56 games, 64 goals: Haaland just won’t stop
Erling Haaland has picked up exactly where he left off at Manchester City, continuing his remarkable scoring form on the international stage.
The Norwegian striker scored twice as Norway edged Denmark 3-2 in a thrilling Nations League opener in Oslo, taking his international tally to 64 goals in just 56 appearances.
Haaland had already enjoyed a remarkable World Cup campaign, scoring seven goals as Norway reached the quarter-finals before their run was ended by England. Back in national colours for the first time since the tournament, the Manchester City forward wasted little time reminding everyone of his extraordinary goalscoring ability.
Haaland has now scored in 15 of his last 16 competitive games for Norway -- with 29 goals in that span -- and only failed to score in their World Cup quarterfinal loss to England.
The City star has also scored multiple goals in eight of his last 10 competitive international appearances and has 64 goals and seven assists in 56 games for Norway.
Norway started brightly and took the lead through Oscar Bobb. The Fulham forward received a pass from captain Martin Odegaard before curling a delicate effort into the far corner.
Four minutes later, Haaland doubled Norway's advantage.
Antonio Nusa produced a brilliant piece of skill to work his way into the penalty area before slipping the ball through to Haaland. The striker made no mistake, firing a first-time finish past Denmark goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.
But Denmark fought back.
Mikkel Damsgaard pulled one goal back with a stunning free-kick from 25 yards, before former Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund headed Denmark level shortly after the hour mark.
With the game finely balanced, Haaland stepped up once again.
In the 74th minute, a well-worked corner found the striker inside the box. Haaland unleashed a powerful finish to score his second of the night and restore Norway's lead.
This time, Denmark had no answer.
Haaland's winner was his 64th international goal in only 56 appearances, further underlining his extraordinary scoring rate for Norway.
Haaland's latest goals also strengthened his position at the top of the Nations League's all-time scoring chart.
The Manchester City striker now has 21 Nations League goals, six more than Serbia's Aleksandar Mitrović and Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo, who have 15 each.
At Manchester City or in a Norway shirt, the story remains the same: Haaland keeps finding the net.
Nations League all-time top scorers:
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. 21 — Erling Haaland (Norway)
15 — Aleksandar Mitrovic (Serbia)
15 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
14 — Vedat Muriqi (Kosovo)
13 — Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)
10 — Viktor Gyokeres (Sweden)
9 — Edin Dzeko (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
9 — Christian Eriksen (Denmark)
9 — Kylian Mbappe (France)
9 — Danel Sinani (Luxembourg)
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