Erling Haaland has equalled Sergio Aguero’s Manchester City record of 36 Champions League goals after scoring twice against Porto, but the Norwegian reached the landmark in dramatically fewer matches.
Haaland equals Aguero’s Champions League record but does It 24 games faster
Erling Haaland has equalled one of Sergio Aguero’s biggest Manchester City Champions League records after scoring twice in the 2-0 victory over Porto.
The Norwegian produced another decisive European performance to take his Champions League tally for City to 36 goals.
That puts him level with Aguero for the most goals scored by a Manchester City player in the Champions League proper.
But the number of matches required makes Haaland’s achievement even more extraordinary.
Haaland reaches 36 Champions League goals for City
Haaland scored both Manchester City goals at the Estádio do Dragão.
The striker broke the deadlock after half-time before scoring again late in the contest to complete the victory.
Those two goals moved Haaland to 36 Champions League goals for Manchester City.
That is the same total Sergio Aguero recorded for the club in the main Champions League competition.
Haaland has therefore reached the top of another major City scoring list.
The 24-game difference is staggering
The most remarkable part of the record is how quickly Haaland reached it.
Haaland scored his 36 Champions League goals for City in just 40 appearances.
Aguero needed 64 matches to reach the same number.
That means Haaland required:
24 fewer games.
His scoring rate for City in the competition is approximately 0.90 goals per match.
Aguero’s rate across his 64 appearances was around 0.56.
Haaland has not simply matched the record. He has reached it at a completely different speed.
Why some records show Aguero with 39 goals
There is an important clarification surrounding the record.
Some UEFA statistics list Aguero with 39 European Cup and Champions League goals for Manchester City.
The difference comes from Champions League qualifying matches.
Aguero scored three goals in qualifying, including his hat-trick against Steaua București in 2016.
When only the Champions League proper is counted, Aguero finished with 36 goals.
That is the record Haaland has now matched.
So Haaland has equalled Aguero’s Manchester City Champions League proper record, rather than every European total that includes qualifying rounds.
Haaland now has 59 Champions League goals
The Porto brace also moved Haaland to another remarkable career total.
He now has 59 Champions League goals in 59 appearances.
That is an average of exactly one goal per game.
His total has been built across Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City after his first European goals came with Red Bull Salzburg before entering the main Champions League stage of his career.
Haaland is already seventh on the competition’s all-time scoring list.
Only six players remain ahead
Haaland is now chasing some of the greatest goalscorers in Champions League history.
The players ahead of him include:
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi
Robert Lewandowski
Karim Benzema
Kylian Mbappe
Raúl
Haaland’s next goal would take him to 60 in the competition.
At just 26, his position on the all-time list is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Haaland continues to own Champions League speed records
The Aguero milestone fits into a much larger pattern.
Haaland has repeatedly rewritten Champions League scoring records because of how quickly he reaches major landmarks.
He became the fastest player in competition history to reach 50 Champions League goals.
He has also held the highest scoring total after multiple appearance milestones, including 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 matches.
His extraordinary efficiency has made him one of the most prolific scorers the competition has ever seen.
Haaland now closes in on 60
After reaching 59 goals, Haaland is only one strike away from another major landmark.
One more Champions League goal will take him to 60.
That would also bring him closer to Raúl and Mbappe, who currently sit significantly higher on the all-time list.
Given Haaland’s scoring rate, those gaps no longer look as enormous as they once did.
Another Manchester City record falls within reach
The night in Porto also strengthened Haaland’s position in Manchester City history.
His rapid goalscoring since arriving at the club has already taken him past several legendary names.
He now sits among the highest scorers in City history despite having spent only a fraction of the time at the club compared with many of the players around him.
Aguero’s overall club record remains some distance away, but Haaland’s current pace means it will inevitably continue to be discussed.
Haaland keeps focus on the team
Despite another personal landmark, Haaland focused heavily on Manchester City’s performance after the match.
He praised the team for winning away against the Portuguese champions and stressed the importance of performing on the biggest stage.
That has become a familiar pattern with Haaland.
The records continue to fall, but his public focus remains on winning matches and trophies.
Aguero’s record may not last much longer
Haaland is currently level with Aguero on 36 Champions League proper goals for Manchester City.
But one more goal will change that.
If Haaland scores in City’s next Champions League match, he will become the club’s outright leading scorer in the competition proper.
And considering the Norwegian has just scored twice in his opening European match of the season, that possibility could arrive very quickly.
Haaland reaches another level of City history
Matching Sergio Aguero is significant enough.
Doing it 24 games faster makes the achievement extraordinary.
Haaland now has 36 Champions League goals for Manchester City, 59 in the competition overall and another historic record within touching distance.
One more European goal for City will move him beyond Aguero.
And at his current pace, the question is no longer whether Haaland will break more Champions League records.
It is how many will still be standing when he is finished.
