It’s hard to keep track of how many times Haaland scored
Where do you even begin with Erling Haaland and Manchester City’s Champions League showing on Tuesday?
Let’s start with the facts: Man City tore RB Leipzig to shreds in their second-leg clash at the Etihad Stadium, winning 7-0 and sealing a 8-1 aggregate win. Haaland scored five times, equaling a Champions League record held by Lionel Messi and Luiz Adriano for goals in a single match in the competition.
The goal barrage took Haaland up to 39 goals in 36 appearances in his first season with Man City, which are the most in one season by a player in the club’s history (the previous record of 38 had stood since 1929). Haaland’s second on the night was his 30th in the Champions League in just 26 appearances in the competition, the lowest total to surpass the 30-goal mark. Only 23 players in Champions League history have more goals than Haaland’s total of 32.
For a spell at least, RB Leipzig was not being run off the field. They were certainly having to defend for long spells, but after 20 minutes the scoreboard still read 0-0. However, a rather controversial penalty, confirmed by VAR, broke their resolve. Haaland put just enough power on his low spot kick to beat goalkeeper Janis Blaswich, and City were ahead.
That could have sparked Leipzig into stepping their game up and challenging Man City; after all, the aggregate score at that point was merely 2-1. Instead, less than two full minutes later, Haaland finished off a distinctly un-Man City goal. Manuel Akanji thumped a desperate Leipzig long ball forward in hope more than anything else, and Haaland nodded it down for Kevin De Bruyne.
Under some pressure, De Bruyne decided to just have a crack at it from distance, sending a laser that that crashed off the crossbar and into Haaland’s path. From there, Haaland did the “big lad” thing and headed into the unguarded net.
Leipzig was not completely out of it, and recovered their feet to enough of an extent that it seemed like they’d get in for the halftime break down a mere 2-0. However, in the half’s final seconds, Rúben Dias met a corner at the back post, nodding the ball off the post.
Dias was already celebrating as the ball bounced along the goal line, but Haaland’s decision to charge in just to be sure ended up being a good call. Amadou Haidara attempted a dramatic clearance literally off the line, but as he spun to hoof the ball away, it was blocked into the goal by who else but the Norwegian striker.
Leipzig trudged off in need of a miracle comeback, but things got so much worse. Just four minutes into the half, İlkay Gündoğan danced around Haidara on the edge of the box, opening up room to sneak a fourth past Blaswich. It marked the 100th goal for Man City in the 2022-23 campaign.
A defeated Leipzig simply didn’t have the intensity to keep Man City from running up the score, and Haaland wouldn’t be denied a fourth. Another corner for the hosts found Leipzig’s defending to be a suggestion rather than a true obstacle.
Spare a thought for Blaswich, who did extremely well to stop Haaland’s header and a follow-up from Akanji, only to have to watch Haaland smash the rebound past him anyway.
Haaland’s fifth was a near replay of the fourth. This time, the set piece was taken short, but once again Akanji put a shot on frame, and Blaswich somehow managed to claw it away.
By now, you know the rest.
Pep Guardiola showed some mercy to the visitors, bringing Haaland off in the 63rd minute for Julián Álvarez. Sadly for Leipzig, even that didn’t signal an end to the onslaught, with De Bruyne scoring an absolute wonder goal in stoppage time.
Good luck to whatever team has to deal with Haaland and Man City in the quarterfinal! They’re going to need it.
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