Haaland stays hot on the record trail

MANCHESTER, England — The Champions League is European club soccer's most testing stage.

Try telling that to Erling Haaland.

The Norway striker extended his record in the competition to 39 goals in 34 games as Manchester City advanced to the knockout round with a 3-0 win over Swiss side Young Boys on Tuesday.

Haaland scored twice, including a brilliant long-range effort in the second half, to move him to within two of City great Sergio Aguero's total of 41.

It seems inevitable he will one day challenge Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 140 Champions League goals. And after losing out to Lionel Messi in the battle for the Ballon d'Or last week, he will likely be back in contention for soccer's biggest individual prize next year if he continues his scoring streak.

"If he, with his mates, win a lot of trophies, there will be a chance to win it," City manager Pep Guardiola said. "If not, we won't do anything."

City's defense of the Champions League is going smoothly. Guardiola's team extended its perfect record after four games in Group G and also extended its unbeaten home run in the competition to 28.

Haaland opened the scoring at the Etihad Stadium with a 23rd-minute penalty and Phil Foden made it 2-0 in first-half stoppage time.

Haaland then fired into the top corner from the edge of the area six minutes after the break — but was denied a hat-trick when he was substituted in the 61st.

By then there was little doubt that City was on course for a 23rd straight home win in all competitions in a game that saw Young Boys reduced to 10 men when Sandro Lauper was sent off for a high foot on City substitute Nathan Ake in the 53rd.

After Matheus Nunes was brought down in the area by Lauper in the first half, Haaland stepped up and sent goalkeeper Anthony Racioppi the wrong way by firing into the bottom left-hand corner.

On Foden's goal, the forward received a pass from Jack Grealish on the right and then showed quick feet to beat Ulisses Garcia inside the area. He still had a tight angle to shoot from, but swept the ball past Racioppi and into the far corner.

"Of course we are incredibly happy to have qualified with two games left. Finish first. We have time to think about it," Guardiola said. "The word that defines this group of players for many years is the consistency. We have high standards and that is why we are still in the Premier League up there and qualified from the Champions League."

Swap flop

If Young Boys' loss was not humbling enough, manager Raphael Wicky said he would need to speak with Mohamed Ali Camara after learning his captain had asked Haaland for his coveted shirt — at halftime.

"I didn't see that, that's news to me and I'm a little bit surprised by that right now," Wicky told reporters after the game. "On the other hand, I don't think it had anything to do with the game or the performance but I'll probably have a word with him and see what he thought.

"Maybe Erling asked him to swap, I don't know!"

It is not uncommon for players to trade shirts at full time, as many City and Young Boys players did at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, but halftime exchanges are rare and often incur the wrath of fans who feel it out of place in the heat of battle.

Agencies via Xinhua