PARIS (France): The world football has already seen and praised Kylian Mbappe after the French youngster burst into the limelight at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
However, Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Braut Haaland may soon become the next generation star along with Mbappe after the 19-year-old emerged as a fast-rising star this season.
The Bundesliga side host Mbappe’s Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last 16, first leg on Tuesday.
Mbappe role model
“When I was in Salzburg, I started scoring goals, but I look at Kylian Mbappe banging in Ligue 1 goals, so you can always reach a higher level,” Haaland told Bundesliga.com.
Last month, Dortmund paid Salzburg 20 million euros ($22 million) for him and he justified it by becoming the first player to score a hat-trick as a substitute on his Bundesliga debut.
Having scored 28 goals in 22 games for Salzburg, including eight in this season’s Champions League group stage, Haaland picked up in Germany where he left off in Austria.
He made his debut coming off the bench with his new team 3-1 down at Augsburg in mid January. He scored three goals in just 20 minutes to seal a 5-3 victory.
The teenager was praised by Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc, yet calmly replied: “You signed me to score goals.”
Another two followed in a 5-1 rout of Cologne, then Haaland grabbed two more goals when Union Berlin were crushed 5-0.
He claimed his eighth goal in four games in Dortmund’s German Cup defeat at Werder Bremen.
Haaland netted again last Friday’s 4-0 thumping of Eintracht Frankfurt to extend his record to nine goals in six games for Dortmund.
His attitude also impresses his new team-mates.
“When a young player has been so hyped, with everyone saying how good he is, then he can be a difficult person,” said goalkeeper Roman Buerki. “But he is a really cool guy, very professional. I’m one of the first at training but he’s always there earlier.”
