The UEFA Champions League is officially underway. The tournament, which started on September 16, has witnessed some electric clashes so far, including Dortmund’s 4-4 tie with Juventus on the opening day, a game that perfectly showcased how hot this year’s season is going to be.
One of the favorites to win the tournament, Manchester City, who would be going all in for their second trophy, began their campaign with a clinical win against Napoli by a margin of 2-0.
Erling Haaland creates history
City’s opening game against Napoli, marked a complete one-sided affair as the match witnessed Erling Haaland create history on Thursday. The star of the show, Erling Haaland scored a majestic first goal in the 56th minute to reach a historic record that even Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could not achieve.
In their fierce clash against Napoli on Thursday, Erling Haaland became the fastest player to reach 50 goals in UEFA Champions League history. The Norwegian striker reached 50 just 49 games to become the only player to achieve this feat in under 50 games.
Haaland broke the record of Ruud van Nistelrooy, who had taken 62 matches to reach 50 goals to mark his name in the history books.
‘Haaland Can Break All-Time Cristiano Ronaldo Record,’ Pep Guardiola
Erling Haaland is now joint 11th in the all-time UEFA Champions League goalscorers list. He is on level with legends like Filippo Inzaghi and Thierry Henry. However, the question remains, as to whether he can break Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally of 141 goals – the highest by any player in the competition’s history.
His manager at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, feels optimistic about Haaland’s prospects. Post the game, Guardiola said that if Erling Haaland plays for 10-12 more years, then he can surely break Ronaldo’s record with ease.
“The numbers speak for themselves. If he plays 10, 12 years. If he maintains this progression, absolutely (he can). How fortunate are we to have him,” Guardiola claimed.