Haaland’s chance to dazzle – if he’s fit

Oslo – Salzburg’s red-hot teenage striker Erling Braut Haaland, pictured, will have the chance to measure himself against Liverpool’s dazzling collection of attackers today – if he is fit to play.

The Austrian club’s sporting director Christoph Freund said on Sunday the 19-year-old has been ill and may not feature against the European champions at Anfield but there will be many beyond the confines of Merseyside who pray that he is wrong.

After an explosive start to Haaland’s Champions League career, fans want to see more of the Norwegian.

“He’s going to become one of the best strikers in the world,” said Salzburg team-mate Maximilian Woeber. “He’s just phenomenal.”

Haaland set the first round of Champions League games alight when he hit a first-half hat-trick as Salzburg pulverised Genk 6-2 to top Group E ahead of Napoli.

At 19 years and 58 days, Haaland became the third youngest man to score a hat-trick in the Champions League since its revamp in 1992.

Raul was 18 years and 114 days when he did it in 1995 for Real Madrid against Ferencvaros, while Wayne Rooney was 18 years and 340 days when he marked his debut with a treble for Man United against Fenerbahce in 2004.

Imposing Haaland, who stands 1.94m tall and has been in scintillating form since moving from Molde to Salzburg in January, has scored 17 times in 10 appearances.

In May, in the under-20 World Cup, he hammered nine goals in one match as Norway humiliated Honduras 12-0.

In spite of his record and his undoubted potential, Haaland is not a regular starter for Salzburg.

Five days after his star turn against Genk, he was on the bench at Linz in the Austrian League. He was not even in the squad for the two subsequent wins over Austria Vienna, one in the cup and one in the league.

Asked to name his favourite player by Norwegian TV he answered: “I have to say ‘it’s me’”, before adding a slight caveat. “Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the biggest one. He is Scandinavian; someone has to take over from him.” – AFP