Erling Haaland - next gen star combines Ronaldo's 'Braute' force with Messi's intelligence

Viking, android, machine, robot. In the past year, I have read countless articles and blogs using these words and their synonyms to describe arguably the hottest property in world football: Erling Braut Haaland. 

This overwhelming obsession is not unfounded. 

Thirty three goals and eight  assists in only 32 appearances, with a shot conversion rate of 44%. The man scores a goal from almost every second shot and has torn apart European and German giants alike. 

Termed as a regen of Cristiano Ronaldo, Haaland is set to take over the world of football along with his own Messi-esque rival, Kylian Mbappe.

But what makes Haaland so good? How can a player of such a young age and with relatively less experience than his counterparts play so maturely and with such confidence? 

Given his consistency, the likes of Thierry Henry have declared with certainty that he is not another one of those prodigies that burst on to the scene and then perish.

His performance against Sevilla in the first leg of this year’s Champions League Round of 16 is a perfect specimen to analyse and understand his style of play. All three of his abilities were fully utilised by Dortmund as they thrashed Sevilla 3-2. 

First, Haaland’s strength and height enable him to become the perfect targetman. Dortmund consistently fed long balls into the opposition box, or just outside it, where Haaland outmuscled his defenders and won the ball for Dortmund wingers and forwards. 

Haaland’s first goal was a classic example of his pace and strength. He ran through the Sevilla midfield, and even with as many as five players hovering around him, fed a pass to Jadon Sancho, who turned it into a one-two to give it back to Haaland, who netted. 

One remarkable aspect of this goal was that there was barely any space for him to run into. The only place to roll the ball was a crowd of defenders, yet Haaland proved too fast for them to catch on, and too strong to stumble and fall. And then it was all about the quality of the finish.

Speaking of finding space, it is well known that for any attacker in modern football, the one thing that can separate them from above average and turn them into truly world class is their ability to detect, run into, and utilise space on the pitch. 

In his second goal, Haaland is running parallel to Reus. He detects a large patch of grass to the right side of the opposition box. Making a precise run, he is fed by Reus for a resounding finish. The goal in itself may not look as pretty to the eye as Dortmund’s first two goals, but being in easy scoring positions is the hallmark of a predator's nous. 

From the perspective of an average football fan, one can only name two players who have found spaces in the past decade with such intelligence: Ronaldo and Sergio Aguero. 

If Haaland is the next name to be mentioned in this lineup of world class strikers, then he is indeed a special player.

From long-range goals to driving deep into the pitch, Haaland offers a complete package that has rarely been seen in world football. 

He is bound to move out of Dortmund this year, but this transfer might be the most important one in his career because his next club might just determine whether he will actually be the next Ronaldo or whether his luck will run out like Eden Hazard or Neymar. 

Even though many have termed FC Barcelona or Real Madrid as his best options, neither club is in a financial condition to afford him, and are both going through different stages of transitions. 

Clubs with such balance sheets do not always offer the best opportunity for such exceptional prospects, and Haaland will be risking a lot moving to Spain. 

His best bet might be the Premier League, with either Manchester City, Liverpool or Chelsea. All three clubs will fight for the Premier League and in Europe next season, and Haaland will find plenty of chances to make his name and put in a genuine bid for Ballon d’Or.

Modern football is more about intelligence than physicality. Haaland has both. Whether he can maintain them is a question only time can answer.

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