Pep Guardiola has explained why Erling Haaland’s five-goal haul for Manchester City against RB Leipzig was even more impressive than when Lionel Messi posted the same in-game tally.
Messi bagged five goals in a huge win for Barcelona, then coached by Guardiola, against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League in 2012. Haaland put in a virtuoso performance as City destroyed RB Leipzig 7-0 in Tuesday’s Round of 16 second leg.
The Norwegian – whose five goals came within a devastating 35-minute spell – already had a hat-trick by half-time; a penalty, close-range finish stemming from his pressing of the goalkeeper, and a scrappy third after Leipzig had cleared the ball off the line. Two more close-range finishes furthered the pain for the visitors, either side of Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne goals.
