Erling Haaland and Manchester City love the Champions League and Slovan Bratislava were just another victim.
The Slovakians were merely fodder for Pep Guardiola‘s men as they eased to a 4-0 win at the Tehelne Pole on Tuesday night.
Haaland was amongst the goals for City in their victory against Slovan BratislavaRex
Ilkay Gundogan broke the deadlock in just the eighth minute in what was his first goal for City since returning from Barcelona in the summer.
Phil Foden then added a second for the visitors shortly later to join an exclusive Champions League club with three other European stars.
His goal has seen him join Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann in becoming one of four players that have scored in each of the last seven Champions League campaigns.
Haaland then grabbed his customary goal – his 11th of the season – just after half-time when he rounded Bratislava goalkeeper Dominik Takac.
Academy graduate James McAtee completed the rout in the 74th minute.
City’s win means that Haaland is now unbeaten in all 22 games that he has featured in for the Premier League champions in the competition.
That’s the most ever by a player for a single club in the Champions League.
Overall he’s won 15 and drawn seven of his European matches with the Citizens, and that includes their victory in the 2022/23 final against Inter Milan.
Man City did lose last season in the quarter-finals to Real Madrid, however, they were 3-3 and 1-1 draws so the tie was decided via a penalty shoot-out – not in regulation time.
In that spell, Haaland has managed 19 goals and two assists.
Haaland has been in imperious form this season – scoring 11 goals in all competitionsGetty
The Citizens have shown why they are one of the favourites to win the Champions League this seasonAFP
The Premier League giants, meanwhile, finally equalled the record for the longest unbeaten run in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history.
Manchester United had held it since 2009 when they went 25 games without defeat in 90 minutes between September 2007 and May 2009.
But City have now levelled the feat, set by Sir Alex Ferguson‘s men, with a record stretching back to the semi-final loss to Real Madrid in May 22.
That’s included an impressive 17 wins and eight draws.
Man United completed the same achievement with 16 victories and nine draws.
But City’s victory against Bratislava has seen them set a new Champions League record at United’s expense.
Their 4-0 win means they have now won 13 matches by a margin of four or more goals under Pep Guardiola – the most victories by a manger with the same club in the competition.
They had been level with United on 12, who won by by four or more goals under Ferguson’s tutelage.
JOIN THE DUGOUT
Have your say on all things talkSPORT by joining ‘The DUGOUT’ – our new listener panel.
We’re all about diving deep into your perspectives, and making sure talkSPORT is the absolute best it can be. Your voice matters, and we want to hear it!
Pitch your game-changing ideas, and join in with fun surveys, polls, and locker-room discussions.
Just by joining, you’ll enter a prize draw to win one of four £50 Amazon vouchers, with another prize draw entry for every survey you complete after that
To join the ‘The DUGOUT’ panel, please click here.