"There comes a point in time that difficult decisions have to be made," Horner said. "We're now third in the constructors' championship."

Alonso out early

Fernando Alonso's 400th career Formula 1 start was a short one: he drove his Aston Martin back the garage on the 16th lap.

He finished 18th and the team said the brakes on his Aston Martin were overheating.

Alonso began the race weekend ill and skipped Thursday events but returned by Friday's second practice. The two-time F1 champion already held the record for most starts in series history, setting the record when he passed Kimi Räikkönen, who retired with 353 starts.

The 43-year-old Alonso started the race ninth in the driver standings. He has 32 career victories and 106 podium finishes.