Erling Haaland has scored a record-equalling five goals in a Champions League match to lead Manchester City into the quarter-finals.
Haaland was substituted after 63 minutes against RB Leipzig on Tuesday night, with City leading 6-0 on the night.
It finished 7-0 and 8-1 on aggregate with captain Ilkay Gundogay and Kevin De Bruyne also netting with the last kick of the game.
Norway international Haaland became the fastest player to reach 30 goals in the competition when putting the English champions 2-0 up in the round-of-16 second leg at Etihad Stadium. He has a season tally to 39 and eclipse Tommy Johnson’s Manchester City record of 38 that had stood since 1928–29.
At 22 years, 236 days old, he is also the youngest player to reach that landmark, surpassing Kylian Mbappe, who was 22 years, 352 days when he scored his 30th Champions League goal.
But Haaland, who had fired City ahead from the penalty spot after 22 minutes after a controversial decision, wasn’t finished with his double. He completed his hat-trick just before halftime to give Pep Guardiola’s team a 3-0 lead at the break.
With his father, former City player Alf Inge, cheering in the crowd, Haaland scored his fourth in the 54th and his fifth in the 57th.
Lionel Messi and Luiz Adriano are the only other players to have scored five goals in a Champions League match.
“It was a really good performance from minute one until the end from everyone,” said City manager Pep Guardiola.
“We play very good with and without the ball. We scored a lot of goals. Erling was amazing but everyone was exceptional.
“Five in 60 minutes. Incredible guy, huge talent. Power, mentality, he’s a serial winner. Really good.”
The match featured a bizarre VAR call to award City a penalty when no player appealed nor was it seemingly noticed by anyone except the video official.
Referee Slavko Vincic and VAR Alejandro Hernandez decided Leipzig’s Benjamin Henrichs handled when he was facing away from goal, jumping for a header and Rodri nodded the ball lightly across the top of his arm.
“I don’t see that because the guy’s jumping up in the air, your arms are going to move when you leave the floor,” said Andy Townsend in commentary.
“Rodri heads that – that is not a penalty in my book… astonishing. He’s (Henrichs) perplexed as to what on earth has gone on there. Very harsh in my opinion.”
“It’s just a ridiculous decision in every respect… it kills Leipzig because they are a counter-attacking team,” Stan Sport’s Craig Foster said.
“It’s scandalous. How have we got to the stage that that is even considered a penalty?” added Max Rushden, while Mark Bosnich said: “Ninety-nine-point-nine per cent of the football world would say that’s not a penalty.”
In the night’s other match, FC Porto were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Inter Milan meaning the Italian club progressed to the last eight 1-0 on aggregate.
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