Erling Haaland is currently on a blistering run of form, having scored in his last 12 appearances, with a remarkable 24 goals for club and country this season. The question on every coach's mind is: How do you stop Erling Haaland?. There are no easy solutions, as many past opponents attest.

Match His Movement, Stay Patient One key is matching Haaland's movement and remaining patient. Haaland's ability to anticipate where the ball will end up, combined with his movement, makes defending against him a nightmare. He often positions himself on the blindside of defenders, making it difficult for them to track him. By staying on the blindside, Haaland stays a step ahead, and the defender sees his run much later, giving Haaland a head start.

Tactical Approaches Here are some tactical approaches that teams can adopt:

• Physical Man-Marking: Employ a physically strong defender to man-mark Haaland inside the box. Craig Dawson, when playing for Wolves, successfully restricted Haaland to one chance by closely marking him.
• Defend as a Unit: Defend the box as a unit, maintaining a U-shaped defensive formation to cut off supply lines to Haaland. Don't allow defenders to get into grappling matches with him.
• Give Him Distance: Surprisingly, giving Haaland some distance can be effective. Engaging him too closely can allow him to use his strength to his advantage.
• Time Your Jump: When defending crosses, time your jump to knock Haaland off balance in the air. Avoid jumping alongside him, as he can use defenders to elevate himself.
• Starve Him of the Ball: Prevent the ball from reaching him in the first place. This is easier said than done, given Manchester City's creative talents.
• Attack: Attack wide to push the play up the field, making it less likely that the ball will be in the area where Haaland is most dangerous.

Understanding Haaland's Strengths To devise effective strategies, it's crucial to understand Haaland's strengths:

• Movement in the Box: Haaland excels at making darting runs toward the front post, deceiving defenders into committing before changing direction to find space at the back post.
• Double Movement: He uses double movements to manipulate defenders' positioning, creating space to receive the ball. This involves feigning one way before quickly changing direction.
• Exploiting the Blindside: Haaland always tries to position himself where defenders can't see both him and the ball, giving himself an advantage.
• Finishing Ability: He can generate immense power with little backlift and shoot quickly, giving defenders little time to react.

Additional Considerations * Patience and Focus: Haaland exhibits remarkable patience and focus, making subtle movements inside the box until the opportune moment arises. * Flexibility: Haaland emphasizes the importance of flexibility for scoring acrobatic goals. * Team Dependence: Manchester City has become increasingly dependent on Haaland to deliver goals.

While containing Haaland is a daunting task, a combination of tactical discipline, physical resilience, and an understanding of his strengths can increase a team's chances of keeping him quiet.