Unplayable Haaland's five-goal haul a warning to Man City's Champions League rivals

Pep Guardiola admitted before Tuesday's last 16, second leg that his reign at City will be defined by either winning or failing to win the Champions League despite his side's dominance of the Premier League in recent years.

Seven years on from Guardiola's arrival, City are still waiting for their first European crown.

That is why they pushed the boat out on agents' fees and wages to win the race to sign Haaland from Borussia Dortmund for a bargain 51 million ($62 million) last summer thanks to the Norwegian's buyout clause.

In just 35 games Haaland has already rewritten City's history books by scoring 39 goals in a single season.

More Champions League landmarks were reached on Tuesday as Haaland's five goals equalled the record shared by Lionel Messi and Luiz Adriano for the most in a Champions League game.

In the process the 22-year-old also became the youngest player to pass 30 in Europe's premier club competition with 32 in just 25 appearances.

"I was so tired after my celebrations," said Haaland. "My super strength is scoring goals."

City have not always possessed that clinical edge when it has mattered in the latter stages of the Champions League.

Missed chances have been a common theme of Guardiola's European exits by the finest of margins.

"He was so hungry," said RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose, who coached Haaland at Dortmund.

"He scored goals with the foot, with the head, he won second balls, he made deep runs. It all looked really simple tonight. It was a special night for him."

It could have been even more special had Guardiola not withdrawn Haaland with 25 minutes to go.

"I told him I would love to score a double hat-trick, but what can I do?" added Haaland.

Guardiola replied by joking his star striker's life "would be