18.09.2019 - 12:47 | Source: PA/VG/UEFA/Transfermarkt | Reading Time: 3 mins

6-2 win against Genk

17 goals in 9 matches: Salzburg’s Haaland set to "become one of best strikers in the world”

Erling Braut Haaland (photo) has earned more rave reviews following his latest goalscoring exploits for Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League. The 19-year-old Leeds-born son of former Leeds and Manchester City midfielder Alf-Inge Haaland, fired a first-half hat-trick on his Champions League debut in Salzburg’s 6-2 win against Genk.

It was the Norwegian’s fourth hat-trick in nine competitive games for the Austrian titleholders this season, during which he has scored a staggering 17 goals, averaging one every 43 minutes. Haaland first caught the wider footballing world’s attention when he scored nine goals for Norway in May when they thrashed Honduras 12-0 at the Under-20 World Cup in Poland.

Salzburg’s American boss Jesse Marsch described Haaland as “incredible” after his side’s victory over Genk. Marsch told Sky Sport Austria: “Rene Aufhauser (Salzburg assistant manager) said it’s impossible to defend him and maybe that’s right. “He’s a boy with great energy, always with a smile on his lips and everyone likes him. For a 19-year-old, that’s incredible. He always thinks about what the next step is.”

Stats E. Haaland Centre-Forward Red Bull Salzburg Season 19/20 –

All competitions Games 22 Goals 28 Assists 7

Haaland becomes 3rd-youngest player to score Champions League hat-trick

Haaland is the third-youngest player to score a Champions League hat-trick. Raúl and Wayne Rooney both achieved the feat when they were 18, for Real Madrid in 1995 and Manchester United in 2004 respectively. The Norwegian, no longer eligible for England, grew up supporting Leeds, where his father spent three years as a player until 2000. In an interview with Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten in 2017, Haaland said: “The dream is to win the Premier League with Leeds. In addition, the goal is to become a better player than my dad was. I hope to get more caps than he did.”

Haaland arrived at Salzburg for a fee of £4.5 million from Molde in January, although clubs like Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Juventus were reportedly interested in his services as well. “Of course, I was flattered by Juventus being interested,” he told VG shortly after his transfer. “But I thought that it was too early to go there. Salzburg was the club that suited me the best and they were also the ones, who wanted me the most.”

Haaland set to "become one of best strikers in the world”

Wöber, Haaland & Co. Salzburg's record signings Continue to list His new teammates are happy to have him around, with Salzburg’s record signing Maximilian Wöber (21) stating after the game against Genk: “He is a phenomena. With his height, his acceleration to be so agile and have such command of the ball. It’s unbelievably hard to play against him in training and often you can only stop him with a foul. Once again he proved why he’s definitely going to become one of the best strikers in the world.”

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