Manchester (AFP)
Borussia Dortmund are well aware of Norwegian Erling Haaland’s ability to smash defenses in the Champions League, but the German giant could be killed with a sword he fought over when he visits Manchester City on Wednesday.
Haaland became one of the most feared strikers in the world in two and a half years in Germany, scoring 86 goals in 89 appearances for Dortmund.
After eight games in his new career with City, the muscular Norwegian forward quickly scored 12 goals for the Premier League champions.
After scoring two goals in a four-man win against Sevilla early in City’s Champions League campaign, Spanish manager Pep Guardiola said of Halland that “his numbers throughout his career, not just here but when he was in previous clubs, I’m completely similar. He has an incredible sense of goal. “
Haaland’s deal, amounting to € 60m, means that he had a chance to choose clubs after becoming superior to his surroundings in the “Bundesliga”.
This is because Dortmund can provide fertile ground for the development of the best talent in Europe in the early years of their careers, but cannot compete financially with the richest clubs on the continent, nor meet the long-term ambitions of the best players in the world.
As a result, Haaland followed in the footsteps of the Englishman Gaydon Sancho, the American Christian Pulisic, the French Ousmane Dembele, the Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Polish forward Robert Lewandowski and the German Mario Goetze as future stars who flew from the nest after making its mark in Germany.
However, Haaland’s loss may be the biggest ever, with the 22-year-old threatening to rewrite records set by Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi, which many believed would remain sacred for generations.
Haaland’s brace against Sevilla brought his score in continental competition to 25 goals in 20 games.
If we look at the same phase of his football career, Ronaldo, the historic top scorer of the tournament with 140 goals, had not yet opened the counter, while Messi has scored eight goals in his first 20 European games.
“I love the Champions League,” Haaland told Telemundo Deportes this week, when he revealed that the competition song was the tone of his phone. I must say that for me it is a great dream.
He added: “When I wake up every morning, I listen to this song. It’s my favorite competition. “
Haaland’s performance in the Champions League was also the reason why City wanted to sign him, to be the successor to the long-time Argentine club scorer Sergio Aguero.
Under Guardiola, City have won four Premier League titles in the past five years and six in total in the past ten years.
But the club have come close to championing the past two seasons dramatically, losing their first-ever final to Chelsea in 2021, before advancing with two lost-time goals in last May’s semi-final against Real. Madrid, who then won the title at Liverpool’s expense.
All doubts about whether a leading signing could destabilize the teamwork that characterized the City’s success under Guardiola had dissipated in a few weeks.
“This colleague will break virtually every goal record,” tweeted former England striker Michael Owen.
He added: “He is very big, very fast, decisive in front of goal and plays in a team that creates dozens of chances.”
So, Dortmund know what’s going to happen. Holding the momentum of the mountain man, whom they called their mountain, is another matter.
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