Haaland hat-trick sees Man City ease past Burnley into the FA Cup semi-final
HAT-TRICK: Erling Haaland scored a hattrick as Man City ease past Burnley into the FA Cup semi final. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
VINCENT Kompany may never have played with Erling Haaland during his glorious Manchester City career but in the FA Cup quarter-final, the prolific striker showed the Etihad legend the extent of his powers with yet another hat-trick.
The City striker had barely had a touch of the ball before his two goals inside three minutes late in the first-half killed off the contest and carried Pep Guardiola’s team through to their fifth straight FA Cup semi.
The inevitable treble - his sixth already this season - came just before the hour and the most extraordinary goalscorer of this, maybe any, generation had made his mark once more.
By the end of the first half, each side had produced two shots on target, but Haaland had converted both of City’s, and taken his tally for the season to an astonishing 41 in the process.
The opener came just as Kompany’s Burnley were enjoying their best spell of the sixth round clash.
A long kick from keeper Stefan Ortega after 32 minutes was headed down by Haaland to Julian Alvarez.
And with the Norwegian heading towards goal, Alvarez slipped through a perfectly-weighted pass that allowed Haaland to poke the ball past the advancing Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
Just 179 seconds later, with Burnley pressing for an equaliser, Phil Foden found the space to sprint down the left wing and his cross was turned in by Haaland who had timed his run magnificently.
And on 59 minutes, Riyad Mahrez’s cross found Phil Foden whose shot struck the post before Haaland, inevitably, pounced to net the rebound for his 42nd of the campaign.
The game had begun with predictable, and justified, tributes to Kompany who was so inspirational in his 11 years with the club that there is a statue in his honour outside the Etihad.
Guardiola made a big show of an emotional pre-match embrace but, for a few minutes at least, Burnley looked capable of springing an upset.
Poor kicking by Oretga could have been problematic on a couple of occasions but the German saved well from the two on-target efforts he faced in the first half, from Nathan Tella and Ian Maatsen.
The picture did not improve for Burnley after the break, and even before City started scoring again, Peacock-Farrell had saved well from Mahrez and Haaland.
The hat-trick goal soon followed and, on 62 minutes, Kevin De Bruyne’s scintillating run ended with a cross for Alvarez to tap into an empty net from close range for 4-0.
Still not satisfied, sub Cole Palmer got in on the act six minutes later, turning in from six yards after Peacock-Farrell had palmed away a cross from Foden.
And Alvarez raced through on 72 minutes as Burnley left themselves exposed at the back and planted his defender on the ground before planting in a sixth.
: Ortega 6; Walker 6, Dias 7 (Akanji 63, 6), Laporte 7, Lewis 7 (Gomez 66, 6); Rodri 7 (Phillips 66, 6); Mahrez 7, De Bruyne 7 (Grealish 89), Alvarez 8, Foden 7; Haaland 9. Substitutes (not used) Stones, Ake, Gundogan, Ederson.
: Peacock-Farrell 7; Roberts 5, Al Dakhil 5, Beyer 4, Maatsen 5 (Taylor 77, 5); Gudmundsson 6 (Cork 45, 5), Cullen 6; Tella 6 (Obafemi 64, 5), Vitinho 5 (Bastien 77, 5), Zaroury 5; Foster 5 (Barnes 45, 4). Substitutes (not used) Twine, Benson, Dervisoglu, Muric.
J Brooks 6
