Manchester City striker Erling Haaland played a crucial role in his team’s recent 2-1 triumph at Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, scoring the winner. Now, the Norwegian star has revealed why he decided to show no emotion after netting his goal.
So, what did the towering attacker say about his most recent goal celebration?
Erling Haaland Sheds Light on Celebration Against Real Madrid
Earlier this Wednesday, Dec. 10, Haaland converted a 43rd-minute penalty to hand his side the lead at Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid’s home stadium. After putting the ball into Real Madrid’s net, he celebrated by closing his eyes and calmly moving his head sideways.
When asked to opine on the celebration, Haaland suggested he did so to refer to the Greek mythological hero Achilles and a meme originated from the Apple TV+ series “Your Friends and Neighbors.”
“The first thing is from Achilles, when I just walk, pretending that nothing is happening and this is also from a meme on Instagram. It was the first thing that came to mind. I don’t plan any celebrations, I shouldn’t because then I’ll probably end up with the longest scoring drought in history. I never plan anything,” the 25-year-old attacker said (via MARCA).
Haaland, who is the leading scorer in the Premier League this season, relished a great display at Real Madrid. He registered three shots on target out of three attempts, completed three of his five passes, and won two of his four overall duels in 70 minutes of action.
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Haaland Claims He Misses Playing With Real Madrid Ace
Prior to Haaland’s successful spot-kick, Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham engaged in some mind games with the Manchester City superstar. The Englishman tried to offer advice to Los Blancos goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois about which way the Norwegian would shoot.
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“I didn’t see that, maybe I will on my phone later but Jude is also such a good guy. I miss him a lot. I miss playing with him. We had some great memories playing together in Dortmund,” Haaland said when asked to respond to the aforementioned incident (via The Sun).
During his time at Borussia Dortmund between 2020 and 2022, Haaland played alongside Bellingham 63 times across all competitions. He combined with the attacking midfielder to score seven goals at the German side, making the most of the Real Madrid star’s passes.
So far this season, the Norway international has scored 21 goals in just 21 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City. He has also laid out three assists this term.
