Champions League

FIVE-STAR Erling Haaland smashed records galore to fire Manchester City into the Champions League last eight.The Norwegian netted FIVE times in just 35 minutes to take his incredible season tally to 39 goals in 35 games.
Erling Haaland smashed several records by scoring five against RB LeipzigCredit: Getty

That total broke City’s all-time record set by Tommy Johnson 94-YEARS ago, and it’s still only March.
Hotshot Haaland hit a first-half hat-trick, his FIFTH treble of the campaign, while Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne also struck as City thrashed RB Leipzig 7-0.
He now has an astonishing nine goals in the Champions League and became the fastest player to score 30 goals in the competition.
Haaland smashed Ruud van Nistelrooy’s existing record of 34 games by achieving the scoring feat in a ridiculous 25 matches.
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By comparison, Wayne Rooney managed 30 goals in 85 games, while Champions League icons Samuel Eto’o and Kaka took 55 matches to reach that tally.
He is also the youngest player in Champions League history to hit the 30-goal milestone, beating Kylian Mbappe by 116 days.
But Haaland was not finished there, taking his tally to 33.
He said: “I was just shooting, not thinking. I’m a bit blurry so I don’t really remember the goals.
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“It’s a big night. Five goals to win 7-0 at home, I’m so happy.”
Haaland had just 30 touches but took eight shots and is clear where his super strength lies.
He added: “After scoring five goals I have to say scoring. A lot of it is just being quick in the mind.”
Haaland is just the third player in the competition’s history to score five goals in a single match after Lionel Messi in 2012 and Luiz Adriano in 2014.
While his five hat-tricks this season make him the first Prem player to do so since Harry Kane in 2016-17.
Incredibly, the Norwegian has now scored 1.9 per cent of all Manchester City’s Prem and Champions League goals.
But Haaland was denied the chance to add to his tally as he subbed him with almost half an hour left.
Haaland admitted: “I told him when I went off I’d love to score a double hat-trick but what could I do? I had to come off.”
Guardiola explained: “If he would have achieved that at 22 years-old, he would be bored in his future!”
Fans on social media could not stop talking about Haaland.
One fan wrote: “Haaland is literally a glitch in the matrix. Unreal 🔥”
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Another added: “Haaland is insane. Stop him, he is violating football standards.”
A third said: “The Haalinator!!”
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RB LEIPZIG boss Marco Rose compared Erling Haaland to the Norse God Thor last month.And for a team who have gone so close in this competition so many times over the years, his arrival must feel heaven sent.
Erling Haaland scored five goals as Manchester City battered RB LeipzigCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Haaland was subbed off before he could score his sixthCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
The Norwegian striker celebrating at full-time with the match ballCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun

The big Norwegian’s special powers were on full display in this almighty performance.
He was head and shoulders above the rest with a five-star showing on another record-breaking night for him.
If Manchester City cannot win the Champions League with this guy in their team then maybe it just isn’t meant to be.
He became only the third player in the history of the competition to score five goals in a single game.
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And he also broke the 94 year old club record for the number of goals in a single season. 
He now has 39 and they have at least 14 games to go.
Probably more – because it would be a brave man to bet against City going all the way to the final in Istanbul on this evidence.
They have now gone unbeaten in their last 24 home matches in this competition – equalling the record for an English club set by Arsenal.
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Ilkay Gundogan got in on the act after the breakCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Kevin De Bruyne put the icing on the cake in injury timeCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
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Leipzig – who are third in the German league – showed in the first leg last month that they are no mugs.
However Pep Guardiola’s men looked in the mood right from the word go here and the visitors quite simply had no answer.
They almost had the perfect start as Kevin De Bruyne – told to get back to basics by his boss this week – looped a cross to the far post.
Skipper Ilkay Gundogan had more time than he realised and thumped his half volley high over the bar.
The first sign Haaland was going to take centre stage came as he chased a long ball over the top and left the defenders for dead but Janis Blaswich out quickly to save with his legs.
However midway through the first half the key moment arrived as  Rodri got up highest from a corner and his header hit the arm of Benjamin Henrichs.
The defender had his back to it and probably knew little about it but the Slovenian ref was told by the VAR to go and have a look at the screen.
Harsh as it seemed, he pointed to the spot.
Henrichs got away with a more obvious handball right on the final whistle in the first leg three weeks ago – so perhaps this was karma.
Whatever it was, Haaland didn’t care – stroking his shot just out of the reach of Blaswich’s outstretched left arm.
That was a second penalty in four days for the Norwegian following his winner at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Just 78 seconds later he had scored again after pressurising Blaswich to fluff his clearance.
It was worked back to De Bruyne whose 20 yard shot clattered off the underside of the bar and there was you-know-who to nod in the rebound.

He’s played Leipzig six times in his career now and scored at least twice in four of them.
He also hit the 30 goal mark in the Champions League in just 25 games – beating the previous quickest Ruud van Nistelrooy by nine matches.
There was a scare for City when Ederson came tearing out of his goal and collided with Konrad Laimer.
The Brazilian keeper insisted he got something on the ball – and the ref agreed as he booked Timo Werner for dissent and gave City the free-kick.
Back at the other end Gundogan caught the visitors cold from a free-kick and brought a flying save from Blaswich and Haaland could not quite reach the rebound.
He did not have to wait long for his hat-trick as in first half stoppage time Ruben Dias got his head to De Bruyne’s corner and his effort was clawed onto the post by Blaswich.
The ball rolled along the line and as Amadou Haidara tried to hook it clear it hit the legs of Haaland and bounced in.
This tie was well and truly over – the only question was how many the home side would win by.
Just four minutes after the restart it was four after a sweeping move started by Ederson deep in their own half.
It ended with Gundogan swapping passes with Jack Grealish before thumping a low shot into the corner from the edge of the box.
Yet that was just a sideshow as the focus was soon back on Haaland.
His header from a corner was saved by Blaswich, who also kept out the follow up from Manuel Akanji.
But he was powerless as the Norwegian drilled in the rebound.
And goal number five was similar as Akanji again forced a save from the hapless visiting keeper and Haaland despatched the rebound with a minimum of fuss.
That’s 39 goals for the season now – more than a City player has ever scored in a single campaign – beating Tommy Johnson’s record which has stood since 1928/9.
He scored nine once for Norway Under-20s and that haul looked like it could be in danger.
But just after the hour he was brought off to a standing ovation – maybe Guardiola wanted to spare Leipzig any more pain.
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Rose, who managed Haaland at Borussia Dortmund, looked mightily relieved.
De Bruyne was still on though and he curled in a truly special seventh goal from the edge of the box in stoppage time to round off a perfect night.
There was a big hug for Haaland from Pep Guardiola when he came off in the second-halfCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

FOOTBALL fans were left in stitches after seeing Pep Guardiola take cover from the Manchester weather.The Manchester City boss battled the elements in Tuesday’s game against RB Leipzig.
Pep Guardiola put his hood up to shield himself from the sleetCredit: Reuters
The Spaniard watched his side put on a stellar showing against RB LeipzigCredit: Getty
The conditions at the Etihad were far from ideal for a short periodCredit: AP
A horrendous sleet shower interrupted the Champions League Round of 16 second leg.
But Guardiola, 52, continued to patrol his technical area despite the conditions.
The Spaniard took cover with a giant hood – leaving fans comparing him to Harry Potter and Star Wars characters.
One wrote on Twitter: “Pep with his hood up looking like Anakin.”
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Another joked: “Pep’s hood is huuuuge it looks like he’s going into the woods to perform a spell.”
A third said: “He thinks he’s a character in Hogwarts.”
And a fourth quipped: “Bro’s a wizard.”
Guardiola then took his hood down when the sleet subsided.
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The Etihad boss was treated to a stunning showing from his side after being held 1-1 in Leipzig last month.
Goal machine Erling Haaland netted FIVE times as City blew away their German opposition.
Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne also netted in a 7-0 win that saw City into the Champions League quarter-finals 8-1 on aggregate. More

MANCHESTER CITY keeper Ederson went completely unpunished for what fans were calling a “flying kung fu kick”.The Brazilian rushed out of his box to try to meet a long ball, with City 2-0 up in their Champions League last-16 second-leg vs Leipzig.
Ederson escaped penalisation for a ‘kung fu kick’ on Konrad LaimerCredit: PA
Man City received a free kick for the collisionCredit: Reuters
Ederson escaped a bookingCredit: Reuters
Regardless of whether or not you think this is a red card…Ederson’s ratio of big saves made to absolutely mindless, erratic errors like this is terribleHe’s not even top 5 keepers in the Prempic.twitter.com/510sFSazc7— Rory Talks Football (@Rory_Talks_Ball) March 14, 2023

But he got him timings wrong and appeared to totally wipe out Konrad Laimer with a rash challenge.
Replays showed Ederson has both feet off the ground as he flew into the Austrian midfielder.
He got the slightest touch on the ball before wiping out his man, but viewers were convinced the keeper would see be punished, maybe with a red card.
But, as referee Slavko Vincic went into his pocket, he pulled out a yellow… and showed it to Leipzig’s Timo Werner.
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The former Chelsea striker was booked for contesting the decision, as Ederson went unpunished and City got a free-kick.
And fans could not believe their eyes as a VAR check also saw the stopper go without caution.
One said: “Absolutely mental that Ederson didn’t get booked there let alone concede a free kick. Terrible ref.”
Another added: “Swear to god Casemiro gets sent off for breathing but ederson can kung-fu kick someone and get a free kick.”
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One joked: Ederson didn’t touch the ball at all and just completely wiped out Laimer who was through.
“Who gets a card? Timo Werner for complaining. Who gets a free kick? Man City. This s*** is disgusting.”
Another said: “Ederson just kicks someone on the field and gets away with it…”
City opened the scoring in controversial style after being awarded a dubious penalty for handball.
Following a corner, Rodri headed the ball onto Benjamin Henrichs’s arm and after a VAR check Vincic pointed to the spot.
Erling Haaland made no mistake from 12 yards on 22 minutes and then doubled his tally just moments later.
City then went into the break 3-0 up when Haaland scored a first-half hat-trick in added time.
Erling Haaland celebrated a first-half hat-trickCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

MANCHESTER CITY took the lead against RB Leipzig after the “worst penalty decision EVER”.Erling Haaland made no mistake from the spot after Benjamin Henrichs was somehow judged to have handballed in the penalty area.
The ball struck defender Benjamin Heinrichs on the armCredit: BT Sport
Erling Haaland made no mistake from the spotCredit: Reuters
With the game goalless, Rodri’s header brushed the forearm of Henrichs, after he missed the ball in his attempt to head it clear.
The full-back did not appear to be aware of the ball and it struck his hand completely accidentally.
Referee Slavko Vincic waved play on, only to be sent to his monitor by the VAR.
He promptly changed his mind and pointed to the spot, to the disbelief of fans across the continent.
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Pundit Alan Shearer was up in arms over the decision and tweeted his outrage.
He wrote: “What a pile of s*** the handball law is. #pathetic”
Fans were in agreement with the former England and Newcastle striker and questioned how on earth the ref decided to award a penalty.
One viewer wrote: “Genuinely the worst penalty I’ve ever seen given, that’s so so bad.”
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Another added: “Joke of a penalty in favour of Man City.”
A third said: “Awful refeering this Man City game. I want city to win fair. That penalty was a farce.”
And another commented: “The officiating in the Man City game is atrocious. Never a penalty in a million years.”

To make matters worse for Leipzig Haaland doubled City’s lead straight from the restart.
The striker put the ball into the back of the net just 19 seconds after the German side kicked-off following the first goal.
And it was all downhill from there for Leipzig as Haaland went on the score FIVE in a thumping 7-0 victory.
City now enter Friday’s quarter-finals draw after an 8-1 aggregate win.
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