Former Liverpool goalkeeper Kamil Grabara was left so astounded by the qualities of Manchester City forward Erling Haaland that he questioned whether the Norwegian was 'human', according to team-mate Jack Grealish.
Haaland continued his incredible start to life in England on Wednesday evening as he fired a first half brace during City's 5-0 Champions League victory over Danish champions Copenhagen in Group G, taking his tally since August to an extraordinary 19 goals in 12 matches.
But despite his incredible exploits in the final third, and on course for yet another hat-trick, manager Pep Guardiola decided to withdraw the striker as City entered the interval with a healthy three-goal advantage.
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For Copenhagen goalkeeper - and former Liverpool man - Grabara who was between the sticks at the Etihad on Wednesday evening, the sight of Haaland not returning for the second half would have been a welcome one.
That's according to Grealish, who, in an interview with BT Sports after the game, revealed the Polish stopper had questioned whether Haaland was "human" after one of his emphatic early finishes.
"It's unbelievable honestly," said the City midfielder reflecting on the striker's early-season form. "I've never witnessed anything like it in my life. For the first and second goals, I was just laughing. The keeper said to me, 'He's not human!' I said, 'You're telling me?'"
Despite ultimately losing the contest 5-0, Grabara enjoyed an impressive night for the visitors as he made 12 saves over the course of the contest and subsequently left East Manchester with his held high after such a display.
The 23-year-old formerly spent five years at Liverpool, between 2016 and 2021, after making the move to Merseyside from Ruch Chorzów II in his native Poland. Having once been tipped for a bright future at Anfield, after regular training with the likes of Simon Mignolet, Alisson Becker and the rest of the Reds' goalkeepers at Melwood and Kirkby, a string of loan spells saw Grabara slide down the pecking order as Caoimhin Kelleher and Brazilian youngster Marcelo Pitaluga both climbed above him.
After a more productive temporary switch to Danish outfit Aarhus Gymnastikforening during the 2020-21 season, and a less successful spell at Championship side Huddersfield Town, Grabara finally made the decision to leave Anfield permanently in the summer of 2021 as he sealed a move to Copenhagen - where he was vastly impressive during his first year as his new side clinched the Danish Superliga title last term.
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