Manchester City’s Erling Braut Haaland celebrates scoring his fifth aim in the second leg of the spherical of 16 Champions League match in opposition to RB Leipzig
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Erling Haaland grew to become the third participant in Champions League historical past to attain 5 targets in a recreation as he led Manchester City to an unrelenting 7-0 rout of RB Leipzig in the second leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday.
The victory, which equalled City’s largest European win, despatched Pep Guardiola’s aspect into the quarterfinals 8-1 on combination, with Ilkay Gundogen and Kevin De Bruyne additionally on track for City in a devastating show on the Etihad Stadium.
It was a record-breaking night time for the 22-year-old Haaland, who grew to become Manchester City’s prime goalscorer in a season as he took his tally for the marketing campaign to 39 targets, vaulting him previous Tommy Johnson’s mark from 1928-29.
He additionally grew to become the youngest participant to succeed in 30 Champions League targets as he moved on to 33, hitting that mark in 25 video games, the fewest ever.
“It’s a big night. Firstly, I’m proud to play in this competition, I love it. Five goals. To win 7-0 is amazing,” he stated.
“My super strength is scoring goals. Should I be honest? A lot of goals today, I didn’t think. I was just trying to get it into the back of the net,” he added. “A lot of it is being quick in the mind and trying to put it where the goalkeeper is not.”
Haaland hinted he was in for an enormous night time with a quick-fire brace, slotting residence a penalty in the twenty second minute after Benjamin Henrichs was adjudged to have dealt with in the field following a VAR evaluation, with the Norwegian celebrating with a knee slide and salute.
He discovered the web once more 19 seconds after the kickoff.
Haaland pressured Leipzig’s keeper right into a poor clearance that fell to De Bruyne. The Belgian’s shot got here again off the crossbar and bounced up for Haaland to move residence.
His fifth hat-trick in all competitions this season arrived in first-half stoppage time when Ruben Dias’s header bobbled alongside the road and Haaland rushed in to drive it into the web.
“Fabulous,” Guardiola stated on Haaland’s night time. “He has a huge competitor mentality, he’s there and yeah, scored five goals which is not easy.”
Gundogen made it 4-0 in the forty ninth, driving a low end into the underside nook from the sting of the world, earlier than Haaland capped his history-making night time with two extra from shut vary in the 53rd and 57th minutes.
Guardiola substituted the Norwegian in the 62nd minute, maybe sparing Leipzig additional humiliation, however denying Haaland the chance to attain a record-breaking sixth in a single Champions League recreation.
“I told him (Guardiola) I would love to score a double hat-trick but what can I do?” Haaland stated.
De Bruyne curled in a shocking seventh aim for good measure seconds earlier than the ultimate whistle.
Manchester City have by no means hoisted the Champions League trophy, coming closest in 2021 when they misplaced 1-0 to Chelsea in the ultimate. They misplaced to Real Madrid in final season’s semis.
Leipzig supervisor Marco Rose knew earlier than kickoff Haaland would pose a large problem, and he was proper.
“He had a great night. He was so hungry,” Rose stated. “He scored goals with the foot and head, won second balls, deep runs. It looked really simple.”
