Erling Haaland's penalty secured Manchester City a victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League last night. The result heaped pressure on Xabi Alonso, who has now won just two of his last eight games in charge of Los Blancos.
Kylian Mbappe was not brought on to the field of play due to injury. This meant that Gonzalo Garcia started for Los Blancos before being replaced by Endrick. Alonso would have wanted a star such as Haaland available for his struggling Real Madrid side.
Haaland has been linked to Real Madrid in the past, and it sounds like it is a club he would still want to represent. The Norwegian was quoted by Fabrizio Romano saying, “The Bernabéu is a place you want to play, look at this! It's incredible!”
Los Blancos have been used to cherry-picking the top Premier League players in the past. The likes of David Beckham, Gareth Bale, and Cristiano Ronaldo were all secured from English clubs. However, Haaland has committed his future to Manchester City.
Could Erling Haaland one day join Real Madrid?
Earlier this year, Haaland signed a long-term contract at City until 2034. This is unprecedented and came as a huge boost for the club that was enduring a poor run of form. City may not have the history of Los Blancos, but it is the perfect place for Haaland.
His career has been carefully managed since bursting onto the scene in Norway at Bryne and Molde. He chose Red Bull Salzburg before joining Borussia Dortmund to ensure he developed into one of the most feared strikers in soccer. He then could have signed for any team in the world, but it was to be City.
Joining City was the right decision, as he has gone on to score 145 goals in 167 games for the club. He has already won the Premier League twice, the Champions League, and the FA Cup with Pep Guardiola's side.
The Norway international also has an emotional attachment to City. He supported them as a boy due to his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, playing for them. Therefore, it is very difficult to see Haaland leaving the Etihad Stadium. However, he will no doubt continue to be linked with moves to Real Madrid in the future.
Right now, Real Madrid also does not appear to be a club in the best shape. There is huge pressure on Alonso, and the manager has to deal with a lot of big egos. This has always been the problem at Los Blancos, as they have too many star individuals.