Does CL have mercy rule? Haaland scores FIVE, equals record in brutal Man City bloodbath

Manchester City has secured a berth in the Champions League quarter final thanks to five goals from Erling Haaland with a 7-0 win over RB Leipzig in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie.

The demolition job secured City’s safe passage with a 8-1 victory on aggregate, although the contest began in extremely controversial circumstances.

A corner from City was cleared, but the referee was instructed to assess a potential handball from Leipzig’s Benjamin Henrichs which was missed in the chaos.

Upon review, the handball was given in a decision that left football fans baffled.

Haaland buried the ensuing penalty past the outstretched hand of Blaswich to hand City the lead.

He then scored his second barely a minute later, converting the rebound after De Bruyne’s rocket clattered off the crossbar thanks to some intense pressure from City off the ensuing kick-off.

The 22-year-old completed his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time after a Leipzig defender’s clearance clattered into his shin on the line after Ruben Dias’ header was saved and trickled across the goal line.

Ilkay Gundogan then added his name to the scoresheet in the 49th minute with a sweeping left-footed drive from the edge of the box with City’s fourth.

Haaland wasn’t content with a hat-trick as he scored his fourth in the 53rd minute after Leipzig failed to clear the ball from a corner.

Four became five only a few minutes later when he smashed home the rebound from a Blaswich save to equal the all-time Champions League record for most goals scored by an individual in a single game.

De Bruyne finally got the goal his performance deserved when he curled in a stunning effort from around 20 yards.