The upcoming Bundesliga season will be Erling Braut Haaland’s first full season in the German top-flight. After taking the league by storm after his arrival in the winter transfer window, he appears to be poised to produce a special season for Borussia Dortmund during the 2020/21 campaign.
Haaland was a lethal goal scorer for Dortmund in his 15 Bundesliga appearances, scoring 13 goals. In just a short period of time, he established himself as one of the world’s top finishers.
With a full season ahead, he is going to be the top contender to dethrone reigning Golden Boot winner Robert Lewandowski. The veteran Bayern Munich striker has been the Golden Boot winner for three consecutive seasons.
It’s shaping up to be a battle between these two goal scorers for the Bundesliga’s Golden Boot. They have the potential to push each other to high levels and produce incredible numbers.
The Golden Boot Race Between Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski Will Be Special
Can the Norwegian Match His Rival?
The late entrance into the Bundesliga season did not allow Haaland enough time to climb up the ranks of the 2019/20 season Golden Boot race. He finished tied for sixth place and was 21 goals adrift of Lewandowski.
Of course, the Norwegian played in far fewer matches than his Munich counterpart did, but there was an important statistical category that shows it may have been a closer race had Haaland played the entire season. Haaland averaged 82 minutes per goal, while Lewandowski averaged 81 minutes. Furthermore, 80% of 20-year-old’s shots hit the target, while Lewandowski finished with 61%. This certainly shows that the Dortmund striker has what it takes to possibly dethrone Bayern Munich’s prolific goal scorer in the upcoming season.
Lots of Goals Expected
This past season it was Timo Werner who gave Lewandowski competition in the Golden Boot race, but he was unable to match his counterpart after the season resumed and finished six goals behind the Polish striker. Werner still turned in an impressive record, with 28 goals in 34 matches. It was a record that led to his move to Chelsea. Likewise, Lewandowski’s 34 goals was an incredible accomplishment and a career-best for him.
Now, Werner will no longer be in the Bundesliga, which paves the way for Haaland to provide competition for his Polish counterpart. With the 20-year-old capable of scoring 30+ goals next season, it might push Lewandowski to an even higher level that could see him better his goal tally from this past season. This would require him to score 35 goals or more, which would require a special run of form.
If the Munich striker is to break Gerd Müller’s record of 40 goals in a single Bundesliga season, the upcoming campaign might be his best opportunity. Haaland is going to be a real threat, and the 31-year-old has showed no signs of slowing down in his production. As a result, the Golden Boot race could be one of the most enthralling in recent memory.
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