Pep Guardiola unexpectedly mentioned Messi after the Champions League victory

Pep Guardiola showed contentment as he saw both Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva score, leading Manchester City to a 2-0 victory away at Villarreal in the Champions League match held on the morning of October 22 (Vietnam time).

Haaland continued his impressive scoring streak by opening the scoring for the visitors, raising his total to 24 goals in 14 games across all competitions for both club and Norway this season. Notably, before this, the “Norwegian giant” had scored all 7 of Man City's recent goals until captain Bernardo Silva headed in to seal the 2-0 victory, ending the European champions’ reliance solely on Haaland.

Pep Guardiola commented after the match: “I’m very happy that Erling scored again, but even happier that Bernardo also found the net, and with a header too. It reminds me of Messi, those smaller players who are excellent at heading, as if they have a hammer in their neck.”

The Spanish coach also praised the whole team’s performance: “This win is very important. Villarreal is a quality team, they had chances but we controlled the game well. In the first half, the entire team played impressively, scoring at the right moment and consistently posing a threat.”

This victory helps Man City maintain a 9-match unbeaten streak across all competitions, while earning 7 points from 3 group stage matches in the Champions League, a strong start compared to last season when they struggled and failed to advance past the round of 16.

Pep Guardiola emphasized that the difference from last season lies in squad depth: “Last season we had too many injuries, with only 15–16 fit players. They had to play every three days and were exhausted after 70 minutes. This year the situation is better and the results reflect that.”

However, the 53-year-old coach still warned his players against complacency: “I’m satisfied with the clean sheet and the win but a 2-0 scoreline is never completely safe. They had two clear chances and we must fix moments like that if we want to be European champions.”

Man City will continue their Champions League journey with confidence, aiming to defend their title, as Pep Guardiola increasingly finds a balance between Haaland’s power and the contributions of other stars.

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