Erling Haaland scored twice in Borussia Dortmund’s 3-1 home win over Mainz. Dortmund now leads the German Bundesliga with 18 points from eight games, two more than Bayern. The Bavarian powerhouse have a game in hand.
Haaland was sidelined for almost a month with a thigh problem and made sure his return was special. The 21-year-old converted a penalty after 54 minutes to put Borussia 2-0 up, then set the final score at 3-1 right before the last whistle with a neat finish.
🤗 YEEEESSS, @ErlingHaaland! pic.twitter.com/ZAwCRdhCY9
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) October 16, 2021
Haaland leads the goalscoring ranks in the Bundesliga, on nine goals, two more than Bayern’s Lewandowski. The Polish super striker is traveling to Leverkusen with his team on Sunday for the most anticipated game of the Bundesliga weekend.
Is Lewandowski going to Madrid?
According to the German media, Lewandowski is considering a move away from Bayern in 2022, when he’ll be one year away from the end of his contract. Bild wrote that Bayern’s board discussed the possibility of Lewandowski leaving, with Erling Haaland’s name being discussed as a potential replacement.
The paper asked Bayern for comment on Haaland, with no answer given. Haaland’s release clause will be set at $87 million starting 2022, almost three times less than what Chelsea were thinking to offer over the summer to sign the Norwegian. Haaland’s wage could be as high as $45 million per year, depending on certain performance bonuses. Bayern would also need to pay a similar amount to the player’s agent, Mino Raiola.
Bayern is not alone in the room with Haaland, who’s being tempted away from Germany by the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, PSG, or Real Madrid. This season alone, the prolific attacker was involved in 21 goals for club and country. Haaland netted 18 times in 12 games, also assisting three goals.
33-year-old Lewandowski is also a target for the biggest spenders on the continent. Spanish paper AS put Lewandowski on the first page on Saturday, claiming he would favor a move to Real Madrid. Lewandowski revealed earlier this year that he had a private meeting with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez after a game against the Spanish giants, refusing to say what they had spoken about. The Pole is tempted by Manchester City too, where he could be reunited with former Bayern boss Pep Guardiola.
Lewandowski, a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or
Robert Lewandowski is the second favorite to grab the Ballon d’Or this year, behind Messi. Lewy is at +400, with Messi now at -275.
Talking to the media after France Football released their 30-men shortlist, Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann said Lewandowski should win it.
“He deserves the Ballon d’Or – and in my opinion, he has to win the award because he has played more consistently than any other player over the past three years,” Nagelsmann thinks.
The coach sees Lewandowski go on at the same level despite his age:
“If his body stays like this, it’s far from over. He is extremely dynamic and has no injuries. I definitely think he’ll play at the top level for a few more years – because his life is very well organized.”
Bookies have City as favorites to sign him in 2022 at +225. Real Madrid is at +1100, while PSG is at +2400. Barcelona and Chelsea are even further behind, at +3200.
