On 14 March 2023, Leipzig’s Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol (left) contested a ball with Manchester City’s Norwegian striker Erling Haaland during the UEFA Champions League round‑of‑16 second‑leg match at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north‑west England. (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP)
Erling Haaland matched the record for goals scored in a single Champions League game by netting five as Manchester City demolished RB Leipzig on Tuesday. The Norwegian completed his fifth City hat‑trick before half‑time, putting the English champions on course for the quarter‑finals. Two more close‑range finishes early in the second half raised his tally for the season to 39, establishing a new club record. Only Lionel Messi, who scored five for Barcelona against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012, and Luiz Adriano, who did the same for Shakhtar Donetsk in a 7‑0 win over BATE Borisov in 2014, had previously achieved five goals in a Champions League match. Haaland was substituted 25 minutes from the end by Julian Alvarez, missing the chance to set a new record.
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