SUMMARY
- Manchester City and Real Madrid faced each other in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League.
- The Norwegian player, failed to score or make an impact on the pitch in two games against Real Madrid.
Erling Haaland is undoubtedly one of the best players of his generation. The Norwegian striker has been an unstoppable goalscoring machine wherever he has played.
The 23-year-old is a real terror for the defenders as he dominates in almost all ground as well as aerial duels. A force to be reckoned with, Erling Haaland has scored almost every kind of goal possible.
Watch @ErlingHaaland‘s incredible goal vs Southampton from our unique Pitcam angle! 😍📹
Watch the full highlights here ⤵️
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 11, 2023
However, recent years have unveiled a big flaw in the 23-year-old’s gameplay. Erling Haaland has been often spotted ghosting during important matches. This has invited severe criticisms from some soccer pundits, most importantly from Roy Keane who doesn’t believe the Manchester City player deserves to play in the Premier League.
Erling Haaland had two abysmal games against Real Madrid
This problem of the former Borussia Dortmund player was evident when Manchester City played against Real Madrid in the QFs of the UCL 23/24. The Norwegian could not score a single goal across the two legs, let alone be influential on the pitch. The Real Madrid defenders bullied Erling during the two games, as the Norweigian struggled to assert his dominance on Antonio Rudiger and co.
As a result of his inefficiency on the pitch, Manchester City was rendered toothless on the pitch. ‘The Cityzens’ could not advance to the semi-finals of the UCL, as Real Madrid crushed their treble hopes for 2nd consecutive season by winning the second leg on penalties.
Erling Haaland cumulatively took 6 shots across the two legs, with 5 of them coming in the 2nd leg. The numbers are way below his average of 3.5 per game and this is what probably cost Manchester City dearly. Even in the 22/23 season, where Man City faced ‘Los Blancos’, Erling Haaland had 0 goals across the two legs in the Semifinals.
Erling Haaland lost possession more times (14) than he completed passes (11) over the two legs against Real Madrid. 😬 pic.twitter.com/n0m7MGars8
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) April 18, 2024
Apart from his goalscoring, Erling’s all-round play was also questioned. Erling Haaland lost possession more times (14) than he completed passes (11) over the two legs against Real Madrid.
Erling Haaland has played more games against Real Madrid without scoring than any other team. Thus, the Norweigian tends to be invisible during important games. The same case was made against the 23-year-old in the UEFA Champions League 22/23 final, where he could not assert his presence properly and was saved by a 68th-minute Rodri winner.
His record with the Norway NT isn’t that impressive too, with whom he hasn’t been able to qualify for any major tournaments. Such instances prove that Erling Haaland can be easily tamed if Manchester City’s creative outlets are blocked.
Roy Keane had some harsh words for the Norwegian striker
In such circumstances, Roy Keane’s assessment of Erling Haaland can be considered pretty relevant. The Irishman shocked the world by considering Erling Haaland’s level to be that of a League 2 player. Apparently, the former Manchester United captain isn’t impressed by the Norweigian’s all-round play at all.
The criticism came after Erling Haaland’s poor performance against Arsenal in a crucial match. The Norwegian failed to score in this match too, as Manchester City shared points with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, in March 2024.
Jamie Carragher said this in response to Roy Keane comparing Erling Haaland's game play to a League Two player 👀 pic.twitter.com/hzuQMe1FEa
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) April 11, 2024
Roy Keane said (via talkSPORT), “The levels of his general play are so poor. And not just today but in general. In terms of front of goal he’s best in the world, but his general play is so poor. He’s almost like a League Two player. That is the way I look at him. His general play has to improve.”
The Irishman’s comments were met with widespread criticism for his choice of words. However, Erling’s recent clashes with Real Madrid do prove that the Norwegians indeed have a lot of room for improvement. Given his young age, Norway and Manchester City would hope that he 23-year-old unlocks his true potential soon.
