Erling Haaland’s goal hunger seems insatiable: just four days after his five-pack gala in the Champions League against Bundesliga club RB Leipzig (7-0), the Norwegian superstar also paved the way for England’s Manchester City almost single-handedly to reach the semi-finals in the FA Cup.
Haaland scored the first three goals (32nd/35th/59th) in Bayern Munich’s quarter-final opponents in the European premier class against second division leaders FC Burnley, which was befitting 6-0 (2-0).
With his new hat-trick, Haaland, who was substituted shortly after his third goal, further expanded his club record with the Citizens. After 37 games so far in his debut season with the Skyblues, the only 22-year-old striker, who switched to the island from Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund before the start of the season, has already scored 42 goals.
The other goals for the team of team manager Pep Guardiola marked Julian Alvarez (64th/73rd) and Cole Palmer (68th). Former youth national goalkeeper Stefan Ortega (formerly Arminia Bielefeld), who was between the posts of the six-time FA Cup winners at City, as is usually the case in the cup competitions, got practically no serious opportunity to prove himself. The clear victory made Manchester the third team in FA Cup history to reach the semi-finals for the fifth time in a row.
The other semi-finalists will be determined on Sunday in the race for the successor to Liverpool FC, who were eliminated in the round of 16. Record champions Manchester United will welcome Fulham FC to the only Premier League duel in the round of the top eight, Liverpool’s also first-class fourth-round conqueror is host to the sensational fourth-rate team Grimsby Town. Due to the duel between Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers, a second division team is definitely represented in the semi-finals.
The semifinals in the oldest cup competition in the world are scheduled for April 22nd and 23rd (Saturday/Sunday). The final for the prize money of two million British pounds (equivalent to 2.28 million euros) will take place on June 3 (Saturday) at London’s Wembley Stadium.
