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Journalism of Courage
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland broke Kylian Mbappe’s record to become the youngest player to score 30 goals in the history of the Champions League.
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.
The record was broken as Haaland scored from the spot to give City a 1-0 lead in the second leg of their last-16 tie at the Etihad, which they went on to win by 7-0.
Haaland scored his five goals in a 35-minute spell either side of halftime.
Haaland also joined Lionel Messi and Luiz Adriano, who are the only other players to have scored five goals in a match in Champions Leaue.
Haaland has now scored 39 goals this season in all competitions.
Guardiola substituted the Norwegian in the 62nd minute, perhaps sparing Leipzig further humiliation, but denying Haaland the opportunity to score a record-breaking sixth in a single Champions League game.
“I told him (Guardiola) I would love to score a double hat-trick but what can I do?,” Haaland said.
“I’m blurry in my head. I remember shooting but not thinking,” Haaland said
“Fabulous,” Guardiola said on Haaland’s night. “He has a huge competitor mentality, he’s there and yeah, scored five goals which is not easy.”
Haaland opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute when Benjamin Henrichs was adjudged to have handled in the box after a video review.
He had his second and his 30th in the Champions League when heading in a rebound in the 24th after Kevin de Bruyne hit the bar.
His hat trick goal came in the the second minute of first-half stoppage time when bundling the ball over line after Ruben Dias hit the post with a header.
Ilkay Gundogan made it 4-0 just four minutes into the second half and Haaland scored two more in the 54th and 57th.
De Bruyne rounded off the scoring to make it 7-0 on the night with a curling shot into the top corner in time added on.
