Pep Guardiola said Erling Haaland’s response to an awful miss in the first half of Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Manchester United on Sunday showed the mental strength of a sporting great.

The Norwegian somehow managed to spoon the ball over the bar with the goal gaping from Phil Foden’s header across goal when United still led through Marcus Rashford’s stunning strike.

Foden spared his teammate’s blushes by scoring twice to turn the match around before Haaland made amends by scoring his 28th goal of the season in stoppage time.

Haaland seemed to have hit top form when he scored five times in a 6-2 FA Cup rout at Luton in midweek.

Guardiola’s ashen-faced reaction to his miss was in keeping with a collective screech of disbelief around the Etihad.

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