Erling Haaland’s well-rounded game leads Manchester City over Borussia Dortmund with more than just scoring

In the most basic terms Erling Haaland, Manchester City captain for the second time, led his team mates in much the same fashion that he has throughout his three years and change in England. Skippers can smash heads together, they can run themselves into the ground, but really there is no better way to set an example than by doing your job to the best of your abilities.

Yet again Haaland did exactly that, a thundering back stick strike to cap an elegant City move, killing off any hopes his former club Borussia Dortmund might have had of overturning the lead Phil Foden had carved out seven minutes earlier. This was the Haaland that has obliterated defenses throughout his career. He holds court at the second post, waiting for the ball to come to him and knowing that when he does he will make no mistake. That is how you end up with 18 goals in 14 club games this season. That is what might win you the Ballon d’Or.

Then again, if City are going to win trophies they are going to need that scintilla more from their best player than what he has delivered over the past few years. Even on a night where Foden scored a brilliant brace, this is the most heliocentric City have been under Pep Guardiola. Depending on your view of the final Lionel Messi Barcelona sides, this might be the most star reliant any elite club has been this century.

In such circumstances it becomes incumbent on Haaland to make life easier for those around him, to do more than take up a scoring position and wait for the ball to come his way. Sometimes he has to go get it and exploit that gravity of his in different fashions. It would be a joy to see more of that iteration, there are few sights as exhilarating in any sport as Haaland playing the equivalent of a basketball point forward, the sort of barnstorming run he unleashed in the 27th minute tonight. 

After a quickly taken free kick by Nico Gonzalez, space opened up in front of the Dortmund back three. On Haaland drove, Felix Nmecha clinging onto his left shoulder and Waldemar Anton barely able to keep up with the marauding Norseman. The rest of the defense did what is only natural in such circumstances, they collapsed towards the ball, four bodies converging on Haaland, none alone able to slow the freight train flying at them. And then with a deft touch that you might not immediately associate with him, Haaland popped the ball off to his right. An unmarked Nico O’Reilly had perhaps gone a moment too soon, or maybe the pass was a smidge misplaced. Whatever the explanation, the shot was a slightly underpowered hook but it still took a fine save from Gregor Kobel to deny Haaland his assist.

Even so, his team mates rushed over to the City captain, garlanding him with as much adulation as he would get for the winner a few moments later. They know how effective this Haaland can be, the Haaland who, as Thierry Henry put it pre-match, “used to play the game,” but is now “thinking it.”

“He understands that it isn’t Kevin De Bruyne or Joao Cancelo delivering the crosses to him anymore. Haaland needs to make it easier for his team mates to find him.” As Henry noted, that means runs across goal, a little more movement and a little less waiting for the ball to come. Haaland’s movement isn’t just creating chances for himself but space for others. 

That much was apparent for City’s opener. When the ball came to Foden, his skipper could just have powered up the gut in expectation of a through ball. Instead he curled his run outside the right center back in Dortmund’s back three. That defender had to follow Haaland which meant the one in the middle couldn’t step up to the ball. The two yards of space that created were more than enough for Foden to spot his line and roll it into the far corner.

Perhaps some of this is ascribing greater selflessness to Haaland than might be the case. The changing of his runs might be focused on making life easier for his teammates, or it might be about a striker hell bent on goals concluding that he is going to have to do a bit more himself now that De Bruyne isn’t around to put chances on a plate for him. Ultimately it doesn’t really matter. Haaland has not just made himself better this season. He has begun to make his team mates better. That is an intimidating prospect for those yet to face City.