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The Norwegian Erling Haaland continued his brilliance and led Manchester City to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, by scoring a hat-trick in a 6-0 victory over his guest Burnley from the first-level league “Championship” on Saturday evening, March 18, 2023.
Haaland entered the match after scoring five goals in the sweeping 7-0 victory over German Leipzig in the second leg of the Champions League final on Tuesday.
The Norwegian, who arrived at City at the beginning of the season, raised his score to 42 goals in all competitions this season, and he is the top scorer in the Premier League (28) and the Champions League (10).
City is still competing on three fronts this season, as it is five points behind Arsenal in the league, and a tough test awaits it against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the continental competition, which is still panting behind its title for the first time in its history.
Burnley arrived at the Etihad Stadium under the leadership of its Belgian coach, Vincent Kompany, the former international defender and legend of City, with whom he won the league title four times, including two under the supervision of Spain’s Pep Guardiola, coach of the current England champion.
Halland gave his team the lead with three goals (32, 35, 59), while Argentine Julian Alvares added a double (62 and 73) and young substitute Cole Palmer scored a goal (68).
Guardiola made seven changes to the squad that started against Leipzig, including three in the offensive line, leaving only Haaland and Belgian Kevin De Bruyne, while Algerian Riyad Mahrez, Alvares and Phil Foden replaced Portuguese Bernardo Silva, German Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish.
Haaland scored the first goal, after the ball reached him with his back behind the defenders, he passed it with his head to Alvares, who returned it to him with a creeping crossbow, the Norwegian winked it with his leg from the outskirts of the area into the net (32).
Haaland, who became the third player to score five goals in one match in the Champions League, doubled the lead after two minutes when a cross crawling from the left side of Foden hit him at the goal (35).
The post substituted for the goalkeeper to deflect Foden’s shot from the left side, preparing the ball for the Norwegian, who followed it into the net to complete his sixth hat-trick this season.
City scored the fourth after a distinguished group game, after Mahrez passed the ball to De Bruyne on the right side inside the area, and from him crossed to Alvares in front of the goal (62).
Palmer, 20, substitute for Haaland, scored the fifth after the goalkeeper removed a cross from Foden, to reach the Englishman in front of the goal (68).
The Argentine concluded the scoring festival after a pass from De Bruyne from the midfield, he launched it into the area, got rid of the defender, and hit it with a missile with his left in the roof of the goal (73).
