Guardiola: It is difficult to find humble world-class players like Haaland

Pep Guardiola was full of praise for Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, claiming it is difficult to find a “real world-class player” who is “incredibly humble”.

Haaland has enjoyed another fast start to the season, scoring 13 goals in 10 Premier League games and four times in three Champions League appearances.

City’s next match is against Haaland’s former side, Borussia Dortmund, and the Norwegian striker could make some history against the Bundesliga outfit.

Haaland could become the first player to score in five consecutive Champions League appearances for as many as three different teams, having previously done so for RB Salzburg (November 2019, five games) and Dortmund (March 2021, six games).

Guardiola believes that having a player with Haaland’s quality on the pitch and personality off it is quite rare.

“It is difficult to find a real, real world-class player that is incredibly humble and thinks what is the best for the team,” said Guardiola.

“It is difficult to find. When a player has this kind of ability and the talent and generosity and kindness, whatever you want to say and Erling is like that.

“Normally a striker just thinks of goals, goals, goals. Of course he has to score goals, that is obviously clear. But he signed a contract for 10 years and the more he is involved in many things will be better for him and the club.”

Guardiola is unbeaten in his last 10 games against Dortmund across all competitions (W6 D4), with his most recent defeat against them coming in the 2014 Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup final.

All three of his defeats in 15 total matches against Dortmund (W8 D4) came between 2013 and 2014 during Jurgen Klopp’s reign.

The Spaniard was asked how he adapted his tactics to Haaland’s style of play, but insisted it was not a challenge.

Guardiola added: “I played with false-9s with [Lionel] Messi. I played with false-9 with [Robert] Lewandowski, I played that way with Sergio Aguero and here with Phil Foden and now with Erling we cannot play that way because he is too good.”