Home Football Erling Haaland Applauds Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘Incredible’ Goalscoring Prowess and Reveals He Used to ‘Always Watch’ the Portuguese Superstar as a Kid to Enhance His Own Skills.

Erling Haaland Applauds Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘Incredible’ Goalscoring Prowess and Reveals He Used to ‘Always Watch’ the Portuguese Superstar as a Kid to Enhance His Own Skills.

Football — 11/18/2023

Erling Haaland has identified Cristiano Ronaldo as his primary inspiration, revealing that he “always watched” the Portuguese superstar during his formative years as a footballer. The 23-year-old Norwegian striker, currently showcasing his goal-scoring prowess with Manchester City, has already scored 17 goals in 18 games across all competitions this season under Pep Guardiola.

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Growing up during the era of Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s dominance, Haaland, like many football enthusiasts, learned extensively from Ronaldo’s playing style. Haaland’s trajectory to stardom mirrors Ronaldo’s, particularly in mastering finishing skills. With proficiency in using both feet and excelling in aerial duels, Haaland has notably improved his ratio for scoring headed goals, finding the back of the net in one out of four attempts. He credits part of this improvement to studying online videos of Ronaldo’s performances.

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‘I remember always watching him on YouTube for his movements in the box: He used to make two or three moves before attacking the space he wanted to be in,’ Haaland told TV2.

‘It’s kind of a duel in that situation with the centre-backs. It is important to time it perfectly. And the post must be good. If you don’t get a good cross, you won’t be able to score with your head.’ 

TV2] Erling Haaland: "I always watched Cristiano Ronaldo on Youtube for his movements in the box: He made 2-3 moves before attacking the space he wanted to be in. It's kind of

‘How Cristiano moves, and how he has managed to develop his game. You remember when he played in Manchester United and the first years in Real Madrid, to become more of a striker in Real Madrid. 

‘It is incredible for him that he manages. But also how he scores the goals. It is the small movements in the box, and being able to deceive the defenders,’ he added.

Erling Haaland, the Norwegian striker and avid admirer of Cristiano Ronaldo, will find himself with more time to watch his childhood hero’s best career moments. Haaland has been ruled out of Norway’s upcoming European Championship qualifier due to an ankle injury sustained in a recent friendly win over the Faroe Islands. As a result, he will miss the upcoming match against Norway.

Manchester City is now anxiously awaiting Haaland’s recovery, hoping that he will be fit in time for their crucial Premier League clash against Liverpool at the Etihad on Saturday, November 25. The absence of the prolific goal-scorer is a concern for both the national team and his club as they anticipate his return to the pitch.