Erling Haaland is on the same early career trajectory as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Norway coach Lars Lagerback.
Haaland, 20, enjoyed a sensational breakout season in 2019-20, impressing for both Salzburg and then Borussia Dortmund after a January move.
The Norwegian striker scored 28 goals in 22 matches for Salzburg across all competitions, before adding 16 in 18 outings for BVB.
He was unable to help Dortmund to a first Bundesliga title since 2011-12 as Bayern Munich continued their dominance, but Haaland s swift adaptation provides optimism for the seasons to come – if they can keep hold of him.
Haaland s introduction to international football has seen him score once in three games, that strike coming in Friday s 2-1 defea…
Liverpool completed one of the Champions League s greatest ever escapes on Tuesday as they overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit to power past Barcelona and into their second consecutive final.
Divock Origi set Liverpool on their way to a famous 4-0 victory early on before Georginio Wijnaldum scored twice in quick succession shortly after being introduced at the interval.
Trent Alexander-Arnold s quickly taken corner was then buried by Origi 11 minutes from time as Jurgen Klopp s side booked their spot in next month s final in Madrid where they will take on either Ajax or Tottenham.
Here, with the help of Opta, we look at some of the key stats behind Liverpool s incredible Anfield victory.
AAARRGGHHHHHH!!
— Liverpool FC (@LFC)
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Gerard Pique believes Josep Maria Bartomeu was among the worst presidents in Barcelona s history.
Bartomeu held the post from January 2014 until his resignation in October last year, courting controversy along the way.
His exit was forced amid the threat of a no-confidence vote as Barca lurched from one setback to the next on and off the field.
Barca won the treble in Bartomeu s first year in charge, yet things gradually began to unravel over the course of his tenure.
Lionel Messi had made clear his desire to leave before eventually sealing a move to Paris Saint-Germain, while Pique is one of several players who have taken a pay cut to ease the Camp Nou club s perilous financial situation.
With questionable head coach appointments added into the…
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has challenged his Manchester United players to rediscover their mojo as they bid to return to winning ways in the Premier League against Southampton on Tuesday.
The Red Devils title tilt has suffered a blow over the past week, a shock home defeat to rock-bottom Sheffield United followed up with a point from a 0-0 result at Arsenal on Saturday – their fourth goalless draw in the league this season.
They are now three points behind leaders Manchester City who also have a game in hand in the Premier League table, having sat top not so long ago.
United will hope to get back on track against a Southampton side they have not lost to in nine games, although they are looking to complete their first league double over the…
Kevin De Bruyne and Son Heung-min have joined Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold in being nominated for the Premier League s Player of the Season award.
De Bruyne, who won the award in 2019-20 despite Manchester City missing out on the title to Liverpool that season, is enjoying his best goalscoring campaign for the club.
He netted four goals in a 5-1 thrashing of Wolves on Wednesday, taking him to 19 in all competitions.
Salah is the only other past winner to be up for the award, having scored 22 goals and provided 13 assists (both league-high tallies) in another outstanding campaign as Liverpool battle City for the title.
Fellow Reds star Alexander-Arnold is also on the shortlist after racking up 12 assists in 31 appearances, as is T…
Mohamed Salah was affected by his contract saga in the latter stages of last season, according to Liverpool team-mate Virgil van Dijk.
Egypt international Salah signed a new deal at Anfield last month worth a reported £350,000 a week, making him the highest-earning player in the club s history.
That brought an end to months of speculation regarding the 30-year-old s future, having himself hinted that he may move away as he entered the final year of his previous deal.
Despite Salah finishing last season as the Premier League s joint-top goalscorer alongside Son Heung-min, Van Dijk believes the contract standoff took its toll on the Egypt star.
At the end of the season, from maybe April until the end, there was a lot of talk about his contract and stuff, …
Another transfer window has seen another huge outlay on fees, but not all great signings have to come at such a cost.
Paulo Dybala, Paul Pogba, Angel Di Maria, Antonio Rudiger and Boubacar Kamara have already moved as free agents in this window.
With just a couple of days to go before the deadline, there remain some notable names looking for clubs.
Let s take a look
Marcelo (34 years old – last club: Real Madrid)
It is not often the Champions League-winning captain of the previous campaign is without a club at the start of the new season, but that has been the case for Marcelo.
Admittedly, the left-back – a five-time European champion – was firmly behind Ferland Mendy in the pecking order last term, starting only seven games in all …
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is focusing on returning to action as soon as possible and feels fortunate his injury is not worse than it is.
Odegaard injured his ankle while on Norway duty two weeks ago and has missed Arsenal s three matches since, including Wednesday s EFL Cup tie with Bolton Wanderers.
Mikel Arteta confirmed this week that the midfielder will be out for a while , but no timeframe has been given for his recovery.
Addressing his lay-off for the first time, Odegaard admits he was scared by the severity of the damage when first sustaining the injury.
It was a bad twist to my ankle, and I damaged some ligaments there, but it’s part of football and now I m just trying to recover as quickly as I can, he wrote in his programme notes for th…
Understanding betting odds is the gateway to informed betting choices in Nigeria. It s not a game of chance; it requires knowledge and analysis. Comprehending odds formats like decimal, fractional and moneyline is essential to grasp the implied probabilities and potential payouts. But knowledge alone isn t enough; bettors must factor in various elements like team form, player injuries, and weather conditions.
On the other hand, , statistical analysis and prudent bankroll management. Under the same, responsible gambling is paramount; knowing when to stop and setting limits ensures a balanced approach. Although no strategy guarantees consistent wins, informed choices increase the odds of success. By embracing data-driven decisions, staying disciplined and having kn…
Winning LaLiga this season would show Barcelona s recovery process is on the right track , according to president Joan Laporta.
Barca have suffered from poor finances and disappointing performances on the pitch in recent years.
They last won the league title in the 2018-19 campaign, while a group-stage exit in this season s Champions League means their seven-year wait to claim Europe s top club prize for a sixth time goes on.
Barca are, however, enjoying a domestic resurgence under Xavi, who returned as coach after a legendary playing career with the club.
Boss.
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona)
Xavi is Barca s eighth head coach since Pep Guardiola left in 2012 and his team led LaLiga heading into the World Cup break.
The priority…