O Manchester City will have one more chance to win the first title of the Europe Champions League of your story. Next Saturday, at 4 pm (Brasília time), the English team will face Internazionale, at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, in Istanbul, Turkey, for the grand final of the continental competition.
Runner-up in the 2020/21 season – the only time it reached the decision, when it was defeated by rival Chelsea by a minimum score of 1-0 -, the team coached by Pep Guardiola does not have a great history in the tournament. However, a punctual signing of the current squad could be the missing piece for the club to lift the dreamed European trophy.
This is the 22-year-old striker Erling Haaland, who is mainly responsible for City’s offensive power in 2022/23. Hired in June last year for an amount between 60 and 75 million euros (R$ 325 and 406 million at the time), the Norwegian star has 61 participations in goals in 52 matches – scored 52 goals and distributed nine assists -, needing 78 minutes to interfere with a goal for his team.
Only in the Champions League, the number 9 maintains impressive numbers. In ten commitments, the player scored 12 times, in addition to giving a final pass. With that, he is the top scorer in the competition, four goals ahead of second place Mohamed Salah, from Liverpool, and eight from the best-placed competitor still alive in the championship – Edin Dzeko, from Inter Milan, who has four goals.
In addition to Haaland, City have two new names in relation to the team that entered the field in the lost final and that can make the difference against the Italians: Jack Grealish, who took over the title during the season, and Julián Alvarez, who has had good performances coming off the bench.
To complement this offensive powerhouse, the Citizens remain with important names in the squad, such as De Bruyne, Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Mahrez, among others.
🎶 A THOUSAND CHANCES TAKE ME TO YOU!!!! 🏆
Tell ADM why the Champions League is an obsession for you Citizens! 👇
🔷 #MCFCPortugues | https://t.co/JIQNttyorV | #UCLfinal |🎙 @Skank pic.twitter.com/3mvihaWuRW
— Manchester City (@ManCityPT) June 6, 2023
Champions League title weighs in Ballon d’Or decision
The possible unprecedented achievement of the Champions League could also change Haaland’s level in the dispute for the 2023 Ballon d’Or, promoted by the magazine France Football. Regarded as a great contender for the best player in the world award, even being the favorite for some, the Norwegian, however, competes with a weighty name.
As the award evaluation period still considers the World Cup in Qatar, the center forward’s main opponent in the dispute continues to be the ace Lionel Messi, champion with Argentina and elected the best player of the World Cup – which earned him the last award The Best, delivered by FIFA.
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However, lifting the cup of Europe’s main championship, even more so with a possible decisive participation in the final, should intensify the race for the individual title, if not make the young attacker take the lead in this battle. It is worth remembering that he broke numerous records in the Premier League, such as the highest scorer in a single season (35 goals) by surpassing Andy Cole (1993/94) and Shearer (1994/95) – both scored 34.
Finally, if Haaland’s magnificent season will be crowned, in addition to the collective achievements – City may become the second English club in history to win the Triple Crown (English Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League) -, with the election of best soccer player in the world, it is not possible to predict. In turn, what you shouldn’t do is doubt the decision-making power of the Norwegian’s goalscorer’s flair, which could be the differential for the blue side of Manchester to finally reach the top of European football.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
