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How Virgil Van Dijk Dealt With Erling Haaland And Kylian Mbappe, There Was Only One Winner

How Virgil Van Dijk Dealt With Erling Haaland And Kylian Mbappe, There Was Only One Winner

Erling Haaland has scored 18 goals in 13 games in the Champions League.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have taken the Champions League by storm, but Liverpool fans reckon they have the only man who can the pair of star-boys.

20-year-old sensation scored twice and assisted another as Dortmund beat Sevilla 3-2 last night, taking his Champions League tally to 18 goals in 13 games.

Mbappe's stunning hat-trick against barcelona on Tuesday means the pair have hit a ridiculous 71 goals since January 2020 and virtually nobody has been able to contain them.

However, they have both met his match in Virgil van Dijk. Though Haaland did get on the scoresheet off the bench in a 4-3 thriller at Anfield, he endured a frustrating evening in the final Champions League matchday in December 2019.

And one passage of play of Van Dijk dealing with Haaland has resurfaced. The striker was played through and darted in the behind at an electric pace.

However, Van Dijk displayed excellent recovery pace to get back and intercept the pass, putting an in-form Haaland on the deck after giving him a nudge.

Not many have done that to Haaland in his fledgling career but then again, Van Dijk is no ordinary defender.

Liverpool ran out 2-0 winners courtesy of goals from former Salzburg player Naby Keita and Mo Salah to qualify for the knockout stages.

Haaland actually ended up being taken off 15 minutes before the end of the game and he was so angry when the second goal went in that he asked for a water bottle just so he could dash it on the turf.


Van Dijk also showed why he was viewed as the best defender in the world prior to his injury when he faced Mbappe on the international stage.

The PSG and France sensation ran at the former Southampton man in a 1v1 situation but it was the Dutchman who read the game perfectly and made a crucial challenge on him.


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Topics: Football News, Red Bull Salzburg, Football, Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund