‘I only scored four because you subbed me out!’ Erling Haaland reveals he gave Lucien Favre a blast after stunning display in Borussia Dortmund’s win at Hertha Berlin… as manager admits he lost count of how many the Norwegian had scored
Erling Haaland revealed his manager Lucien Favre had no idea how many goals he’d scored after netting four times in Borussia Dortmund‘s win over Hertha Berlin.
Television cameras captured the moment Favre held up three fingers to Haaland as they greeted each other at the final whistle, only for the Norwegian striker to tell him he’d actually scored four times.
And Haaland said afterwards he gave his manager a piece of his mind for taking him off with five minutes of the Bundesliga match remaining, believing he would have added to his goal haul.
Erling Haaland holds up four fingers after scoring his fourth goal at Hertha Berlin on Saturday
Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre thought Haaland had scored only the three times
But the Norwegian striker was more than happy to correct him as they spoke after the game
‘To be honest after the game, [Favre] asked me how many I scored. He asked me: Did you score three?’ Haaland joked in an interview with ESPN.
‘I said:’ No, four. Only because you subbed me out.’ So I’m a bit mad at him right now but that’s how it is.’
Favre later admitted he hadn’t been counting Haaland’s goals, saying: ‘It’s true because I ma not just watching the goals, I am watching the passes too.’
Haaland, 20, now has an astonishing 15 goals in 12 matches for Dortmund this season, taking his tally to 10 in the Bundesliga and moving just one goal behind the league’s top scorer Robert Lewandowski.
The Norwegian was lethal as Dortmund came from behind against Hertha Berlin on Saturday
Haaland struck twice in a matter of minutes before going on to put the game beyond Hertha
But Dortmund didn’t have it all their own way in the capital, falling behind to Matheus Cunha’s 33rd-minute strike for Hertha.
But Haaland turned things around with two goals inside the opening five minutes of the second-half before completing his hat-trick in the 62nd minute.
Raphael Guerreiro made it 4-1 to Dortmund in the 70th minute before Haaland netted his fourth nine minutes later. Cunha had converted a penalty seconds earlier but there would be no comeback.
Favre removed Haaland with five minutes left, bringing on 16-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko, who became the Bundesliga’s youngest-ever player.
Favre took Haaland off to give a Bundesliga debut to 16-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko
Moukoko became the youngest player to feature in the Bundesliga at just 16 years and one day
Haaland added: ‘It’s been a very good day. I’m smiling a little bit now. About Moukoko, I think he’s the biggest talent in the world right now.
’16 years and one day, that is quite amazing. He has a big career ahead of him.
‘I’m over 20 years, so I’m getting old now, so that’s how it is!’
His four-goal performance came just hours after Haaland won the 2020 Golden Boy award.
Having closed to within one point of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, who were held 1-1 at home by Werder Bremen, Dortmund shift focus back to the Champions League and a home game with Club Bruges this Tuesday.
They currently top Group F by a point from Lazio.
