- 8 hours ago
Pep holding up Haaland breaking Messi record despite FIVE-goal haul
Jacque Talbot
- Updated: 14 Mar 2023 22:26 GMT
- 5 min read
Fans online can not get their head around Pep Guardiola’s decision to substitute Erling Haaland.
The striker smashed RB Leipzig to pieces in the second-leg Champions League encounter at the Etihad, as his side hit them for 7-0.
Haaland notched five goals in the game - but was taken off in the 64th minute. If he had scored one more, he would have beaten the record set by Lionel Messi, who netted five against Bayer Leverkusen in March 2012.
He had just under 30 minutes to do so, but Guardiola decided to take him off.
But the Spaniard’s decision has been met with some fume online, with some even suggesting that he did so because he still loves Messi and does not want his summer signing to beat the Argentine’s record.
NEVER IN DOUBT BALDIE 😂
Messi 🤝🏻 Haaland - 5 goals in a UCL game.— J. (@Messilizer) March 14, 2023
Pep should have allowed Haaland break the record. Why sub him?
— Sir Dickson (@Wizarab10) March 14, 2023
pep loves messi so much he subs haaland to save his record. proper culer 🫡
— ELORM🇪🇸 (@elorm_fcb) March 14, 2023
Funniest thing is Haaland is probably gonna be pissed off WHENEVER Pep decides to sub him cuz he’s built like that
— Aaron West (@oeste) March 14, 2023
Pep Guardiola sub off Haaland so he don't break Leo Messi 5 goals in a single Champions League Knock-out game. pic.twitter.com/32yTBwLJPw
— F R E D (@AFCFrediNho_) March 14, 2023
Why sub him off lol #Haaland #ManCity
— A$AP Eddie (@DaOGMuffinMan) March 14, 2023
Pep should please sub off Haaland, he can’t break Messi’s record plz😭
— El Mejor’ (@Engr_Ladman) March 14, 2023
Haaland's five goals made him the quickest player to 33 career Champions League goals, doing so in just 25 games. It sees him fly past Ruud van Nistelrooy's previous total of 38 matches.
Messi and Haaland join Brazilian player Adriano, who bagged five goals for Shakhtar Donetsk against BATE Borisov in the 2014-15 Champions League group stage game.
It means the record of scoring six goals in one game in the competition is still yet to be met.
"I would love to score a double hat-trick!"
Man City's Erling Haaland reacts to his historic night 🔥#UCL pic.twitter.com/Sm2mV6Pg8K
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 14, 2023
Haaland breaking records elsewhere
Overall, Haaland now has 39 goals in all competitions for Man City - doing so in just 36 games.
He remains the Premier League's top goalscorer with 28 and looks set to beat the record made by Mohamed Salah, who scored 32 goals in the 2017-18 season - the most goals for a Premier League campaign of 38 games.
