Haaland

Erling Haaland has scored 12 goals in seven games now for Manchester City - he is giving them a different dimension in the penalty area.

This would free him to play in a low cross and Sergio Aguero and/or [Raheem Sterling](https://theathletic.com/football/player/raheem-sterling-k4BPKfn0pvnrTLX4/) would arrive at the back post for the tap-in. “He has the instinct to score goals, to be in the right place. He’s behind Bernardo (centre of screen grab below — he’s the slightly taller one in blue). The ball will be moving in the direction in which De Bruyne (or Bernardo, or Mahrez) is running, meaning he does not have to adapt his movements at all, as long as the pass is good. From there, Haaland pounced, wrapped his foot around the ball and scored. And the move that comes before it has been perfectly designed. And De Bruyne will be moving quicker, possibly in the opposite direction, to the opposition defenders, so he is clear. [England](https://theathletic.com/football/team/england/) striker who now hosts UK highlights show Match Of The Day, countered later that evening that those instincts can be taught. As Dias showed against [Sevilla](https://theathletic.com/football/team/sevilla-fc/) last night. “It’s a numbers game,” added Lineker, whose own career numbers include 48 goals for England, six of which won him the Golden Boot as top scorer at the 1986 World Cup. [Riyad Mahrez](https://theathletic.com/football/player/riyad-mahrez-rB15S0ScflIMYDkL/), or anybody, comes inside from the right, [Joao Cancelo](https://theathletic.com/football/player/joao-cancelo-DqAZsiQhMhVRaImK/), or somebody else, runs around the outside, Mahrez slips them in, clear of any defenders, and they produce a low cross that you — whoever you are — would struggle to miss from. [Erling Haaland](https://theathletic.com/football/player/erling-haaland-UqdITFAwdmIrBQfd/) to score a tap-in for [Manchester City](https://theathletic.com/football/team/manchester-city/), but it helps.

Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland netted two goals each in their teams' victories over Sevilla and Juventus, respectively, on Tuesday night.

Haaland can only play in the middle. He can play in the middle. "Mbappe can create and finish.

Haaland, 22, bagged a brace as Manchester City eased past Sevilla 4-0 in Spain, while Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe netted twice as his side beat Juventus ...

Messi did it in 23 years, 307 days Messi is second on 125. Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe both set new Champions League records on Tuesday night, with the duo's astonishing statistics suggesting a new era of superstar forwards is underway

Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry recently offered fans his personal take on who is the better forward between Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Haaland can only play in the middle. He can play in the middle. Mbappe can play on the right and on the left.

Thierry Henry has revealed his belief that Kylian Mbappe is a better player than Erling Haaland as he can create as well as finish.

Haaland can only play in the middle. He can play in the middle. "Mbappe can play on the right and on the left.

The 22-year-old forward has now scored a staggering 25 goals in 20 Champions League matches. He is on course to ease past the goal tallies of Ronaldo and Messi ...

On his current form in the competition, Haaland will have scored 228 goals by the time he plays as many times as Ronaldo has. If you score that much you can get away with a little bit more but he knows, and we know, we can still do better.” Haaland has enjoyed an incredible start to the season and is already staring down the likes of Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in Europe. Meanwhile, Messi is not miles behind his fierce rival, boasting 125 goals in 157 matches. The 22-year-old forward has now scored a staggering 25 goals in 20 Champions League matches. He has managed a strike rate of 1.25 goals per every Champions League match for City, Borussia Dortmund and Red Bull Salzburg.

FOR years football fans have gone back and forth arguing between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for who was the best in the world.But after both E.

Messi won the first of his SEVEN Ballon d'Ors when he was 22, the same age Haaland is now, while Ronaldo won the first of his five when he was 23, which is the same age Mbappe is now. While there is still some way to go to overhaul Ronaldo and his five Ballon d'Ors, plus Messi and his seven Ballon d'Ors, Haaland and Mbappe are heading in the right direction. As good as the stats may be, neither Haaland or Mbappe have enjoyed the individual success that Messi and Ronaldo had at this stage in their career. Haaland though is on another level when it comes to puting the ball in the back of the net. The Frenchman now has 35 goals and 20 assists to his name in just 54 Champions League outings, averaging a goal every 120.3 minutes in Europe. In reaching 25 Champions League goals at 22 years and 47 days, Haaland broke the record set by Mbappe when he was 22 years and 80 days. [Erling Haaland](https://www.thesun.co.uk/who/erling-haaland/) and [Kylian Mbappe](https://www.thesun.co.uk/who/kylian-mbappe/) scored twice in the Champions League last night, there appears to have been a changing of the guard. And the stats show that the pair are in a league of their own. Haaland has scored a ridiculous 12 goals in his last seven games for City, while Mbappe has kicked off the campaign with an equally impressive nine goals in six games. [Ronaldo](https://www.thesun.co.uk/who/cristiano-ronaldo/) now 37 and warming the [Manchester United](https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/team/1196656/manchester-united/) bench, and [Messi](https://www.thesun.co.uk/who/lionel-messi/) getting on at 35, everyone knew the time was coming. FOR years football fans have gone back and forth arguing between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for who was the best in the world. Mbappe vs Haaland is the new debate in town after Ronaldo and Messi’s legendary rivalry…

Norway's Erling Haaland has continued his meteoric rise up the footballing ladder with yet another record-breaking achievement.

[Lionel Messi](https://www.sporf.com/tag/lionel-messi) had only scored eight goals at this stage of his Champions League career. In addition, the Norwegian has the best goals-to-game ratio in the history of the competition. Consequently, he has become the only player in history to score 25 goals in their first 20 Champions League games, and the youngest player to hit 25 goals. Comparatively, Kylian Mbappe hits the back of the net every 120 minutes. [Borussia Dortmund](https://www.sporf.com/tag/borussia-dortmund), the forward has proved a nightmare to deal with. After twenty minutes, the 22-year-old lept onto a perfectly delivered cross from Kevin De Bruyne and steered it past a helpless Bono.

Man City Coach, Pep Guardiola has heaped praises on Norwegian striker Erling Haaland following his productive start at the club.

It is a unique reality of this player. It is a great virtue. Guardiola said: “There is a shot from outside the area (and) a rebound, he is there.