An unrecognizable Haaland at the Bernabéu

Erling Haaland’s visit to Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 left an image rarely seen in his career: a striker completely disconnected from the game. The Norwegian, one of the world’s most feared goal scorers, barely made an impact during Manchester City’s 3-0 defeat.

For much of the match, Pep Guardiola’s side struggled to involve their key forward. Haaland moved between Madrid’s center-backs without receiving clear passes and eventually left the field in the 82nd minute, replaced by Omar Marmoush.

The contrast with the rest of the game was striking. While City struggled to create chances, Fede Valverde had a historic performance with a hat-trick that set the Bernabéu on fire. In the midst of that storm, Haaland’s name almost disappeared from the narrative.

But beyond the defeat, there’s one stat that explains why this night may be marked as one of the strangest in his career.

The stat that rarely occurs in Haaland’s career

The Norwegian forward finished the match without a single shot, neither on target nor off-target. Considering his scoring profile, this is practically unheard of.

According to statistics, this was only the second time Haaland has failed to take a shot in a Champions League match.

The only previous instance occurred during the 2020/21 group stage, when he was playing for Borussia Dortmund against Lazio, a game that ended in a 3-1 victory for the Italians.

This stat gains even more weight when reviewing his Champions League career: 57 matches played and 56 goals scored. In nearly every European appearance, Haaland usually generates constant danger, even when he doesn’t score.

Against Real Madrid, however, the unthinkable happened: the most lethal striker in Europe left the match without a single attempt on goal.

Only 10 touches: the night he vanished from the game

The numbers from the match highlight what happened at the Bernabéu.

During the 82 minutes on the field, Haaland touched the ball only 10 times, an extremely low figure even for a striker who usually operates mainly inside the box.

Additionally, he lost possession multiple times and failed to win crucial duels against the Madrid defense. His offensive contribution was practically nonexistent.

This stat ties his lowest number of touches in a Champions League start, reflecting the total dominance of the white side during the match.

In other words, Haaland was merely a spectator in a game where he is usually the main protagonist.

Real Madrid’s plan to erase the striker

The white defense implemented constant marking on the Norwegian, led mainly by Antonio Rüdiger, who engaged in an intense physical duel with the City forward. He also received permanent support in coverage, minimizing spaces inside the box.

The plan was prevent Haaland from getting comfortable near the goal.

The results were evident. Without through balls or clear crosses, the striker never found his rhythm. Every attempt to approach the penalty area was quickly neutralized by Madrid’s defense.

For many analysts, the match confirmed a curious trend: Real Madrid has become a kind of kryptonite for Haaland at the Bernabéu.

WATCH beIN SPORTS XTRA LIVE FOR FREE ON YOUTUBE