Norwegian footballer, Erling Haaland broke long-standing Champions League and Manchester City records after scoring five goals as his side demolished RB Leipzig in their Round of 16 tie.
With the tie finely poised after the first leg in Germany ended 1-1 last month, the pressure was on Pep Guardiola’s side against the Bundesliga’s third-best side.
Haaland scored a first-half hat-trick; a penalty, a close-range finish stemming from his pressing of the goalkeeper, and a scrappy third after Leipzig had cleared the ball off the line. He scored two more after the break.
It was the first time Haaland has scored five goals in a club match in his career. He also became City’s all-time highest scorer in a single season, taking his tally for the campaign to 39 in all competitions.
For 94 years, Tommy Johnson held Manchester City’s club record for the most goals scored in a single season. Known for his powerful left foot shot, Johnson bagged 38 goals in the 1928-29 season for the club.
Haaland also overtook Kylian Mbappe as the youngest player to reach 30 Champions League goals, and overtook Ruud van Nistelrooy as the fastest player to hit the milestone, doing so in only 25 matches compared to the former Netherlands’ striker’s 34.
The Norwegian footballer is just 22 years and 236 days old, which is 116 days younger than previously youngest striker Kylian Mbappe when he reached the landmark. Lionel Messi was aged 23 years and 131 days when he moved onto 30. A sign of his remarkable rate.
It was also the 14th time Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City had faced German opposition in the Champions League. The record is remarkable: 10 victories, three draws, and just one defeat.
City’s goal difference in those matches also reflects their dominance against German sides, conceding 14 goals, one per game, but finding the net on 44 occasions, over three per match.
