Erling Haaland go enter Thursday Champions League opener against Napoli with serious fire for body. Manchester City striker don already start 2025-26 season with mad goalscoring form — five goals inside just four Premier League matches, including double strike for Manchester derby wey end 3-0 against Man United.
International level too, Haaland dey hot. For September World Cup qualifiers, the 25-year-old bang six goals for Norway, five of dem come for one match as dem flog Moldova 11-1. Na that kind form him wan carry enter Europe again as City begin their League Phase campaign for Etihad Stadium.
Haaland dey chase records
The Norwegian goal machine don dey break records since him first Champions League debut with Red Bull Salzburg five years ago, when e net hat-trick for first half. Since then, Borussia Dortmund enjoy am small before Pep Guardiola carry am come City 2022 summer.
Right now, Haaland dey sit down joint 10th for Champions League all-time scorers table with 49 goals in just 48 games — same level with Real Madrid icon Alfredo Di Stefano. Out of those goals, 26 don come for Man City inside 29 UCL appearances.
If Haaland score against Napoli, e go break another record: fastest player to reach 50 Champions League goals. Currently, Ruud van Nistelrooy hold the record as e do am in 62 matches. Haaland still get 13 matches window, but if e score just once on Thursday, na instant record.
Plus, one goal go put am equal with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry (50 goals). If e bag brace, e go leapfrog Henry enter 9th position for the list straight away.
“Machine” wey dey humble
Plenty teammates don hail am. New keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma call am “fantastic” both on and off pitch, say the guy humble and welcoming. Jeremy Doku don label am “machine,” while Guardiola talk say Haaland na “special player” wey never disappoint since e land Etihad.
Haaland go also dey face Napoli again since 2019/20 group stage days when e score three goals for Salzburg across two legs. That time, Napoli still escape with win (3-2) and draw (1-1). This time around, City fans dey hope say the Norwegian go rewrite the script.
Verdict
Na history dey on the line as Man City host Napoli. With the way Haaland dey hot, nobody go shock if records scatter again for Etihad. Whether na one goal or more, the Norwegian dey closer to engrave him name deeper inside Champions League legend book.
