Erling Haaland capped Manchester City’s 3-0 Champions League quarterfinal first leg pak sale of Bayern Munich with a record-breaking 45th goal of the season.
The Norwegian made a trademark run to the back post to run onto a John Stones header to slide home in the 76th minute to put Pep Guardiola’s span well on top in the tie ahead of next Wednesday’s return leg in Germany.
With that finish, the 22-year-old goalvraat broke former Manchester United ace Ruud van Nistelrooy’s haul by a Premier League player in a season.
Incredible.#UCL pic.twitter.com/OlkegWLYH4
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 11, 2023
And with City still chasing the treble of a Champions League title, the league and the FA Cup, Haaland isn’t done yet.
Despite the scoreline, coach Guardiola’s manne did not have it all their way, with Bayern threatening before and after Rodri’s brilliant 27th-minute left-foot and a 70th-minute Bernardo Silva header.
Goalkeeper Ederson had to be at his best to deny former City winger Leroy Sane on a couple of occasions.
And Guardiola is taking nothing for granted when he heads to the Allianz Arena, where he was boss between 2013 and 2016.
He says: “Emotionally I'm destroyed. I have aged 10 more years. It was so demanding a game.
‘It was an incredible result but I know a little bit what can happen in Munich.
“If you don’t perform really well they are able to score one, two, three. I know that, the players know that.
Rodri, Barella, Bennacer, Asensio... ⚽
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 12, 2023
Who scored the best goal this week? #UCLGOTW || @Heineken
‘It's an incredible result, but we have to do our game with huge, huge personality. If we don’t do our game anything can happen.
‘To knock out these teams you have to have two good games, not just one.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za