Manchester City are through to the last eight of the Champions League after they hammered RB Leipzig 7-0 at the Etihad to secure an 8-1 aggregate win over the Bundesliga side.
Pep Guardiola’s side looked bright right from the off and they took control of the tie midway through the first-half when their star striker Erling Haaland hit a quick-fire double. Firstly the big Norweigan slotted home a penalty after a controversial handball call by VAR, before the 22-year-old pounced on a Kevin de Bruyne shot that rebounded off the crossbar to head into an empty net.
Just before the break, Man City would effectively kill off the tie when Haaland sealed his hat-trick with a close-range tap-in, a goal that sensationally marked his fifth treble at the Etihad so far this season.
The fastest player ever to reach 30 goals in the Champions League with 25 games.
Erling Haaland 💨 pic.twitter.com/cOrKZKUh9n
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 14, 2023
Things would go from bad to worse for Leipzig just after the break when the classy IIkay Gundogan fired a left-footed effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the area after a tidy team move.
Haaland then showed why is a predator supreme by notching his fourth and fifth of the evening with two clinical close-range finishes.
Kevin de Bruyne then put the final bit of icing on the cake in injury time when he curled home a sublime trademark strike from 25 yards out to seal a brilliant night’s work for the reigning Premier League champions.
Speaking afterwards Haaland was understandably delighted with his night’s work.
“It’s a big night,” a beaming Haaland told BT Sport.
“Firstly, I’m proud to play in this competition, I love it. Five goals! To win 7-0 is amazing.”
“We worked on the pressing yesterday, especially at home we have to run and press. We are so good at getting the ball.
“In my opinion, we should do this more.
“I think we can use this more [pressing], there is more space for the guys in between to play. Compared to last year and now we can play with a striker in behind and that’s what I’m trying to bring.”
Haaland was substituted late on and he revealed he had wanted his manager to leave him on so he could score a double hat-trick.
“I told him [Pep Guardiola] I would love to score a double hat-trick but what can I do?”
