Erling Haaland breaks Champions League record with stunning goal against former club Borussia Dortmund
On Wednesday night, Erling Haaland’s goal against former team Borussia Dortmund set a new Champions League record.
At the half-hour mark, Haaland scored his fifth Champions League goal of the season, adding to an already impressive total in Manchester City’s welcome of the German powerhouses.
And the Norwegian goal machine created history with the first-half goal. For both club and nation, Haaland has had an incredible start to the season.
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The Norway international had only failed to score in league losses to Tottenham and Aston Villa during the 2025–26 season, having scored 17 goals in 13 games going into Wednesday’s meeting.
At the 30-minute mark, Jeremy Doku singled up the 25-year-old, who was then hand-on rifle past Gregor Kobel as Manchester City easily defeated Dortmund 2-0 in the first half at the Etihad Stadium.
Midway through the first half, Phil Foden gave the Cityzens the lead as they sought to win three straight games across all competitions.
With a 2-2 tie at Monaco wedged between a 2-0 home victory over Napoli and a 2-0 victory at Spanish team Villarreal, Pep Guardiola’s team has started their Champions League campaign undefeated.
Along with his brace against Real Madrid at home last season, Haaland has scored in all four of City’s European games this season, making history.
Haaland became the first player to score in five straight Champions League games for three different clubs with a goal in the first half for City against Dortmund.
Due to an injury, he was unable to play in the second leg of the Champions League play-off loss to Real Madrid in February.
With past teams Dortmund and Red Bull Salzburg, the formidable forward had already accomplished the feat.
Although Haaland only played in six Champions League games for Salzburg, he scored five of them during the 2019–20 European season, including one goal in a 4–3 defeat at Liverpool in October 2019.
Then, during the 2020–21 Champions League season, Haaland scored five straight goals for Dortmund against Lazio, Zenit St. Petersburg, Club Brugge, and Sevilla before moving to Manchester City in 2022.
Shortly before Haaland’s historic evening, City manager Pep Guardiola likened the striker to football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In their prime, the two dominated international football, and Messi’s ascent to fame was greatly aided by Guardiola, who oversaw Barcelona from 2008 to 2012.
The City manager downplayed the notion that they are overly dependent on the striker after Haaland scored two goals against Bournemouth over the weekend.
Guardiola maintained that a team will inevitably see a player with Haaland’s level of dominance at the top of the scoring lists.
“This is what it’s like if you play with Messi or Ronaldo, his influence is so big,” Guardiola stated. “Do you notice that guy’s numbers? He’s that level, of course.
This is the level, but Messi and Ronaldo have been doing it for fifteen years. The way he shoots the ball in the first goal makes it seem like “I am going to score.”
That hunger is in him. It’s on top. I mentioned how very manageable and coachable he is.
Haaland is open-minded, yet I can be strict with him at times. Sometimes the pressure is too much for him to handle for ninety minutes, but it’s natural. He lives for the goals.
To be honest, it would be difficult without him, but we are fortunate that Omar is back and that our players are healthy.
However, Haaland downplayed the similarities to Messi and Ronaldo, choosing instead to toss away the notion that he is on par with either or both of these legends.
“No, not at all!” When informed of Guardiola’s remarks regarding the striker and the pair, Haaland insisted. “Nobody can approach the two, thus no… I’m just Erling, a goal-scoring Norwegian. It won’t alter.”
With 13 goals this season, Haaland is leading the Premier League Golden Boot race. He will try to increase his total when City plays Liverpool this weekend.
