Erling Haaland broke Manchester City’s single-season scoring record with the fifth goal of the game in Tuesday’s Champions League round-of-16 second-leg win over RB Leipzig.
Haaland, 22, has 39 goals for City in all competitions this season, surpassing the 38 goals set by Tommy Johnson in the 1928-29 season.
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The Norway international became the fastest player to reach 30 goals in the competition — he finished with 33 of his 25 UCL goals — while putting the English champions 2-0 up in the first half.
“I’m a blur in my head. I remember shooting but not thinking,” Haaland said. “It’s a big night. First of all, I’m proud to play in this competition, I love it. Five goals. To win 7-0 is fantastic.
“My super strength is scoring goals. Should I be honest? A lot of goals today, I didn’t think. I was just trying to get it behind the net. A lot of it is being quick in the mind and trying to put it where the goalkeeper isn’t.”
At 22 years, 236 days, Haaland is also the youngest player to reach that 30-goal landmark, surpassing Kylian Mbappe, who scored his 30th Champions League goal at 22 years, 352 days.
But Haaland wasn’t done then, he scored three more goals before 57 minutes to take his tally to five and put his side 6-0 on the night before being replaced by Pep Guardiola.
The hosts won the match 7–0, goals from Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan saw Man City progress to the quarter-finals on the back of an 8–1 victory.
Haaland, who has now scored 10 goals in six Champions League games this season, said the team had dedicated time in training to press ahead of the clash.
“Especially at home we have to run and press. We are very good with the ball,” he said. “I think we could use [pressing] Also, there is more room for boys in the game. Compared to last year and now we can play with a striker at the back and that’s what I’m trying to bring.
“I said [Guardiola] I want to score a double hat-trick, but what can I do?”, he added, adding that he could become the first player to score six goals in a Champions League match.
After the match Guardiola explained the reasoning behind Haaland’s dismissal when he did, saying: “If he achieves this milestone at 22, his life will be boring. He has something to aim for.”
A superb night for Haaland put him in elite company, as only Lionel Messi and Luiz Adriano have scored five goals in a Champions League match. Haaland is also the third player to score 10 or more goals in a single European campaign, with Messi five times and Cristiano Ronaldo seven.
Perhaps more noteworthy is that Haaland still has 11 Premier League games to play and records with City in the FA Cup and Champions League as well.
Haaland’s 28 goals have come in England’s top flight, where he has an excellent chance of surpassing joint single-season scoring leaders Alan Shearer and Andy Cole on 34.
Next up for Man City is an FA Cup quarter-final against Championship side Burnley at the Etihad (Stream live on ESPN+ at 1:45 pm ET)