Manchester City had another night to remember in the Champions League as they beat Sparta Prague 5-0 at the Etihad on Wednesday night.
After some underwhelming recent displays, this was back to City at their best, led by Erling Haaland, the scorer of a truly ridiculous goal in the second period.
It took just three minutes for City to find the opener on the night as Phil Foden collected the ball at the edge of the box, drove into the area and unleashed a powerful strike into the bottom corner. Pep Guardiola last week faced questions about his side's struggles to break down a low block - getting Foden back to full fitness and regularly in the team seems like the obvious solution to that particular issue.
Finding Haaland was also a problem at Molineux on Sunday but three times the Blues managed to pick him out with crosses in the opening half an hour. However, all three headers were stopped by Sparta keeper Peter Vindahl, the first of which after 10 minutes required a spectacular full-length dive to his bottom right corner.
City played with good intensity in possession, but couldn’t help another of their fragilities this season resurfacing: preventing counter attacks. Stefan Ortega, given a run out in place of Ederson, had to be on hand to claw Veljko Birmancevic’s low strike away, while Angelo Preciado also saw a speculative effort from distance fly over.
City did regain greater control in the latter stages of the first half with Foden twice going close and Savinho also cutting inside and firing wide. But there was no second goal before the break, a fact that seemed to frustrate an irritable Guardiola as he made his way down the tunnel at half-time.
His mood was only worsened within minutes of the game getting under way again when Nathan Ake saw a goal ruled out for handball. The ball had bounced around the box and inadvertently struck his arm before he tapped it in. Harsh as it may have been, the goal was correctly chalked off.
Haaland also looked slightly frustrated when he saw a fourth header of the night saved, until he produced the game’s big talking point. Savinho’s cross into the box fell at an awkward height and position for City’s no.9. Yet, somehow, against the laws of physics, he managed to get his heel to the ball and, with his back to goal, flick it into the net. Words don’t do it justice, this was magnificent, completely unique and totally unteachable. Google it. You have to see it to believe it.
But it gave City the spark they needed in the second half. John Stones can’t stop scoring now - his header from an Ilkay Gundogan cross was his third in the last six outings.
Before the visitors could reset, it was four. This time Haaland turned inside and finished with his right foot after some good link-up play from Rico Lewis, Foden and Matheus Nunes. That was a third goal in 10 minutes for City, but Haaland was denied the chance of another hat-trick soon after as he made way.
The fifth did come late on as Nunes was felled in the box and then confidently dispatched the subsequent penalty to score a first Champions League goal of his career.
It wrapped up an important three points for City in the Champions League and moved them onto 26 without defeat in the competition - a new Champions League record. Here’s how we rated the City players…
1. Stefan Ortega- 7
Made one impressive save in the first half, the only real action of the night. The keeper helped start moves with the ball at his feet and was an out-ball for defenders when required.
2. Rico Lewis- 7
Pushed into midfield when City had the ball and also provided an option in the wide areas when City were in possession. Lewis played well again but did nearly set up Sparta for a second-half chance via a loose pass back to Ortega.
3. John Stones- 5.5 (off 74)
In general, played well, but was needlessly booked in the first half and under-hit a second-half pass that helped launch a rare Sparta attack.
4. Manuel Akanji- 6
Didn't have much defending to do and mainly moved the ball from centre-back in a quiet night for City's defenders.