City resume Champions League quest as Real take on Leipzig
Pep guardiola said on Tuesday that erling Haaland will become even more prolific once he gets used to life at Manchester City as the in-form striker prepares for a reunion with borussia dortmund in the Champions League this week.
Haaland will face his former club on Wednesday for the first time since joining City in a £51 million ($58 million) transfer in the close-season.
That fee already looks a bargain ater a blistering start featuring 12 goals from Haaland in just eight appearances for the Premier League champions. Ater scoring twice in last week’s rout of Sevilla, the Norwegian has neted 25 times in only 20 Champions League games and he will be looking to add to that remarkable tally when dortmund arrive at the etihad Stadium.
guardiola is delighted by Haaland’s hot streak, but he warned the rest of europe that his young star is not at the peak of his powers yet.
“He’s young, hungry, it’s going to happen, he can improve,” guardiola told reporters.
“He’s 22 and can be beter. The connection with his mates, over time, will improve and he will be an even beter player.”
Haaland is one of several former dortmund players in guardiola’s squad, with fellow summer signings Sergio gomez and Manuel Akanji also in contention to feature against their old team.
guardiola admits dortmund will look to exploit their knowledge of Haaland, Akanji and gomez, but he is confident they can handle the reunion pressure.
“They know these players beter than I know dortmund players, that’s for sure,” guardiola said.
“They can get that benefit but we’ll see if it’s
Guardiola is delighted by Haaland’s hot streak, but he warned the rest of Europe that his young star is not at the peak of his powers yet
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City midfielder Ilkay gundogan, another former dortmund player, has been impressed by Haaland’s atitude as much as his predatory finishing.
“The numbers speak for themselves. “He’s doing great on the pitch but his character, atitude and determination off the pitch is something incredible,” he said.
City are hoping Haaland can prove the final piece of the jigsaw ater years of near misses in the Champions League.
“We will see. It will be a very tough competition and little details can decide the outcome,” gundogan said.
Meanwhile, guardiola insists City’s bid to win the Champions League and retain the Premier League title will not be affected by a looming fixture pile-up later this season. City’s Premier League match against Totenham last weekend was postponed following the death of Queen elizabeth II. There is also a possibility their trip to Arsenal on october 19 will be moved if the gunners reschedule their postponed europa League tie against PSV eindhoven for that midweek.
With the World Cup set to halt the season for six weeks from mid-november, City face a backlog in the second half of the campaign.
“We will find a way. Always the fixtures were so tight every season. The Premier League has the ability to find room for the fixtures,” guardiola said.
Meanwhile, Carlo Anceloti praised brazilian pair Rodrygo and vinicius for “making Real Madrid dream” in the absence of injured centre forward Karim benzema.
eden Hazard has also “done his part of the job”, Anceloti said on the eve of holders Real’s Champions League home game against Leipzig on Wednesday, their second group F match ater a 3-0 win over Celtic.
“We are enthusiastic about our atack, about our young people. Karim makes us dream, but you end up geting used to what he does. So, when a young player comes on, it makes you dream even more,” said Anceloti. “What vini and Rodrygo do make us dream.”
Anceloti said benzema, carrying a right thigh injury, “has a chance of playing” in the La Liga derby against Atletico on Sunday.
but against Leipzig, the 34-year-old French player will have to give way to the brazilians or 31-year-old belgian Hazard.
“during the two matches without Karim, Hazard did what we asked of him,” said Anceloti, who has won the Champions League trophy a record four times as a coach.
“but above all, the team reacted well, because we scored seven goals,” he added of the three against Celtic and four against Mallorca.
In benzema’s absence, the player who shone the most was 22-year-old vinicius, who was the scorer of the winning goal in last year’s Champions League final against Liverpool.
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