Haaland vs Lukaku: The Battle of Two Powerful Strikers in the Champions League Final

Manicured, powerful and decisive, the Norwegian from City and the Belgian from Inter are two offensive profiles of the same mould, but with two very different histories

One is the undisputed starter and early hunter of goalscoring records. The other is a luxury bench warmer looking for redemption in much less time. Erling Haaland and Romelu Lukaku are the two sides of the same coin that today will slowly go down to the grass of the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul to decide who will be the king of Europe between Manchester City and Inter.

They are two left-footed center forwards, solid and heavy. But they have two very different stories, consequences of two opposite destinies. Because if the Norwegian is a child of art and has always appeared as a predestined player, the Belgian came from below: he was born the son of emigrants from the Congo and had to fight for life from the beginningalthough with a physical predisposition to high-impact encounters.

Haaland is the undisputed starter in Guardiola’s attack, while Lukaku is no longer the one who two years ago made the ditches with his gallops at Antonio Conte’s Inter. And it is precisely in the last two seasons that there has been a gigantic imbalance between the current top scorer in the Champions League and a luxury reserve who, at 30, seems to once again be the one who at 20 was rejected by José Mourinho at Chelsea for his lack of specificity in front of goal.

viking conqueror

Haaland has the ax of the Berserker on his left foot, the Viking warriors who, before the battle, entered a state of limpid trance, narrowing their eyes and with the sole objective of destroying the adversary. 35 goals in just 29 Champions League games It’s a spectacular spoils of war that the proverbial Scandinavian sniper not only wants to improve, but he intends to capitalize on. And what better way than to win the trophy tonight?

Both Haaland and his teammates are sure that it won’t matter who decides the final against Inter, but it’s obvious that in games like this the contribution of a usually decisive goalkeeper makes the difference, especially against a team so expert at not letting the player play. rival like Inter. Dry in both semi-final clashes against Real Madrid, the Viking already secure in the title of Champions League top scorer will want to wash down eventual victory with at least one goal. Mark those long-awaited 13 that fate may have in store for you.

the belgian bison

Clumsy, pachydermic and not very technical. But endowed with devastating physical power. the belgian bison of Congolese origin, has always had to fight against less than excellent control of the ball, which is often a gift from Mother Nature, who, however, had endowed him with a body that, if stretched to its fullest, would drag at least two at a time. If not three.

Although he is far from the destructive forward who dragged Inter to victory in the league two years ago, Lukaku is the element that could turn the tables in an eventual tie. His so far mediocre season has seen him grow and improve remarkably in recent periods. And we must not forget that his goals against Porto and Benfica in the Champions League were crucial to getting Inter ahead.

Left-footed shots

In common, apart from their functions, Haaland and Lukaku have their left foot as a natural extension of their bellicose intentions. The former has developed an incisive shooting technique that has allowed him to stand out as a great shooter even from afar. The second, for his part, has become a more precise offensive terminal over the years and is also skilful from the penalty spot, relying more on precision than power.

Fast and vertical, the Norwegian will jump onto the field from the first minute to lead his team to a victory that many in Manchester have been waiting for years. And that fate seems to have served on a silver platter. Stocky and solid as a rock, the Belgian will wait for his opportunity from the bench, aware that even in a few minutes someone like him, if he is pushed to the maximum, can define an ambiguous situation.

The predestined in front of the self-made man. Each of the two will try to serve the left foot to the opponent. The contexts are as diverse as their origins. The son of an Africa that emigrated to escape hardship will challenge the pale son of the North who grew up in the best conditions. An uneven challenge on paper. But the field can often be a fickle judge.