"Erling Haaland can emulate Robert Lewandowski" - Ottmar Hitzfeld
Erling Haaland will go on to have the same impact in the Bundesliga that Robert Lewandowski has, according to former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.
Haaland has made a blistering start to his Dortmund career since swapping Red Bull Salzburg for the Signal Iduna Park in January, and before the coronavirus-enforced break in play had plundered nine goals in eight games at a rate of one every 57 minutes.
Still only 19, Haaland is also just a single goal behind Lewandowski at the top of this season's UEFA Champions League top scorer's chart, with 10 goals to the Bayern man's 11.
Watch: Haaland under the tactical microscope
Hitzfeld, once a striker quite some aplomb himself who also won seven Bundesliga titles as a coach in spells at Dortmund and Bayern, has been impressed with what's he's seen of the young Norwegian.
"I was convinced straight away," the 71-year-old told German sports daily, Kicker. "He has a high degree of game intelligence and attacks at the right moment. He's always looking for a space. He's technically really good, calm and fast."
Lewandowski scored 74 league goals in 131 games for Dortmund, winning back-to-back Bundesliga titles under Jürgen Klopp before leaving for Bayern in 2014. He has since added five more in Bavaria.
Watch: All 25 of Lewandowski's goals in 2019/20
Now the top-scoring active player in Bundesliga history with 227 strikes to his name, the Poland captain is quite some act to follow, but Hitzfeld is convinced of Haaland's potential.
"Haaland can become a second Lewandowski," he concluded.
