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Pep Guardiola has revealed the reason he took Erling Haaland off despite him scoring five goals as Manchester City thrashed RB Leipzig.
Erling Haaland was on fire, scoring five goals as Manchester City thrashed RB Leipzig 7-0 to advance into the Champions League quarter finals. His lethal finishing was on show, as he scored five of the eight shots he took in the game, smashing records in a ruthless display.
The Norwegian completed his glut of goals in 35 minutes, as he became the youngest player to reach 30 goals in the Champions League and the fastest to do it.
The 22-year-old also joined a special class containing Lionel Messi and Luiz Adriano, the only other players to score five in a single Champions League match.
READ MORE: 5-star Haaland pays glowing tribute to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry
Pep Guardiola — ‘His life will be boring’
Despite scoring five goals and within one of double hat trick, Pep Guardiola took off Haaland just after the hour mark.
After the game, the striker revealed what he told Pep after his substitution. “I told him [Guardiola] when I went off, I'd love to score a double hat-trick - but what can I do!”, he said.
When questioned about the change, Guardiola said: “If he achieved this milestone at 22, 23 years old, it will be boring, his life. Now he has a target, that's why I make the substitution.
“I didn't know this about Messi against (Bayer) Leverkusen but normally when the game is over I want to let all the players play as much as possible.”
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READ MORE: Hungry Haaland reveals why Manchester City signed him
Lethal Haaland, but there is room for improvement
Haaland’s five goals against Leipzig saw him reach 39 goals this season, breaking Johnson Tommy’s record for most goals in a season for Manchester City.
However, with the annoying debate about his overall contribution to the team, Pep has noted that there is room for improvement.
“Today he scored five goals and I think he had 30-35 touches and this is what we are looking for,' Guardiola said. 'When you are involved in the game, when the time comes to score a goal you are more precise. It's difficult to score when you do not touch the ball for 40 minutes.
“Sometimes it's his fault. Sometimes he doesn't move - against Crystal Palace I said to him, 'You didn't play good today' - but other times it's our fault. Away to Leipzig we didn't find him in the second half. But we are working to make the process quicker.”
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