Erling Haaland: Why Is The Dortmund Star Rated So Highly?

Erling Haaland is currently one of the hottest young prospects in football. The Norwegian plays for Borussia Dortmund.

Characterized by his athleticism, tenacity, strength, pace and for being a naturally gifted finisher, Haaland earned himself the nickname ‘Terminator’.

Despite being only 21, many football fans can’t name the 10 best strikers in the world without mentioning The Terminator. Let’s take a look at his story.

Erling Braut Haaland started his football career in the Norwegian side, Bryne 2, scoring 18 goals in 14 appearances from 2015-2016. He was then promoted to the first team where he made 16 appearances without scoring.

From 2017-2019 Haaland played for Molde scoring 16 goals in 43 appearances

However, he burst into the international scene in 2019 where he got a lot of tongues talking after impressing in the Champions League for Salzburg.

Haaland scored 17 goals in 16 appearances for his country. In 2020, he moved to Dortmund where he has established himself as a lethal striker and one of the world’s best forwards.

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Erling Haaland Achievements

Haaland was the first teenager to score in five consecutive UEFA champions league matches. He became the second teenager to score 10 goals in the competition. He is the winner of the 2020 golden boy award.

Haaland scored a hattrick on his Bundesliga debut, becoming only the second player after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to do so in Dortmund’s history.

The Norwegian became the first player to score five goals in his opening two matches. He also did this in a record 56 minutes!

Haaland has been linked with many European giants particularly Chelsea but why is that?

Finishing ability

Haaland is an excellent finisher. He can shoot with both feet and has an insane ability to score from tight angles even scoring against the best of goalkeepers.

Tenacity and strength

Haaland is only 21, but he’s a lot stronger than he looks. His strength and ruggedness are a key part of his game. He can fall back to win the ball for his teammates.

In the Champions League quarterfinal against Manchester City in the first leg, Haaland was able to win a physical battle against Portuguese defender, Ruben Dias. The Manchester City defender fell down after losing that physical battle.

These two characteristics coupled with his athleticism ensure that even in games he doesn’t score -which are really few – he terrorises the best of defenders and can open up space for others.

Speed

The Dortmund forward is a very fast player. If a through-ball finds Haaland beyond the opponent’s defensive line, there’s a possibility that the defenders will only see his jersey number till he scores.

With all these attributes, it’s clear to see why Haaland attracts European heavyweights as suitors for his signature.

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