Image: OLI SCARFF (APA/AFP/OLI SCARFF)
The English champions also celebrated a 7-0 (3-0) thrashing of RB Leipzig in the round of 16 second leg because of a Haaland five-pack. The Norwegian scored a hat-trick in the first half, after which the 22-year-old celebrated twice more (22’/hand penalty, 24′, 45’+2, 53′, 57′). Inter Milan handed FC Porto a 0-0 lead for promotion.
In snowy Manchester, Ilkay Gündogan (49′) with a well-placed low shot and Kevin De Bruyne (92′) with a shot into the cross corner also made their way onto the top scorers list. The first leg ended 1-1. For Haaland, who was substituted in the 63rd minute, it was the CL goals number six to ten this season – in six games. Only Lionel Messi (2012 for FC Barcelona in a 7-1 win over Leverkusen) and Luiz Adriano (2014 for Shakhtar Donetsk in a 7-0 win against BATE Borisov) had previously scored five goals in a Champions League game. Manchester City has now been unbeaten in 24 CL games in their own stadium.
Double pack within 77 seconds
Haaland gave Pep Guardiola’s team a deserved lead with a brace within 77 seconds, it was the fastest brace in Champions League history. According to the video images, the Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic gave the penalty to make it 0: 1, Leipzig defender Benjamin Henrichs had lightly grazed a Rodri header from close range with his arm. Haaland stayed cool, the ex-Salzburger defeated Leipzig goalie Janis Blaswich with a well-placed shot into the right corner.
Shortly afterwards, a long-range effort from De Bruyne, who had missed the first leg through illness, landed under the bar. Haaland headed the rebound into the goal. Then the striker was spot on with three corner kicks, three times he hit the follow-up. First Haaland was shot on the line when Amadou Haidara tried to clear, after the change of sides he shot down twice powerfully.
On the other hand, Leipzig with ÖFB team kicker Konrad Laimer and without the injured Xaver Schlager disappointed across the board. Only after half an hour did Marco Rose’s team show offensive ambitions, ManCity goalie Ederson cleared Laimer well before the edge of the penalty area. However, referee Vincic saw no foul play by the Brazilian.
In Portugal, Inter delivered a disciplined and good defensive performance over long stretches. Porto only had a great chance to make it 1-0 in injury time, but twice aluminum prevented the Portuguese from celebrating. Shortly before the final whistle, Porto defender Pepe saw the yellow-red card (97th). Under pressure after poor results in Serie A, coach Simone Inzaghi’s side are in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2011. In the 1-0 win in the first leg, Romelu Lukaku shot the Italians to victory with a late goal.
Source: Nachrichten
