March 15, (THEWILL) – Manchester City secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League with an emphatic 7-0 win over RB Leipzig.
Erling Haaland was the star of the show, netting an impressive five goals to seal City’s victory. The hosts dominated from the start, with Pep Guardiola’s team boasting over 60% possession after just 15 minutes.
Despite the home side’s dominance, they were initially kept at bay by Leipzig’s defence. However, VAR came to City’s rescue, penalising Benjamin Henrichs for a handball in the penalty box. Haaland made no mistake from the resulting spot-kick, and Kevin De Bruyne hit a strike that rattled the crossbar and Haaland was on hand to head in the rebound.
Haaland continued to terrorise Leipzig’s defence, completing his hat-trick just before the break with a goal from a corner. City picked up where they left off in the second half, with Ilkay Gundogan adding a fourth goal just minutes after the restart. Haaland then matched the team’s all-time season-scoring record with two more goals before Guardiola substituted him on the hour mark. Kevin De Bruyne scored City’s seventh and final goal with a spectacular curling strike.
City’s next match is on Saturday, where they will take on Burnley in the EPL. Meanwhile, Leipzig will travel to VfL Bochum in the Bundesliga on the same day.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.