Pep Guardiola explains why he denied Erling Haaland double hat-trick chance vs RB Leipzig
Manchester City delivered an impressive performance to secure a resounding 7-0 victory over RB Leipzig in the Champions League. The highlight of the match was undoubtedly Erling Haaland's spectacular display, scoring five goals to lead City to a comfortable victory in the second leg.
Despite Haaland's early dominance, City had to dig deep in a tense first leg. However, the second leg was a completely different story. Haaland's first-half hat-trick paved the way for a second-half brace, making him the third player in history to score five goals in a single Champions League game. His performance also saw him reach a milestone, becoming the youngest player to score 30 goals in the competition, achieving this feat in the fewest games in history.
Moreover, Haaland's tally of 39 goals for the season broke a 94-year record at Manchester City, surpassing Tommy Johnson's 39 goals in the 1928/29 campaign. Haaland's exceptional form saw him tell City boss Pep Guardiola that he wanted to score a double hat-trick, but Guardiola jokingly replaced the striker for his own good, so that Haaland still had targets to aim for in the future.
Guardiola also praised Haaland's all-around play, noting that he was involved in many of City's attacks throughout the game. "Most of the time, when he scores hat-tricks after 60-65 minutes, I make a substitution," Guardiola said. "Today he scored five but touched 30-35 ball contacts. This is what we're looking for. When you're involved in a game defensively, the ball comes to score goals you're more clever, more precise."
City's dominant display saw them secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. With Haaland's outstanding form, they will be hoping to go all the way in the competition this season.
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