Man City 5-0 Sparta (Oct 23, 2024) Match analysis

Erling Haaland scored a stunning back-heel strike, the first of two goals on the night for Manchester City's goalscoring machine, as City cruised past Sparta Prague 5-0 on Wednesday to remain unbeaten in their Champions League campaign.

Phil Foden, John Stones and Matheus Nunes also scored for Pep Guardiola's side, which climbed to third place in Europe's elite club competition with seven points after three games, while Sparta have four points.

Haaland brought the blue-clad City fans out of their seats at the Etihad Stadium when he scored in spectacular fashion in the 58th minute, leaping high and back-heeling Savinho's mid-air cross into the goal.

The 24-year-old Norwegian completed his brace with a more traditional finish in the 68th minute, easily firing home a pass from Savinho and taking his goal tally to 44 Champions League goals in 42 games.

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Haaland moved into 16th place on the all-time top scorers list in European competition with Didier Drogba, although it took Drogba 92 games to reach that mark.

Foden put the 2023 Champions League winners on the scoreboard in the third minute when he capitalized on a pass from Manuel Akanji and fired the ball into the bottom corner.

Stones extended City's lead in the 64th minute when he headed home from a great cross from Nunes.

Both Foden and Stones were instrumental in City's 2-1 Premier League win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, with Foden providing the corner that led to Stones' stoppage-time winner.

City were awarded a penalty in the 88th minute for a foul by Ángelo Preciado, and Nunes fired his shot past goalkeeper Peter Vindahl Jensen.

While Czech champions Sparta had a few counterattack chances in the first half, City overwhelmed the visitors on the night with 22 of their five shots, ten of which found the target.

City, who drew 0-0 with Inter Milan and then beat Slovan Bratislava 4-0 in their first two games, next host Sporting in the new 36-team league stage, with the top eight automatically progressing to the round of 16 .