Erling Haaland showed a side to his game that is perfect for Real Madrid

As Real Madrid fans bask in the afterglow of a fabulous second half at the Mendizorroza to start the 2021-2022 LaLiga season, they have also taken notice of Erling Haaland‘s performance in Borussia Dortmund’s thrilling 5-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga Topspiel that occurred earlier on Saturday.

Not only did the ruthlessly efficient young striker find the back of the net twice, but the Bundesliga’s most-discussed star assisted the Black and Yellows’ first two goals of the afternoon. He led the counterattack in the first instance, charging down the heart of a panicked Eintracht defense before laying the ball off to captain Marco Reus. His second assist was the result of a great decision on another rapid-fire Marco Rose-coached counter, finding Thorgan Hazard to his right.

The 21-year-old had three key passes and three dribbles completed to go with his four goal contributions, per WhoScored.com, in what can only be described as a flawless opener from the Norwegian. With Jadon Sancho now at Manchester United, Haaland leads the way for Dortmund in their quest for a stronger 2021-2022 season in the Bundesliga. He is their unquestioned star.

As such, Haaland accomplished two very important things in his first match of the campaign that are especially noteworthy to Real Madrid fans wondering if Haaland can, one, co-exist with Karim Benzema and, two, eventually succeed him.

Erling Haaland can be a well-rounded striker for Real Madrid one day

Firstly, he showed that he can take on the responsibility of leading attacks and making the right decisions in the spotlight. That was the easy part for Haaland, even as it may have actually been the difficult part for any other young striker. We know Haaland can lead by example and be unselfish, but it was still important to see him tangibly take on that mantle in a big match.

The second aspect is more pertinent to Haaland on the pitch, and it is related to the first point. Haaland teased all-around ability in a big 2020-2021 season, but this singular performance against Frankfurt was the best example of Haaland’s chance-creation, passing, and ball-carrying that we have seen from him.

Haaland was impervious with the ball at his feet. He was no-nonsense with his final ball, too, executing the right pass in a straightforward fashion that kept his target in mind. Throughout the match, Haaland worked hard to press the opposing center backs, charging opportunistically when the opponent either made a poor touch or showed too much hesitancy in the face of a 50/50 ball.

Karim Benzema has made a name for himself for over a decade at Real Madrid by being a well-rounded No. 9 who drops deep and creates like a 10. There is no striker who can replicate what he does, and, therefore, there is no striker who can replace what he does.

But Benzema’s successor at Real Madrid would need to be more than just a scorer. They would have to score, yes, and Haaland is maybe the best pure scorer on the planet after Robert Lewandowski right now. However, they would also need to be adept at making good, quick decisions and would need to be comfortable with the ball at their feet on counters, since the inverted wingers need goals and chances to shine at Real.]

Haaland provided clear evidence that he can do what is needed creatively, in spite of the fact that he is very much a hunting goal-getter who can easily score 30 goals in a season. That’s important for Madridistas, and it means Haaland is both an even more attractive target to Real and a more likely one. Real would need to break the bank and find a way to fit in Haaland and Mbappe, and with each passing game, there is greater confidence that Haaland can indeed be accommodated with another Galactic superstar in a future Madrid dream attack.