Man City – RB Leipzig 7-0 (agg 8-1): Erling Haaland scores in the round with five goals and reaches the quarter-finals of the Champions League

The remarkable Norwegian striker became just the third player ever to score five goals in a single Champions League game as RB Leipzig went 7-0 in the decidedly one-sided second leg of the round of 16 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night 8-1 was demolished after scoring a first 1-1 draw in Germany three weeks ago.

Haaland – the youngest player to score 30 goals in Europe’s elite club competition, breaking Kylian Mbappe’s record – joins only Lionel Messi when it comes to players who have done so in just one knockout game scored many goals recording an unforgettable evening.

Tommy Johnson’s 38-goal mark has stood for almost a century since the 1928/29 season, but Haaland’s five against Leipzig already puts him at 39 in all in a superb first season since joining City from Borussia Dortmund last summer for £51m competitions . Incredibly, he has reached that number in just 36 games under Pep Guardiola by mid-March.

Haaland already has five hat-tricks for City and 17 for his career at the age of just 22, mocking the often-circulated narrative that City might be a better team if he’s not the dominant focus up front.

Captain Ilkay Gündogan was also on the scoresheet in a brutal smash that was ended by a special from Kevin De Bruyne in second-half added time.

City were in full control from the start at a snowy Etihad, with early chances for Gundogan, Ruben Dias and Haaland as visiting goalkeeper Janis Blaswich was initially certain.

Leipzig are third in the Bundesliga and had lost just twice in all competitions since September, but they couldn’t hold back the sky-blue tide as Jack Grealish’s curved shot was blocked and she escaped a pinball machine in their own penalty area in front of Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic asked by VAR to check the fieldside monitor after a handball scream against Benjamin Henrichs.

The penalty was harshly awarded and Haaland took power in the bottom corner, despite Blaswich guessing the right path. He quickly made it in 78 seconds as City continued their relentless high pressing and earned his reward. Haaland rose to his head on the rebound after De Bruyne – he started in place of Phil Foden in Guardiola’s only move from the side that beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Saturday – had the bar rattled.

Amadou Haidara had a very rare sight of the goal for Leipzig and Haaland was denied again before Ederson sped out of the City goal and pole-axed Konrad Laimer but was settled as the ball winner. City then almost got themselves into real trouble in their own penalty area, but ex-Chelsea striker Timo Werner did not finish.

That was to remain their only blip, as each time they attacked they looked like a hit after Gündogan’s punch was blocked. Haaland sealed his fifth City hat-trick just before half-time after Haidara missed his attempt to save on the striker after Dias’ header hit the post and rolled over the line from a corner.

Any hopes of an exceptional Leipzinger comeback after the break were quickly dashed when a special passing game that started with Ederson and featured Grealish, Haaland and De Bruyne was ended with a dart into the bottom corner by Gundogan.

With a 4-0 lead in the game with a 5-1 aggregate lead, rampant City weren’t satisfied and were chasing more goals and they soon had another as Haaland matched Johnson’s record by climbing in after initially seeing a try who was rescued by the unfortunate Blaswich.

The record was broken just four minutes later when Haaland again reacted fastest to lead the rebound home after Manuel Akanji was thwarted.

Haaland was denied the chance of an incredibly rare double hat-trick as he was withdrawn just after the hour mark, with Guardiola no doubt eyeing Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final game against a Burnley side managed by City legend Vincent Kompany became.

City were content to take their foot off the gas and led 6-0 and 7-1 on aggregate that night, but still had time to score another when the superb De Bruyne produced an outstanding display with his right foot, to set the seal on City’s biggest European win together, which will serve as a warning to their Champions League rivals and spark hopes that with Haaland at the helm, they may finally be able to end their long wait to win the one to get the big trophy that they continued to elude.