Manchester City striker Erling Haaland dropped a masterclass as he scored five goals including a first-half hat-trick in the 7-0 rout of RB Leipzig in their Round of 16 UEFA Champions League clash on Tuesday.
Haaland’s first-half hat-trick, which included two goals in two minutes, set the tone for the match, and he added two more goals after the break to bring his season tally to an impressive 39 goals.
In addition to breaking Tommy Johnson’s single-season City record set in 1928-29, Haaland also became the youngest and fastest player to score 30 Champions League goals. His performance was truly majestic and will go down in European folklore regardless of what happens next.
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Haaland’s first goal came from a controversial penalty decision, but he made no mistake in converting it. He then doubled his tally moments later with a rebound after Kevin De Bruyne hit the crossbar. Haaland’s third goal came just before halftime when he pounced on a parried Ruben Dias header to bundle the ball in from close range.
Ilkay Gundogan added City’s fourth goal early in the second half, but the spotlight was firmly on Haaland, who added two more goals with close-range strikes. He was denied an unprecedented double hat-trick when he was substituted in the 63rd minute but received a well-deserved standing ovation from the crowd.
De Bruyne capped off the scoring with a sublime seventh goal in stoppage time, giving City a record margin of victory in European competition. Overall, it was a breathtaking performance from City, and Haaland’s historic display will be remembered for years to come.