We can have slammed 32 goals in 32 official games this season and undergo a media questioning as if we were posting Matt Moussilou's career stats. Erling Haaland can definitely perceive the change of dimension he took by leaving Borussia Dortmund last summer to join Manchester City. The disappointing draw (1-1) brought back from Leipzig by Pep Guardiola's armada has indeed essentially attracted questions around the gap that seems to exist between a group collectively honed for long seasons and its new star striker.



Because as in the main Premier League posters (Liverpool, Chelsea, the return derby against United and Arsenal), the 22-year-old Norwegian phenomenon did not score for his first Champions League knockout match with City, in the 8th leg of the final in Germany. Extinguished by the promising Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol and especially isolated from his partners, Erling Haaland touched a total of only 25 balls on Wednesday night, including 7 in an absolutely ghostly first half. So, is it really serious doctor?

"He's not here to touch 70 balls a game"

Scorer in Leipzig, Riyad Mahrez gave a rather enlightening opinion on the question at the microphone of Canal +: "Erling has never really touched a lot of balls anyway. The coach wants him to be more in the game but he is a powerful striker, who goes fast. We know his qualities and it's not up to him to pick up, to get the ball. He's not here to touch 70 balls a game." We are certainly not dealing with a Karim Benzema, but a formation accustomed since the dawn of time to play without a real centre-forward, or with a much more mobile profile (Agüero, Gabriel Jesus), could it not be incompatible with Erling Haaland, as monstrous as he is in the finish?


🗣️ "Erling he never really touched a lot of balls"

🫢Do you share @Mahrez22's opinion or do you judge the Norwegian's performance tonight more harshly?#RBLMCI | #UCL pic.twitter.com/zgTUK6ZvG5

— CANAL+ Foot (@CanalplusFoot) February 22, 2023

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"He comes from a league that values counter-attacks, where it goes from one goal to another. Maybe he did not choose the club allowing him to make the most of his speed qualities, "said the famous British consultant Jamie Carragher a few weeks ago. Equal to himself, Pep Guardiola, the other alleged culprit in this case obviously, quickly brushed off the debate on Wednesday night: "He adapted 100% to Man City. We have to find him more in the game and pass to him. After all, we are not immune to a hat-trick of the guy in the 8th final return to the Etihad Stadium.

  • Sport
  • Champions League
  • Manchester City
  • Erling Haaland
  • Pep Guardiola