Not Haaland, Pep compares a Man City star to Messi

Coach Pep Guardiola once again caught fans off guard with his comments following Manchester City's 2-0 win against Villarreal in the Champions League group phase.

During the match in Spain, Haaland opened the scoring for Man City in the 17th minute assisted by Rico Lewis, extending his scoring streak to 12 consecutive games across all competitions. By the 40th minute, Bernardo Silva doubled the lead with a powerful header from Savinho’s cross, sealing a comfortable 2-0 victory for the English champions.

After the game, Guardiola expressed his satisfaction:

“I’m very happy that Erling keeps scoring, and also delighted for Bernardo, who scored with a header. He reminds me of Messi. They are both small in stature, but have strong and precise headers. It’s truly remarkable.”

The 54-year-old coach also praised the team’s spirit after three consecutive wins:

“The atmosphere within the team is excellent. In the first half, we played impressively, scoring at the right moment and controlling the game perfectly.”

Despite the convincing win, Guardiola has reasons to worry as Man City’s midfield continues to suffer from injuries. Rodri, recently back from a ligament injury, now faces issues with his knee and hamstring. Meanwhile, Nico Gonzalez, who replaced Rodri, had to leave early due to knee pain.

Mateo Kovacic was brought on as a substitute, but he has just recovered from an Achilles tendon injury and is not yet at full fitness. These setbacks have led Guardiola to consider adding more midfielders in the upcoming transfer window, even though Man City signed Tijjani Reijnders last summer.

According to British media, Man City is competing with Chelsea to acquire one of the Premier League’s best defensive midfielders and is also monitoring Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich) and Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid).

At the same time, the Etihad club is reportedly in contact with a Barcelona defender and shows special interest in a Portuguese talent dubbed the “new Kaka,” indicating Guardiola is still searching for fresh pieces to sustain his successful reign.