Erling Haaland turned 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 within the second leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday.
The victory, which equalled City’s largest European win, despatched Pep Guardiola’s facet into the quarter-finals 8-1 on combination, with Ilkay Gundogen and Kevin De Bruyne additionally on course for City in a devastating show on the Etihad Stadium.
It was a record-breaking evening for the 22-year-old Haaland, who turned Manchester City’s high 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 turned the youngest participant to achieve 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 evening with a quick-fire brace, slotting house a penalty within the twenty second minute after Benjamin Henrichs was adjudged to have dealt with within the field following a VAR overview, with the Norwegian celebrating with a knee slide and salute.
He discovered the online 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 go house.
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 pressure it into the online.
“Fabulous,” Guardiola stated on Haaland’s evening. “He has a huge competitor mentality, he’s there and yeah, scored five goals which is not easy.”
Gundogen made it 4-0 within the forty ninth, driving a low end into the underside nook from the sting of the world, earlier than Haaland capped his history-making evening with two extra from shut vary within the 53rd and 57th minutes.
Guardiola substituted the Norwegian within 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 once they misplaced 1-0 to Chelsea within the remaining. They misplaced to Real Madrid in final season’s semis.
Leipzig supervisor Marco Rose knew earlier than kickoff Haaland would pose an enormous 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.”
Source web site: www.hindustantimes.com
