Erling Haaland: Hunting for a New Champions League Record
Manchester City’s star striker, Erling Haaland, continues to break records in the Champions League. After setting a new mark, he is now on the verge of surpassing another milestone in his impressive career.
Haaland became the fastest player to reach 50 goals in the competition, achieving this feat in just 49 matches. He surpassed the previous record of Ruud van Nistelrooy, who needed 62 games to reach the same figure.
Now, the Norwegian striker’s sights are set on Lionel Messi’s record, who reached 60 goals in 80 matches. With his brace against Monaco, Haaland has 52 goals in 50 matches, getting closer to the Argentine star’s mark.
It’s not good enough. We have to try to win the next game. It’s the only thing we can do.
Erling Haaland
Despite his two goals, Haaland couldn’t hide his frustration after the 2-2 draw against Monaco. The match was full of emotions and controversial decisions.Haaland’s goals put City ahead on two occasions, but Monaco managed to equalize on both. The match was marked by a controversial VAR decision that resulted in a penalty for Monaco.
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola preferred not to comment on the referee’s decision. “I have nothing to say about the Spanish referees,” he stated.
The scenes following the penalty were tense, with City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma going to the bench to speak with his coaches before the execution. This caused a scuffle in which at least one Monaco coach was sent off and City captain Bernardo Silva was cautioned.
Guardiola, for his part, lamented his team’s inability to secure the victory. “In football you have to win with the result. There were many good things in the game, but we had many opportunities. When the match is closed, you have to defend and we take a point,” he said.
Haaland’s goals demonstrate his excellent performance at the start of the season. In 10 matches with the club and the national team, he has scored 17 goals. The only time he didn’t score was in City’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham in August.
