Soccer Football - Champions League - Manchester City v Sparta Prague - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - October 23, 2024 Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Molly Darlington
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -Erling Haaland back-heeled home a stunning strike, the first of two goals on the night for Manchester City's goal-scoring 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 who climbed to third in Europe's elite club competition with seven points after three games, while Sparta have four points.
City are now unbeaten in 26 successive Champions League matches, the longest unbeaten streak by any club in the competition's history, breaking the record of 25 by Manchester United from 2007-2009.
Haaland was the star of the show, bringing the blue-clad City fans out of their seats at Etihad Stadium when he scored in spectacular fashion in the 58th minute, leaping high to backheel home Savinho's cross from out of the air.
"I saw it when the ball came in. It's unbelievable. He's a statue. So tall and so flexible," Guardiola said. "I like it, he has this sense of humour. Unbelievable."
Nunes added: "What an amazing goal. I was speechless after that. When he scored a similar goal against Dortmund I was watching on TV so to see this live it was amazing."
The 24-year-old Norwegian completed his brace with a more traditional finish in the 68th minute, easily slotting home a pass from Savinho to put his scoring tally at 44 Champions League goals in 42 games.
Haaland climbed level with Didier Drogba in 16th spot on the all-time scoring list in the European competition, although Drogba took 92 games to reach the mark.
Foden got the 2023 Champions League winners on the scoreboard in the third minute when he latched on to a pass from Manuel Akanji and slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
Stones padded City's lead in the 64th minute when he leapt to head home from a superb cross from Nunes.
Both Foden and Stones were instrumental in City's 2-1 Premier League victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, with Foden delivering the corner which led to Stones's stoppage-time winner.
City were awarded a penalty in the 88th minute, for a foul by Angelo Preciado, and Nunes fired his shot past keeper Peter Vindahl Jensen.
While Czech champions Sparta had a few chances on the counter-attack in the first half, City pummelled the visitors with 22 shots to their five on the night, with 10 of them on target.
"We played against the best team in the world," Sparta manager Lars Friis said. "We played against the best players in the world. We handled Haaland well and then he pops up with a goal like this."
City, who drew 0-0 with Inter Milan and then thrashed Slovan Bratislava 4-0 in their first two games, next visit Sporting in the new 36-team league phase, with the top eight automatically making the last 16.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; editing by Clare Fallon)
