Manchester City's Erling Braut Haaland scores their second goal. (Reuters)Erling Haaland’s outrageous 84th-minute winner against t his former club Borussia Dortmund has been compared with Johan Cruyff’s acrobatic goal against Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou in 1973.
The pass from Joao Cancelo was almost beyond Haaland as he leapt off the ground to reach a cross that most players would have tried to hit with their right foot.
Haaland, Arthur Gomes, Oršić, Stones…
Goal of the Week! ⚽️ A, B, C or D? 🤷#UCLGOTW || @Heineken || #UCL
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 14, 2022
But the towering Norwegian forward is not like most players and he hooked the ball with the outside of his left foot into the Dortmund goal, prompting an astonished roar from the home crowd.
It drew exuberant praise from his manager, Pep Guardiola, who compared Haaland to his former Barcelona coach Johan Cruyff.
Pep “The moment Erling scored the goal I thought: “Ah, like Johan Cruyff!”. Cruyff scored that kind of goal at Camp Nou vs Atletico Madrid” #Pep #UCL pic.twitter.com/tI2XLIvbFD
— The Pep (@GuardiolaTweets) September 14, 2022
In a game against Atletico Madrid in 1973, Cruyff leapt into the air outside the far post, diverting a cross into the net from a remarkably acute angle with the outside of his right heel at chest height.
“What a goal,” he said. “I remember a long time ago in Barcelona Johan Cruyff scored one quite similar against Atletico Madrid. It’s nice Erling emulated Johan Cruyff.
“Maybe the people who know me know the influence of Cruyff in my life as a person, mentor and manager. Years ago he scored in Camp Nou and scored a goal v Atleti, it was quite similar to Haaland and the moment he scored it I felt Cruyff, it was quite similar.”
It was a 26th goal in just 21 Champions League games for Haaland, who has scored for City in six straight games and has a rate of better than a goal per game this season. He has now scored 13 goals in eight games since making his move from the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund.