Most strikers have a fetish rival. A team that is especially good at it, against which they easily swell their goal statistics and against which they feed their best plays video. Erling Håland is only 23 years old, but in his short career he has already struck terror into the nets of many European clubs, regardless of his pedigree. In the particular target of his victims, the Norwegian has a unique place for Sevilla, his opponent today in the European Super Cup that takes place at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium in Piraeus (Athens).
The striker will be the main threat for Manchester City, brand new winner of the Champions League, against a Europa League champion who has always been scalded against the Scandinavian. Håland has scored six goals against the Andalusians in three games, a brace for each game. The striker has only seen the net more times against RB Leipzig, with nine goals in five games, and against Bayern, with seven in nine games. Last season’s Golden Boot was the executioner of the people from Seville in the round of 16 of the 2020-21 Champions League, author of four of the five goals for Borussia Dortmund that knocked down the Spanish team. Last year, already with the elastic cityzen, embittered the debut in the highest European competition of those from Nervión participating with two goals in the win for the English at the Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium (0-4).
Håland, who signed 52 goals in 53 games last season, could not prevent Manchester’s team from missing the train of the sextet in the Community Shield, defeated on penalties by Arsenal, but in the debut in the Premier he sharpened his aim with two goals against Burnley. “You have to be 100% focused. We have to stop it as a team”, said Sevilla player Gudelj. The Andalusian team is still pending the market. “Everything is half done. The problem lies with those who organize these competitions without having finished making the teams. Nobody understands it”, stated the Sevilla coach, José Luis Mendilibar. The Andalusians have lost all four of their games against City. The British team has De Bruyne out, with a more serious injury than previously thought. If he undergoes surgery, a decision that has not been made according to Guardiola, “he will be between three and four months” out. Neither will Bernardo Silva be there, but in his case a physical problem is unknown.
