Teenager Erling Haaland scores again as Salzburg beats Genk
GENK, Belgium (AP) — Teenager Erling Haaland grabbed another goal and another record in the Champions League as Salzburg thrashed Genk 4-1 on Wednesday, keeping alive its chances of reaching the knockout stages.
The 19-year-old Norway striker, who came on as a substitute in the 62nd minute, first delivered an assist and then rounded off his team’s win three minutes from time.
Haaland took his Champions League tally to eight goals and became the first teenager in the history of the competition to score in five consecutive appearances. He had already set a single-season scoring record for teenagers in the Champions League.
After thrashing the Belgian champions 6-2 in September, Salzburg dominated from the start and took control of the match with two goals in three minutes just before halftime. Patson Daka put the visitors ahead in the 43rd minute before Takumi Minamino doubled their lead.
Hwang Hee-chan made it 3-0 from Haaland’s assist before Mbwana Samatta pulled one back with five minutes left. Haaland added more luster to the win with a composed finish.
The victory lifted Salzburg to third place in Group E, behind leader Liverpool and Napoli, who drew 1-1 in the group’s other game.
Salzburg will host Liverpool in its final group game on Dec. 10. The teams are separated by three points — and the English club needs to avoid defeat or have a low-scoring loss by a one-goal margin to secure a top-two finish. Liverpool currently leads the head-to-head tiebreaker between the teams, having beaten Salzburg 4-3 at Anfield in October.
“It's a good moment for our club. We played with a lot of maturity, I'm very proud,” said Salzburg coach Jesse Marsch. “A finale against Liverpool was our goal.”
