There was a time when many people asked the question: after the era of two "supermen" Messi and C. Ronaldo, who will dominate world football ? But perhaps, at this point, many people have the answer. After Mbappe, Haaland is ready to enter the race to find the new GOAT (best player) in the football world.
It's very difficult to stop Erling Haaland (Photo: Getty).
Witnessing Haaland score 5 goals against Leipzig, everyone could only give this player a round of applause. Remember, in history, there is only one player who has "small hands" in the knockout stage of the Champions League. No one else, that is Messi.
Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo called Haaland a destroyer after his terrifying performance. Such rhetoric can be seen everywhere after the match between Man City and Leipzig.
Haaland's "crazy" brilliance is like a "giant" waking up from his winter sleep. He wants to destroy everything just to prove his strength. Haaland once experienced such a winter sleep when he only contributed 3 goals in the last 9 matches (before the match against Leizpig). That is not a bad achievement but clearly not commensurate with the expectations of the Norwegian star.
But now, Haaland has woken up and can make any defense tremble. Of course, Pep Guardiola did not spend a lot of money to buy Haaland with the ambition of winning the Premier League. Instead, he is aiming for something bigger, which is the Champions League. Since leaving Barcelona, Pep has always been cursed with not being able to win this tournament.
Haaland equals Messi's record of scoring 5 goals in a Champions League knockout match (Photo: Getty).
Pep's "false striker" formula may be scary, but clearly, when entering a continental tournament, he needs a real "killer" to be able to create a cutting point in the penalty area. The Haaland puzzle fits perfectly with the Spanish coach's wishes.
Notice that, except for the first goal from the 11 meter mark, Haaland's remaining goals all had the appearance of a true "number 9". They were all situations of receiving the ball and finishing in the penalty area.
Of course, many people will think that Haaland scores too easily, but without the natural talent and ability to "sniff" of a predator, the Nordic star could not have received the ball so easily and precisely. Over the years, C. Ronaldo has risen to the level of a ruler thanks to that perfect fit. For people like Haaland and C. Ronaldo, goals always come to them thanks to the "sniffing" ability of a "killer".
Like C. Ronaldo, Haaland also takes full advantage of his physical strength in aerial situations and turns it into his "powerful weapon". The good news for Man City is that Haaland is not yet 23 years old and has the potential to surpass C. Ronaldo in the future.
With Haaland, Pep Guardiola has a launching pad to break the curse in the Champions League (Photo: Getty).
What Haaland represents is exactly what Pep wants. Although his style of play has never been physical, it always needs that strong touch. Only then can his system be elevated to new heights and maintain its dynamism.
Don't be surprised when many people rate Man City as the number one candidate for the Champions League title. With the "genius" De Bruyne and the "monster" Haaland, no one knows how far they will go. This is the season when Pep has many factors to break the curse in the Champions League.
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