Another game, another goal, and yet another record for Erling Haaland. The Norwegian superstar found the target yet again on Tuesday as Manchester City beat Bayern Munich 3-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland, who volleyed home his team’s third of the night, now has 45 goals in all competitions this season – the most ever by a Premier League player in history.
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It’s yet another chapter in the 22-year-old’s astonishing debut season at City, which currently sees him the top scorer in both the Premier League and Champions League. However, despite his record-breaking achievement, Haaland’s goal was overshadowed by his teammate Rodri’s opener. It was a remarkable strike from the Spaniard who raised the roof with a left-footed strike from a distance that raced past Bayern goalkeeper Yann Sommer in the 27th minute.
It set the tone for the rest of the evening, with City humbling its visitor and all but ending the tie bar a miraculous comeback in the second leg. City boss Pep Guardiola, who spent three years as Bayern manager, was more cautious about getting carried away. “Here, we have our chances. Here in this stadium, we are something special this season. When we have the momentum, we are clinical.”
Tuesday’s win was a major statement from City which looks serious about winning its first-ever Champions League title this season. A game against the German champion was seen to be its biggest test of the campaign, but the host made it look all too easy. After Rodri’s screamer, City upped the tempo in the second half and doubled its lead when the on-form Bernardo Silva – off a Haaland pass – directed his header into the roof of the net in the 70th minute. Bayern defenders, notably Dayot Upamecano, looked devoid of confidence in the second half and gave City multiple chances to add to its lead. Eventually, as he so often does, Haaland put the icing on the cake after he was left free to direct home a brilliant-headed pass from John Stones. “We got brutally punished for not a lot,” Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel told BT Sport after the game. “It’s a huge mountain. We need to understand and swallow this kind of defeat.” Elsewhere, Inter Milan beat Benfica 2-0 in Tuesday’s other Champions League quarterfinal first leg – Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku getting the goals. On Wednesday, defending champion Real Madrid hosts Chelsea and Napoli faces AC Milan in the remaining matches of the round.
