Erling Haaland sent a message of intent to the rest of Europe on a night of goalscoring records.
Haaland got five goals in total, beat RB Leipzig almost on his own and might have hit double figures had he not been substituted to a standing ovation with 27 minutes left. It almost felt as if Pep Guardiola was taking pity on Leipzig by taking off Haaland before he could inflict more humiliation in what was supposed to be a tight last-16 Champions League tie.
In the end, Haaland made it look like men against boys. He was bigger, better and more deadly than every other player on the pitch. It was embarrassingly one-sided. Haaland became only the third player - after Lionel Messi for Barcelona in 2012 and Luiz Adriano for Shakhtar Donetsk in 2014 - to score five goals in a single Champions League game.
That also took him to 39 goals in all competitions, which means he overtakes a 94 year old record set by former Manchester City striker Tommy Johnson, who scored 38 in the 1928/29 season. Haaland has still got potentially another 19 games to put it further out of sight and win more trophies on the way. Haaland has scored 33 goals in 25 Champions League games and, at 22, has become the youngest player to pass the 30-goal mark.
City are still in the hunt for a treble and surely nights like this will end this daft debate as to whether they are better off without Haaland and he somehow detracts from the team. Haaland undoubtedly makes City more dangerous in knockout competitions because he can score at any time.
That will surely give Pep Guardiola more of a chance to end his seven-year itch as he looks to conquer Europe and finally deliver the Champions League trophy for City. No one will fancy getting City in Friday’s quarter-final draw and nights like these will only strengthen their belief for the rest of the Premier League title race while Burnley might be hiding behind the sofa ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final.
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The goal rush started after 22 minutes after a daft penalty given after a VAR check. City midfielder Rodri’s header brushed off Leipzig defender Benjamin Henrichs’ arm and Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic gave a penalty. Haaland smashed it home.
Less than two minutes later, it was 2-0. Kevin De Bruyne’s 20 yard shot crashed against the rebound and there was Haaland on hand to head in the rebound. In first-half added time, Ruben Dias’ header hit the post, the ball rolled along the line and Leipzig’s Amadou Haidara tried to clear the ball but ended up smashing it against Haaland and the ball went in.
Ilkay Gundogan made it 4-0 soon after the break. Haaland smashed home another after a goalmouth scramble. His fifth came after 57 minutes after Riyad Mahrez put in a free kick, Manuel Akanji’s shot was blocked and Haaland smashed home the rebound.
Then, just when it looked all over, De Bruyne curled in a sensational strike in injury time with a 20-yard curler into the top corner, almost as if he was trying to have the final say. It is 24 games unbeaten at home in the Champions League for City and, on this form, few teams in Europe will fancy their chances of ending that record.
