Manchester City likely partied long into the night on Saturday after winning the Champions League for the first time in their history.
But you wonder as the celebrations died down among the treble-winning English club how quickly City’s star striker Erling Haaland allowed his thoughts to drift to international football.
At club level Haaland has had an astonishing run, netting an incredible 52 times in 53 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side.
In addition to helping City become treble-winners he also has become the new standard bearer in the Premier League after scoring 36 goals in 35 appearances.
It’s not bad going is it?
It is easy to forget the most ferocious and fearsome striker in the game still only 22 years of age.
Clearly, if you want goals then Haaland is your man. But for all his goalscoring ability, he cannot do it himself.
His importance to his national team Norway is clear for all to see. In 23 appearances he has scored 21 goals.
But, while the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe have all won major international honours with Argentina, Portugal and France respectively, it is highly unlikely it lies ahead in Haaland’s future.
The forward has opportunities to win every competition he plays for at club level and you suspect Saturday’s historic first Champions League title for City will not be the last.
Haaland must carry the weight of a nation on his shoulders
But when it comes to Norway and international football Haaland’s aspirations are more closely aligned with that of Scotland, who are the visitors to Oslo on Saturday.
The City striker missed his country’s opening two games in the campaign back in March due to a groin strain.
His absence hit Norway hard as they find themselves with one point following a 3-0 loss in Spain and a 1-1 draw in Georgia.
Steve Clarke’s Scottish team have had no such worries, scoring five goals without reply in home wins over Cyprus and Spain.
Scotland is a team on the rise under Clarke.
The former Kilmarnock manager ended the national team’s long absence from a major finals by guiding Scotland to the Euro 2020 finals.
The tournament was delayed 12 months due to Covid but Scotland’s first appearance in the finals of a major tournament for the first time since the 1998 World Cup has whetted the appetite for more.
For Haaland and Norway, an entire generation of players want a taste of what Scotland have had.
Scotland’s bi-annual failure to qualify become a stick to beat various managers with at times and every campaign started with 1998 being brought up.
The Norwegian players know how that feels. They’ve only been to the World Cup three times in 1938, 1994 and in 1998.
Their last major appearance was Euro 2000, the only time they have qualified for the European Championship finals.
All-or-nothing for Norway on Saturday
Scotland’s improvement has been built on the collective rather than any one outstanding individual talent.
Haaland would do well to ask his City colleague Rodri about how frustrating an experience playing Scotland can be.
The Spaniard hated it at Hampden three months ago.
Most managers can only dream of having a striker of Haaland’s quality leading the line of their side.
It’s stating the obvious to suggest keeping him quiet on Saturday will go a long way to Scotland’s hopes of taking all three points.
A win in Norway for Scotland will likely end the hosts’ hopes of playing in Germany next summer too.
Scotland know it – and you suspect Haaland and his team-mates know it too.
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