Did anyone actually think Pep Guardiola (51) would be impressed by 17 goals in 11 competitive games?
ManCity star Erling Haaland (22) got off to a great start in England, scoring his third hat-trick of the season in a spectacular 6-3 win over ManUnited. But his trainer steps on the euphoria brakes with both feet.
For this he tries to compare his former favorite student Lionel Messi (35 / now Paris St. Germain). Guardiola: “The difference is that Erling might need all his teammates, while Messi did it on his own.”
He had previously been asked if he had a similar feeling at Haaland as he had with Messi, whom he coached at Barça from 2008 to 2012.
Messi (from left) and Pep – The Argentinian had complete freedom with tactical fanatic Guardiola
Photo: dpa
Pep emphasized that he didn’t want to talk bad about his top striker. But the special relationship he has with Messi is of course no secret.
Nevertheless, it is of course not as easy as Pep makes it out to be in his statement. After all, Messi played alongside the likes of Xavi (42), Andres Iniesta (38) and Ronaldinho (42) in Barcelona. They too have left their mark on the history of football.
But it is clear what Guardiola wants to achieve with it. Either he tries somehow to keep the self-confident Norwegian on the ground. Which is difficult when you see the force with which he is currently raging through the Premier League penalty areas.
Or he wants to make it even hotter, which is also hard to imagine. After all, the real heavyweights of the Premier League are still to come in the next few weeks, to which ManUnited (currently number 6) apparently no longer belongs.
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It’s about Haaland
Pep swipe at BVB!
Source: Pressbox
︎ Speaking of Messi: The Argentinian icon also started the World Cup season at full throttle. In twelve competitive games he has shone with seven goals and eight assists, plus nine (!) goals from the last three international matches.