RB Leipzig coach: 'Haaland is like the God of Thunder'

Rose first led Haaland in early 2019, when the Norwegian striker moved to RB Salzburg from Molde. "At that time, he was injured and also needed time to adapt to our high-intensity football style," said the current RB Leipzig coach. "Back then Haaland needed to improve a lot physically, and now he looks like the Thunder God. After only a few months of working with Haaland, I already know his qualities."

After an initial period of several months at RB Salzburg, Rose also worked with Haaland during the 2021-2022 season in Dortmund. According to him, the 23-year-old striker is crazy about scoring goals. "Every time he sees a goal, he has to score at all costs," he said. "Haaland continues to improve and work for the team. Now he is a world-class player, playing for a top team."

Rose will have to find a way to stop the old game, when RB Leipzig takes on Man City in the first leg of the 1/8 Champions League round tonight 22/2. The German club also owns potential midfielder Josko Gvardiol - a player who shines with Croatia at the 2022 World Cup. The confrontation between Haaland and Gvardiol will be noticed at Red Bull Arena.

Gvardiol is also eager to face Haaland again, when the two players have competed in the Bundesliga. "Everybody sees what he has done with Man City this season," the Leipzig midfielder said. "I can't wait to play this game because I always want to face world-class players. Haaland is one of them, and there is room for improvement."

Haaland has scored five goals in the Champions League this season, trailing only Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe. He is also leading the race for the European Golden Shoe with 26 goals for Man City in the Premier League, far ahead of the chasing rivals.

However, Haaland's form is not as high as the first half of the season. In the last 10 matches, he only scored in three matches. In the first 21 matches of the season, he scored 27 goals.