Erling Haaland inspires Manchester City with his personality and his goals. The Norwegian is Borussia Dortmund’s biggest concern when both teams meet in the Champions League (Wednesday, 9 p.m., live in the Sportschau audio stream).
Just playing football is no longer enough for Erling Haaland. He has had a second job since the end of October. On his Youtube channel the Manchester City striker invites his fans into his life. First, he released a video showing a typical day in his life – sparking a bit of controversy. Because Haaland spoke, among other things, about his preference for raw milk.
It is good for the stomach, good for the skin, the bones and the muscles, he said: “A superfood”. Food authorities around the world see things differently. For example, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment warns about germswhich would otherwise be killed during pasteurization. And: “These germs can sometimes cause serious illnesses.”
Dream goal against Dortmund
Of course, nobody wants Haaland to do that. Especially no one at Borussia Dortmund. Before the Champions League game on Wednesday, there is still no need to explain to BVB how dangerous the 25-year-old is in the penalty area. After all, he once scored 86 times for Borussia. And after moving to City, he scored one of the most incredible goals in Champions League history against Dortmund.
That was a little over three years ago. At that time, Joao Cancelo crossed the ball into the penalty area with the outside of his foot, Haaland jumped into the air and converted with his leg stretched out at head height. In his video diary he remembers: “The goal was so good that no one talked about the assist.”says Haaland while lying on a massage table. The secret of his game is the mixture of mobility and strength, his physiotherapist explains shortly afterwards.
Haaland scores two of three City goals
Even during his time in the Bundesliga, Haaland looked like a force of nature on opposing defenses with his long, quick steps and robust body. During the three years in England the cyclone became a tornado. In the new season, Haaland is blowing away defenders. He scored 17 times in the first 13 competitive games, which is a good two-thirds of all City goals this season.
“When you have a player like him, you have to give him the ball as often as possible”says his coach Pep Guardiola, who likes to compare Haaland with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo because of his goal rate. Because Guardiola’s team was currently in fifth place in the league, six points behind leaders Arsenal, there was discussion in England as to whether their dependence on the Norwegian was not too great. The fact is: City lost the only two games without a Haaland goal.
Haaland punishes Bournemouth’s pressing
Good for Guardiola that Haaland showed once again last weekend what makes him so special. Both goals in his brace against Bournemouth followed a similar pattern. In each case he lurked on the offside line, chose the perfect route, picked up speed at lightning speed and finished in a considered and technically clean manner. “I tried to help the team by doing my job”he commented after the game. After all, scoring goals is his job.
Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola was intrigued: “He’s unbelievable: if you run higher and he gets behind the defense, he’s too fast.” Simply putting yourself at the back won’t help Dortmund either: when Haaland’s acrobatic finish three years ago there were at least six Borussia players in their own penalty area.
Haaland doesn’t take himself too seriously
“We are so blessed and lucky to have him”said Pep Guardiola, as usual, exuberantly at the weekend. By that he didn’t mean Haaland’s goals but rather the personality of the attacker. On YouTube he showed what his trainer could mean by that. In his second blog on the channel, the Norwegian was made up for Halloween like the Joker from the Batman films.
In this elevator, Haaland then drove to various gas stations and supermarkets in Manchester. To buy diapers for his one-year-old child – and to be recognized by fans. Short conversations with lots of laughter follow. Perhaps Haaland shows his greatest strength in these short encounters: his relaxedness. He doesn’t take himself too seriously. Borussia Dortmund should not follow this example.