Man City player ratings vs Sparta Prague: Erling Haaland, are you kidding?! Norwegian superstar owns the stage in dominant Champions League win as Savinho also sizzles for Pep Guardiola’s side

Erling Haaland lives for Champions League nights and he must have been licking his lips when he saw Sparta Prague were coming to town. The Norwegian took full advantage of the mismatch in quality in a 5-0 thumping, scoring an outrageous backheeled volley after Phil Foden had given City an early lead.

John Stones used his head as a deadly weapon for the second game in a row before Haaland lashed home his second for his 44th goal in the Champions League, taking him ahead of Neymar in the all-time scoring charts and level with Didier Drogba.

Matheus Nunes completed the rout by slotting in a late penalty, piling more pain on the sorry Czechs. GOAL rates Man City’s players from the Etihad Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Stefan Ortega (6/10):

  Only had one save to make but did well to tip away Veljko Birmancevic’s strike when City were only 1-0 up.

  John Stones (7/10):

  Played in a very advanced position in a throwback to two seasons ago and showed his heading prowess for the second game in a row.

  Manuel Akanji (6/10):

  Pushed up high and was occasionally caught out but his positioning also saw him feed Foden.

  Nathan Ake (6/10):

  Used his strength effectively. Had a goal ruled out for handball.

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    Midfield

    Rico Lewis (7/10):

    Popped up all over the pitch, always making the right decision.

    Ilkay Gundogan (6/10):

    Did a lot of orchestrating but occasionally was too ponderous in possession.

    Matheus Nunes (7/10):

    Gave another demonstration of his steady improvement with a confident performance, setting up Stones’ header with an arching cross before winning and converting a penalty.

    Bernardo Silva (7/10)

    His seamless passing ensured City had total control.

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    Attack

    Savinho (8/10):

    Ran the visitors ragged down the right wing, destroying opponents while also slowing down in time for his team-mates to join the attack.

    Erling Haaland (9/10):

    Looked dangerous from start to finish, having eight goal attempts with just 12 touches when he scored his first goal in obscene fashion. His second wasn’t bad either but he will be disappointed he wasn’t on the pitch when the penalty was awarded.

    Phil Foden (7/10):

    Approaching his best form after an injury-disrupted start to the season. Took his goal superbly and was a constant headache for the visitors between the lines.

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    Subs & Manager

    James McAtee (6/10):

    Got on the ball a lot in his 21 minutes on the pitch.

    Mateo Kovacic (5/10):

    Had a very simple job to do when he came on with City 4-0 up.

    Josko Gvardiol (5/10):

    Didn’t have to overexert himself.

    Ruben Dias (5/10):

    Enjoyed a 16-minute stroll.

    Nico O’Reilly (N/A):

    Made his Champions League debut in 81st minute and was a fraction too slow to mark it by scoring.

    Pep Guardiola (7/10):

    Looked furious with the first-half performance but must be pleased with the second-half blitz.