Erling Haaland breaks Messi record in Man City's Champions League defeat to PSG

Erling Haaland made Champions League history on Wednesday night, but his two goals were not enough to stop Manchester City falling to a 4-2 home defeat against Paris Saint-Germain. The Norwegian striker's second-half brace saw him become the fastest player ever to reach 60 goals in the competition, a milestone he hit in just 60 games.

Haaland rewrites the record books

Haaland's double at the Etihad Stadium on October 14 shattered a long-standing benchmark held by Lionel Messi. Haaland did it in 20 fewer, taking his total to an astonishing 61 goals in 60 appearances. His relentless scoring rate, which began with a debut hat-trick for RB Salzburg in 2019, remains unmatched in the competition's history.

A captain's fightback that broke a rule

Haaland's performance was amplified by the captain's armband, handed to him at halftime after manager Enzo Maresca substituted Ruben Dias. This immediately created a curious situation. Maresca had previously stated a firm rule from his time at Leicester and Chelsea that the captain must come to the bench for instructions after a goal instead of celebrating. "But if he scores, then he can celebrate," Maresca had joked in pre-season. "If Erling is the captain, f------ hell -- we have a problem, can you imagine?" True to form, Haaland broke the rule twice, celebrating both of his goals as City launched a furious comeback from 3-0 down.

The record-breaking night fuels the ongoing debate about whether Haaland can one day surpass Cristiano Ronaldo's all-time Champions League tally of 140 goals. At 26, Haaland sits seventh on the list. His main rival in the race is Kylian Mbappe, who also made history this week by becoming the youngest player to reach 100 Champions League appearances. The comparison between the two generational talents is stark and defines the current era.

A thrilling defeat with silver linings

The 4-2 scoreline marked Maresca's first loss as City boss, but the narrative was one of a stunning second-half response. PSG had raced into a 3-0 lead by halftime through Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha. "We start quite good until the first goal and then we concede the second one after one minute," Maresca told reporters. "That created some bad feelings." The manager's changes at the break, including handing Haaland the armband, sparked a dramatic shift. City finished the match with nearly twice as many shots as the French champions and a higher expected-goals figure, but PSG's clinical edge proved decisive. "Second half, we were much better and probably deserved something more," Maresca added.

• Erling Haaland is now the fastest player to score 60 Champions League goals, achieving it in 60 games.
• He scored twice as Manchester City captain, directly contravening a stated rule of manager Enzo Maresca.
• The 4-2 home loss to PSG on October 14 was Maresca's first defeat in charge of City.
• Haaland's incredible scoring rate puts him in a direct race with Kylian Mbappe to eventually challenge Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 140 goals.

City must now regroup ahead of their next Premier League fixture, with Haaland's form providing a major positive.