Not everything Lionel Messi has done is unprecedented. Erling Haaland still has nearly 9 months to surpass La Pulga and become the best player in the Champions League at the age of 25.
In Man City’s 4-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava, Haaland scored in the 58th minute, ending his 3-game goal drought in the Champions League. This goal was his 11th in all competitions this season, after 9 matches for Man City.
In the Champions League alone, Haaland has now scored 42 goals in just 41 matches. Until July 21st next year, the Norwegian star has enough time to surpass Kylian Mbappe (43 goals) and especially Messi (51 goals) to become the top scorer under 25 in Champions League history.
Clearly, 10 goals is a large gap, and it will depend on Haaland’s performance this season. But with the new Champions League format, more matches mean more opportunities. What coach Pep Guardiola probably hopes for is that Haaland stays healthy this season. After Julian Alvarez’s departure, Haaland is City’s most reliable center-forward.
He doesn’t need to push himself too hard, just being present in every match will give Haaland continuous scoring chances. Despite a big win over Slovan Bratislava, City’s wastefulness in front of goal was the most notable aspect of this game.
In fact, Man City should have scored at least double the number of goals against Slovan Bratislava, given the number of shots and quality chances they created. Some of it was due to bad luck, as City hit the woodwork 3 times, but for a long stretch of the match, their passes and final touches were far too inaccurate.
The game was practically over after City’s two goals in the first 15 minutes, but as seen in the 1-1 draw with Newcastle last weekend, the 2024/25 Man City team lacks variety in their scoring methods, with Haaland accounting for 71% of their Premier League goals.
This was somewhat improved on Slovakian soil, with Foden and Gundogan showcasing their scoring abilities. Both players have been excellent finishers for City, having shown their sharpness in the past. Moreover, Kevin De Bruyne will soon return.
However, the wingers could contribute more, as could the center-backs in set-piece situations. Doku created many chances and could have made more of an impact, while Savinho struggled to influence the game, as did Matheus Nunes in midfield.
For Jeremy Doku, the match felt more like a training session. Man City signed him in the summer of 2023 with the intention of using Doku on the right wing, but he always prefers the left. Doku refused to play on the right during his early days at Anderlecht, and although he started on the right in the opening match of the season at Chelsea, he and Savinho switched sides after 15 minutes, and both looked much better.
Against Slovan Bratislava, Doku appeared far more comfortable on his favored left side. Admittedly, the limited quality of the opponent helped, but the number of times Man City found Doku in ideal one-on-one situations was significant.
Doku played a major role in two of City’s early goals, particularly assisting Foden’s strike. This relatively easy match was a valuable opportunity for Doku to reconnect with his teammates and better understand what they expect from him.
Doku admitted after the Chelsea game that he needs to improve his final product. At 22, like Haaland, Doku still has plenty of time to refine his game and become the best version of himself.