Five Things Learned: Manchester City 7-0 RB Leipzig (Agg: 8-1, Champions League Last-16 Second-Leg) | OneFootball

It was an unrelenting drubbing from Manchester City as Pep Guardiola’s side progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals via a 7-0 victory over RB Leipzig.

The Etihad stadium has hosted some entertaining spectacles over the years, particularly since Pep Guardiola’s arrival in Manchester, but the display from the City players on Tuesday night was right up there as one of the very best.

The slick passing and natural fluidity we have become accustomed to seeing was back in abundance, with sharp pressing and silky one-touch football to pair, as the reigning Premier League champions looked back to their upmost best.

It was a relatively difficult opening 20 minutes in the contest though, as both sides tried to gain a foothold in the match, until Manchester City were awarded a perhaps soft penalty thanks to a handball from Benjamin Henrichs.

Unsurprisingly, it was Erling Haaland who braved the responsibility, giving the home side a lead after the 20th minute mark. The early resistance from the visitors was completely undone, as the opener was the start of a Manchester City onslaught for the next 70 minutes.

Less than one in-game minute after the opener, Erling Haaland was in the right place at the right time to head home for a second after a Kevin De Bruyne thunderbolt rattled the crossbar, doubling Manchester City’s lead and causing the Etihad Stadium to erupt.

It is no secret that Erling Haaland loves to score goals, but in case it wasn’t obvious enough, he tapped home and secured a first half hat-trick, putting the tie to bed before the break. The Manchester City massacre wasn’t finished there, as they came right out of the blocks in the second-half hungry for more.

Ilkay Gundogan found himself on the scoresheet just four minutes after the restart with a fine left-footed strike from outside the area nestling in the far corner. Erling Haaland took this personally and decided to score another two goals in eight minutes, because why not.

The scoring then quietened down, until the final minute of the game when Kevin De Bruyne found some space on the edge of the area and curled one into the top corner in trademark fashion. The game ended 7-0 to Manchester City, taking the aggregate scoreline to 8-1.

City truly reinstated themselves to many people writing them off this season. The current Premier League champions are being widely underestimated, despite still competing in three competitions.

With that being said, here are five things we learned from Tuesday night’s sensational 7-0 victory over RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium!

The formidable duo of John and Ruben

After four consecutive clean sheets in a row, Manchester City look to have shaken off most of the defensive frailties we saw earlier in the season. Despite not directly partnering each other, a major reason behind this defensive success can be credited to the returns of John Stones and Ruben Dias from respective injuries.

This defensive duo have incredible chemistry alongside one another, and both boost the confidence of those around them when playing.

With the business end of the season well underway, the return of this defensive pairing is certainly a timely boost for Manchester City and could be the difference maker in their quest for silverware success this season.

Ederson clearly low on confidence

Highlighting negatives in a 7-0 victory seems harsh, but the Manchester City goalkeeper did make a name for himself on Tuesday, despite keeping a clean sheet.

Ederson was very fortunate to evade committing a foul and receive a card in the first-half, after an unsuccessful sweep saw him wipe out an onrushing Konrad Laimer. The City goalkeeper also had another arguably poor game on the distribution front, which is not the first time that has happened in recent weeks.

With an FA Cup tie against Burnley approaching this weekend, it will most likely be Stefan Ortega who starts in goal for Manchester City.

However, with Ederson clearly low on confidence, if the German stopper is to play well, could he overtake his Brazilian colleague as Manchester City’s number one between the sticks?

A statement seven

After critics undermined this City team on multiple occasions this season, Tuesday night was the ultimate answer to any question marks that remain. The performance on display put doubts to bed, as Pep Guardiola and his side continue to prove they cannot be underestimated.

The victory showed more than just a gulf in quality between the two sides, but also a hunger within a Manchester City side that are determined to erase the stigma between the club and the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola’s City players seemed more determined than ever to silence the doubters and finally get their hands on the pinnacle club competition in Europe this season.

History maker and record breaker: Erling Haaland

Becoming the fastest player in Champions League history to score 30 goals in the competition, the youngest player to score 30 goals in the competition, and breaking the Club record for most goals scored in a single season, it was a pretty successful evening for Erling Haaland.

After playing without a striker for several seasons, it is refreshing to rely on someone to consistently convert chances, but I think you will be stretched to find anybody who could’ve envisioned the impact Erling Haaland has had on this Manchester City team.

The numbers Erling Haaland was producing prior to his move last summer were alarming, but the question marks remained whether he could carry them through to the Premier League and Manchester City.

The Norwegian has done it with aplomb, and is taking the domestic and European stage by storm.

The Champions League hunger is there

Let’s face it, the noise surrounding Manchester City and the Champions League is becoming boring, with the manager and players constantly being questioned about it. However, Tuesday night showed a real hunger and desire to win this competition, with the players clearly determined to prove everyone wrong.

Pep Guardiola has outweighed all expectations of himself since his arrival in the summer of 2016, as people ultimately cling onto the fact that he hasn’t delivered European success to Manchester as of yet, though not through a lack of trying.

Competing on three fronts at this stage of the season is no easy feat, but the players have demonstrated a real hunger in recent weeks to be successful this season, with the Champions League certainly no exception to that rule.

The next few months are massive for Manchester City, but without looking like slowing down now, it’s going to make for a truly eye-catching end to the season.