Manchester City vs Sparta Praha

Manchester City have set a new record for unbeaten games in the history of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, going 26 without defeat (W18 D8) and breaking the record set by rivals Manchester United between 2007 and 2009 (a run of 25).

Erling Haaland scored his 20th and 21st UEFA Champions League goals for Man City tonight in just his 23rd appearance for them in the competition. Only Ruud van Nistelrooy (20 in 21 games for Man Utd) has scored 20 goals for a club in fewer games in Champions League history.

Tonight was Manchester City’s sixth victory by 5+ goals in the UEFA Champions League – the only English team with more is Liverpool (7). It was Pep Guardiola’s 14th overall, which is nine more than any other manager in Champions League history.

Manchester City have never previously faced Sparta Prague in any European competition. Their only two games against a Czechia side were in the 2013-14 UEFA Champions League group stage, beating Viktoria Plzen both away (3-0) and at the Etihad (4-2).

Manchester City will be the ninth English side Sparta Prague have faced in major European competition. They’ve only managed to win four of 22 games against English teams (D4 L14), losing both games against Liverpool in last season’s UEFA Europa League last 16 and going out 11-2 on aggregate.

Manchester City are unbeaten in their previous 32 games at home in the UEFA Champions League (W28 D4); they are only the fourth side to do so in the history of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League after Bayern Munich (43 games in March 1991), Barcelona (38 in November 2020) and Real Madrid (32 in October 1990).

If Manchester City avoid defeat in this game, they’ll establish a new record for the longest unbeaten run in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history (26). Pep Guardiola’s side are currently unbeaten in 25 games in the competition (W17 D8), scoring 64 goals and only conceding 18 times across this run.

Sparta Prague are unbeaten in their last three games in the UEFA Champions League (W1 D2), last going four matches in a row without losing in the competition back in October 2001 (a run of 5 – W3 D2).