The legend was true. The prophecy has been fulfilled. When Erling Braut Haaland appeared in society, many predicted that he would break records in football, that he would destroy all records due to his voracious achievement. The Norwegian striker agreed with those who predicted a splendid career for him. The 9 of the City took all the glory of the classification of the team of Guardiola for the quarterfinals of the Champions League. If your striker scores five goals and makes history in the competition it is almost certain to advance to the next round. So explosive was Haaland’s performance that he had 28 minutes left over from the game and the tie. Because after an hour, the Santpedor coach allowed himself the luxury of removing him from the field after his exhibition.
It was like watching Ronaldo Nazário, a phenomenon. It was like being in front of Gerd Müller, a bomber of opportunism. He acted as a lethal finisher as was Hugo Sánchez, all at one touch. He sometimes he is elegant and fast like Van Basten. Other times he is powerful and relentless like Ibrahimovic. Most of the time he’s a Terminator, with a flair for taking down goalies and smashing nets.
Haaland caught up with Messi and Luiz Adriano, the only ones who had signed a poker game in the top continental competition. The Argentine did it with Barcelona against Bayer Leverkusen in a 7-1 win in 2012 (also in the round of 16), the Brazilian from Shakhtar endorsed it to BATE in the group stage (0-7). Leipzig, who controlled it very well in the first leg with Gvardiol and Orban, becomes the new illustrious victim of that group (7-0).
There were five goals but it could have been even more. Because the first chance was his in a long pass from Aké in which he put the tip of his boot and Blaswich avoided the 1-0. The German goalkeeper did not know what was coming. Haaland converted the first from a penalty, scored the third on the rebound, almost accidentally, without knowing if the goal was his or Rúben Dias’s, shot with his left foot in the fourth and pushed into the net in the fifth with his right to undo a hubbub.
But no goal defines him better than the second. He sprinted like a madman to put pressure on the goalkeeper and forced him to play long. Akanji recovered the ball and first returned it to the danger zone. The Norwegian lowered his head to face De Bruyne. The Belgian took a whiplash to the crossbar but Haaland appeared like an exhalation to collect the rebound with his head and score. Three bestial efforts that he made with astonishing ease.
There were those who thought that he was going through a drop in form because in February he had only celebrated two goals. Poor pitcher souls. Haaland is always ready, on the lookout. He celebrated the five goals by waving with an open hand, with the smile of that mischievous child who still doesn’t control his power. But while he finishes polishing it, he is already the youngest footballer to reach 30 goals in the Champions League – in fact, there are already 33 – and the one who has needed the fewest games to reach them, barely 25.
City is rubbing their hands with the transfer they made this summer. Haaland, the son of a midfielder who has already defended his shirt, has broken the club citizen’s record with the most goals in a season. He has 39 goals and we are in March. The glory is all for Haaland.
