On the night of October 24, Beijing time, Erling Haaland scored twice in the match against Sparta Prague, bringing his Champions League goal tally to 44. This achievement not only surpasses Neymar but also equals the Champions League goal record of legendary star Didier Drogba.
Notably, Haaland achieved these 44 Champions League goals in just 42 matches, showcasing an astonishing efficiency. For comparison, Cristiano Ronaldo took 86 matches to score 44 goals in the Champions League, more than double the number of matches Haaland required. Other stars such as Raúl needed 81 matches, Andriy Shevchenko 84 matches, Kylian Mbappé 68 matches, Robert Lewandowski 67 matches, Lionel Messi 63 matches, and Ruud van Nistelrooy 56 matches to reach the same milestone.
Recently, Haaland has been under immense pressure. Manchester City’s performance in the Premier League has been less than satisfactory, and the Norwegian striker failed to score in two consecutive Premier League matches. Additionally, his performance in mid-October’s international fixtures was also subpar. Therefore, the match against the relatively weaker Sparta Prague was seen as a perfect opportunity for Haaland to regain his form.
As expected, Manchester City, after struggling in the Premier League, displayed their formidable attacking prowess against the weaker opposition, winning the match 5-0 with ease. Haaland ended his goal drought by scoring twice in the second half, at the 58th and 68th minutes. With these two goals, the 24-year-old Haaland has now scored 44 goals in just 42 Champions League matches, an efficiency that is truly remarkable.
Haaland’s goal record has him tied with legendary star Didier Drogba and ahead of top players like Neymar and Alessandro Del Piero. Currently, Haaland ranks 16th on the all-time Champions League goalscorers list. His next short-term goals are to surpass Mohamed Salah (45 goals), Filippo Inzaghi (46 goals), Eusébio (46 goals), Zlatan Ibrahimović (48 goals), and Andriy Shevchenko (48 goals), and to further close the gap with Kylian Mbappé (49 goals).
However, catching up with the all-time Champions League top scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, remains a significant challenge for Haaland. Ronaldo has scored a total of 141 goals in the Champions League, while Lionel Messi, another player who has surpassed the 100-goal mark, has scored 129 goals. It’s worth noting that Robert Lewandowski also found the back of the net in Barcelona’s 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich, bringing his total Champions League goal tally to 97.
