I could play with a false nine with Messi or Lewandowski, but not now as Haaland is too good – Guardiola

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has played with a false nine before – even though he had striking options such as Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi – but he says it’s impossible with Erling Haaland because he is “too good”.

Haaland comes up against his former club Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League tomorrow night in a rich vein of form. The Norway international has scored 26 goals in 16 games for club and country this season, including two in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat of Bournemouth.

Guardiola has shown plenty of tactical flexibility over his long coaching career and says he was happy not to play with a recognised striker when at Barcelona and Bayern Munich but says Haaland is impossible to leave out.

“I played with false-9s with [Lionel] Messi,” he said. “I played with false-9s 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.” 

Haaland thinks what is best for the team – Guardiola

Haaland is firmly on course to break his own record of 57 goals in a season but Guardiola says he never puts his thirst for personal success over that of the team.

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

“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 tried to protect Haaland

The City boss admitted, however, that he tries his utmost to tailor his team’s play to keep his star man fit.

“I always try to organise the team to allow him to run as less as possible,” he said. “He is so big and cannot play 90 minutes every three days and make the big actions. I don’t want that. 

“I always think of the teams every three days and manage to control the ball through the passes and can handle the game the way you want to – you survive. Less injuries also. 

“But when that is not possible, he has to help us and he is helping us.”