Pep Guardiola name-drops PSG superstar Lionel Messi when asked if Erling Haaland is the most complete striker he's coached

Pep Guardiola has name-dropped Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi when asked whether Manchester City forward Erling Haaland is the most complete striker he's ever coached.

In a post-match interview, the Spanish boss was asked (via Give Me Sport):

"Is Haaland the most complete striker you’ve ever coached?”

Before answering the question, Guardiola pondered for a moment, then said:

"And Messi? Absolutely the numbers are incredible and unbelievable. There's no doubt about his (Haaland's) quality. He's not the best but he's one of the best for sure."

Haaland has certainly met, if not exceeded, expectations at Manchester City in his debut Premier League season. The Norwegian attacker has already scored an outstanding 17 goals in just 11 appearances for the Cityzens this term.

He is one of the favorites to win the Golden Boot at the end of the season, especially if he continues to score goals at this rate. However, Guardiola clearly still believes Lionel Messi is the greatest player he has ever coached.

The Argentine playmaker has been at the heart of manager Christophe Galtier's dominating side this term. He has registered nine goals and 10 assists in 15 appearances across competitions for PSG this season.

Lionel Messi spent most of his professional career at Barcelona and was managed by Guardiola from 2008 to 2012. The Spanish boss developed the infamous Tiki Taka playstyle with the Argentine superstar spearheading Guardiola's system.

The duo were extremely successful together and created arguably one of the greatest teams ever witnessed, which included the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets.

The now-PSG forward continues to showcase his extraordinary abilities at the Parc des Princes, playing alongside former Barcelona teammate Neymar and PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe.

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Pep Guardiola's prior comments on comparisons between Erling Haaland and PSG superstar Lionel Messi

This is not the first time the Manchester City boss has shared his thoughts on the comparisons between the PSG superstar and the Norwegian striker.

Earlier this month, Guardiola pointed out that Haaland is dependent on his teammates to score goals, whereas Lionel Messi can do it all on his own.

Speaking to beIN Sports, he said (via the aforementioned Give Me Sport report):

"The difference is Erling needs maybe all his mates you know to do it but when he arrives… unbelievable. Messi had ability for himself to do it.”

In a subsequent interview, Guardiola once again commented on the comparisons between the duo (via GOAL).

"Nothing is comparable with Leo [Messi]. People keep saying 'Erling with Leo', I don't think we have any other. How many new Messis are appearing in world football since I started? 10 or 15, but they all fail."