Pep Guardiola Rejects Haaland Comparisons to Messi After Man City Hat Trick

Pep Guardiola Rejects Haaland Comparisons to Messi After Man City Hat Trick

  • Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick to help Manchester City secure a comfortable 4-1 win against Ipswich Town
  • The Norwegian striker is aiming to win the Premier League Golden Boot three consecutive times
  • Pep Guardiola was asked if Haaland is the most complete centre-forward he has ever seen, and he gave an intriguing answer

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has dismissed comparisons between Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi.

The Norwegian striker bagged a hat-trick in Man City's 4-1 win over Ipswich Town in their second Premier League game of the 2024/25 season.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is one of the few coaches to coach Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi have scored many goals under Pep Guardiola. Photos by Michael Regan - The FA and Josep Lago.
Source: UGC

The striker was on fire as the defending champions registered their second Premier League win against the newly promoted side.

Man City went behind early in the second half but fired back minutes later and never looked back as Haaland bagged a hat-trick to take his tally this season to four goals.

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The towering striker now has 23 hat tricks in his career and is still only 24. He has 94 goals in 101 games for the club.

Guardiola on Haaland vs Messi

A reporter asked Guardiola if Haaland is the most complete centre forward he has seen after his hat trick. The former Barcelona coach dismissed it and gave an interesting answer.

"The most incredible forward I have seen is Messi. I think he can sit in the table in terms of scoring goals with Cristiano Ronaldo," per BeIn Sports.

Guardiola coached Messi for four seasons at Barcelona, and under his guidance, the Argentine produced the best season for any footballer in the 21st century.

He scored 73 goals in the 1011/12 season and won a Ballon d'Or every season under Guardiola. His World Cup win in 2022 cemented his status as arguably the greatest footballer ever.

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Salah, Haaland and other Premier League top scorers in the 2020s

Meanwhile, Haaland is considered the best player in the world right now. He has won every trophy in club football and has been breaking records in the Premier League despite joining two seasons ago.

Which team can beat Man City to title?

Legit.ng earlier reported that former Man United midfielder Paul Scholes named one Premier League team that could edge Man City in the title race.

The 11-time Premier League winner believes Arsenal can win the title this season after narrowly missing out last season

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Authors:
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Chukwu Ikechukwu (Sports Editor) Chukwu Ikechukwu Godwin is a seasoned sports journalist with over a decade of experience across radio, TV, and online media. His career has seen him contribute his expertise to prominent media outlets such as Today FM, Wish FM, Silverbird Communications, and Sports Brief. Chukwu earned his Bachelor's degree in Agriculture from the University of Port Harcourt in 2016. Email: Chukwu.ikechukwu@corp.legit.ng