Manchester City 7-0 RB Leipzig (8-1 agg): Player ratings as Five-goal record-breaker Haaland fires hosts into quarter-finals

erling-haaland

Erling Haaland’s five-goal masterclass fired Manchester City into the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals as they dismantled RB Leipzig in a 7-0 rout on Tuesday.

The striker nabbed a first-half hat-trick, including two goals in two minutes, before adding another two after the restart in a tour-de-force performance at the Etihad Stadium for a 8-1 aggregate victory.

Now with 39 goals for the season, Haaland’s haul saw him take Tommy Johnson’s single-season City record set in 1928-29 among a series of new high marks as Pep Guardiola’s hosts tied their record margin of victory in European competition.

Also the youngest and fastest player to pass 30 Champions League goals, Haaland’s historic numbers befitted a majestic display up front, with his latest turn destined to go down in European folklore no matter what happens next.

Haaland was handed a stroke of luck for his first, with City awarded a dubious penalty by referee Slavko Vincic for a handball strongly protested by Benjamin Henrichs.

He ruthlessly converted from the spot, however, and then doubled his tally just moments later when he nodded home a rebound after Kevin De Bruyne hit the crossbar.

A first-half hat-trick followed with an air of inevitability when Haaland pounced on a parried Ruben Dias header before the break to bundle in the third from close range.

Ilkay Gundogan ensured another name at least got on the scoresheet when he added City’s fourth with a sweeping low finish four minutes after the restart.

Yet the game belonged to Haaland, who added another two with close-range strikes before the hour, both times pouncing after Manuel Akanji was denied.

Haaland’s exit in the 63rd minute was greeted with a standing ovation, denying him an unprecedented double hat-trick but saving the City striker ahead of a quarter-final in which further records could fall.

The scoring was not quite over, though, as De Bruyne would not be denied and added a sublime seventh in stoppage time for a final touch of gloss.

Man City player ratings (4-3-3)

GK: Ederson – 6/10 – A moment of madness for his collision with Laimer but atoned for it with some excellent passing.

RB: John Stones – 8/10 – Excellent in the inverted full-back role. So composed on the ball and physically dominant to give City that extra boost.

CB: Manuel Akanji – 6/10 – Can’t really say he did much wrong but Akanji definitely looked the weakest out of City’s centre-backs.

CB: Ruben Dias – 7/10 – Dominant at the back once again. Never looked under any pressure.

LB: Nathan Ake – 7/10 – Another excellent performance from Ake, who is still not actually a left-back.

DM: Rodri – 6/10 – Not his typical composed self. A few nervy passes at the back as Stones appeared to take his spotlight.

CM: Kevin De Bruyne – 10/10 – Those critics of his recent form will be keeping quiet after this one. The Belgian was back to his mesmeric best.

CM: Ilkay Gundogan – 8/10 – Sloppy in the first half but clearly found his shooting boots at the break.

RW: Bernardo Silva – 7/10 – Not as involved as a lot of his teammates but still caused plenty of problems.

ST: Erling Haaland – 10/10 – Was impressing even before the goals started flying in. Really felt like part of a whole team performance here. Absolutely unplayable.

LW: Jack Grealish – 8/10 – A constant threat down the left. Great play alongside Ake.


Substitutes

Phil Foden (55′ for Grealish) – 7/10

Riyad Mahrez (55′ for Gundogan) – 8/10

Julian Alvarez (63′ for Haaland) – 6/10

Sergio Gomez (63′ for Stones) – 6/10

Kalvin Phillips (63′ for Rodri) – 6/10


Manager

Pep Guardiola – 10/10 – Keeping faith with De Bruyne was the right call from Guardiola, whose use of Stones in midfield also a stroke of genius. Couldn’t have dreamed of a more perfect evening.

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