Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic has said that his side have to stop Erling Haaland on his return to the Signal Iduna Park. The Black and Yellow welcome Haaland and Man City to Germany in a Group G UEFA Champions League clash on Tuesday that has big ramifications for the German club.
Haaland enjoyed a prolific spell with Dortmund from January 2020 until the summer past, when he completed a £51million transfer to Man City. The Norwegian striker really rose to prominence in Germany, establishing himself as one of, if not the best young striker in world football.
He netted a 23-minute hat-trick on his Bundesliga debut in 2020, after coming off the bench in the second half in a 5-3 away win at FC Augsburg. It would set the precedent for things to come, as Haaland ended up scoring an astounding 86 goals in just 89 appearances for Dortmund.
The 22-year-old has gone up another level in the four months he’s been at Man City, somehow improving his already unprecedented scoring rate. Haaland already has 22 goals in just 14 appearances across the Premier League and UCL this season, continuing his record-breaking tally of 28 goals in 22 games in the latter competition.
Haaland has completely extinguished the ‘Bundesliga Tax’ allegations, netting at a higher frequency in the PL than he was in Germany, and is on course to demolish Mohamed Salah’s record of 32 goals in a single PL campaign.
Man City boss Pep Guardiola heaped praise on his striker in the build-up to Tuesday’s tie, saying Haaland’s ability to maneuver in tight spaces is what has been most impressive.
“What has impressed me is that I knew he was a guy for big transitions and over 30 or 40 metres he was unstoppable,” said the City manager in his press conference (quotes via Man City website).
“But I didn’t know how good he moves in small spaces in the box. In the end he has scored a lot of goals because he moves really well.
“He is so intuitive and especially he makes movements I like a lot, as a striker, he goes away from the action to after be close to the ball.
“This type of movement is not easy for a striker. He’s so smart in the right moments to make these movements.
“Apart from that, his work ethic, he’s one of the first to arrive at the training centre, quite similar to Ruben [Dias], and is one of the last to leave.
It was Haaland who came back to haunt his former side in the return fixture, scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory for Man City at the Etihad.
Borussia Dortmund head into the fixture with the English champions needing a win to secure qualification to the Round of 16. The German outfit made light work of VfB Stuttgart on the weekend, seeing them off 5-0 at the Signal Iduna Park.
Dortmund boss Edin Terzic expressed his admiration and ‘positive feelings’ for their former striker, but insisted that his side have to stop Haaland from scoring.
“There are only positive feelings for Erling. He was a fantastic player on the pitch, in training and in the dressing room,” said Terzic in his presser.
“I think he enjoyed his time in Dortmund.
“It was very good for him to be here and it was good for us to have him here. But now he is a player for City, he has a different kit and tomorrow we have to stop him from scoring.”
READ HERE: The Reason Haaland Didn’t Join Bayern Munich Revealed
Dortmund will turn to star player and in-form Jude Bellingham, to play a major role in getting his side the desired win as his future continues to be a hot topic of discussion.
On the other hand, City may field a slightly rested side given that their spot in the next round is already secured. However, Haaland is bound to want to get more minutes against his old club, something we’re likely to see.
Prediction
Borussia Dortmund 1 – 3 Man City
The fact that Dortmund need a win in this game may favour Man City, who will be able to exploit the host’s vast weaknesses in defence after pushing bodies forward searching for goals.
City are one of, if not the best side in Europe playing in transition, which is what we could see as the holes start appearing in the Dortmund midfield and backline. With Haaland on the field, the Black and Yellow know full well any mistakes will be punished.