MANCHESTER, England: Erling Haaland scored a record-equaling five goals in a Champions League match on Tuesday as Manchester City advanced to the quarterfinals. Lionel Messi and Luiz Adriano are the only other players to have scored five goals in a match in European club soccer’s elite competition.
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Haaland also became the fastest player to hit 30 goals in the Champions League when putting the City 2-0 up in their 7-0 rout of RB Leipzig in the round-of-16 second leg at Etihad Stadium. He needed just 25 games to reach that figure. At 22 years, 236 days old, he is also the youngest player to reach that landmark, surpassing Kylian Mbappé, who was 22 years, 352 days when he scored his 30th Champions League goal.
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But the Norway international, who had fired City ahead from the penalty spot after 22 minutes, wasn’t finished with just two goals on the night. 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.
Haaland was substituted after 63 minutes, with City leading 6-0 on the night and 7-1 on aggregate. Goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne completed the rout. (AP)
