Erling Haaland scored his first Manchester City goal in just 12 minutes against Bayern Munich on Saturday, with Jack Grealish assisting.
Erling Haaland's first goal for Manchester City was assisted by Jack Grealish.
Erling Haaland's first goal for Manchester City was assisted by Jack Grealish.
Erling Haaland has admitted that he likes Jack Grealish's "vibe," as the new Manchester City teammates have formed an endearing bromance.
Haaland joined City from Borussia Dortmund earlier this summer and made his debut in Saturday's 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich in Wisconsin. The 22-year-old needed only 12 minutes to score his first goal for the club, converting Grealish's low cross.
Following his £51.2 million transfer, much is expected of Haaland this season. The Norwegian spent two and a half years at Dortmund, scoring 86 goals in 89 games. He also has an outstanding international record, having scored 20 goals in 21 senior caps.
City fans are also hoping Grealish can make an impact at the Etihad after joining from Aston Villa for £100 million a year ago. The 26-year-old England international scored six goals and provided four assists in his debut season, a consistent but not spectacular performance.
Nonetheless, early indications indicate that Grealish and Haaland may have a fruitful collaboration. "He's good," Haaland said of Grealish, according to Sky Sports. He needs to improve, and I need to improve, but this is a good start. It'll be fun because I like the vibe around him.
Grealish continued on Twitter, saying, "America, it was a pleasure... Green Bay, what a place and what a stadium this was!" Thank you very much! The big fella [Haaland] gets going in 12 minutes... great practice for next week!
Haaland only played 41 minutes against Bayern in a game that was severely disrupted by thunderstorms, but City fans saw enough to know they have a serious talent on their hands. The prolific striker is the son of Alf-Inge Haaland, a former City defender.
"As you're probably aware, I've been watching a lot of City games in recent years, and the last few years have been without a striker," Haaland added. "Of course, I've seen myself in similar situations today, so I'm not surprised."
It's the first time Haaland has beaten Bayern in a long time, after suffering seven straight defeats to the Bundesliga champions while at Dortmund. He is now focused on City's Community Shield match against Liverpool in Leicester.
It was about time, I have to say, after seven straight losses, so to win against Bayern feels good, added Haaland. "The quality is good, and it was also good to play against Bayern to get a true test before Liverpool the following week."
Pep Guardiola was impressed by Haaland's performance against Bayern. "He scored an important goal, these type of goals in front of the keeper - he's always there," City manager Pep Guardiola said. "[It was his] first minutes; he needs more rhythm and time, but he already had 45 minutes, which is good." We'll see how he handles the niggles from the previous weeks. He's done exceptionally well in training. He appears to be a very nice man.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0