"The best team in the world" - Haaland's Liverpool "dream" to come true again

In few decades' time, you might be asked the question - 'When did you first see Erling Haaland?'

For many English football fans, it was when Red Bull Salzburg rocked up to Anfield for a Champions League clash with Liverpool in 2019. On a chilly October night, the two teams lit up Merseyside with a barnstorming 4-3 thriller, as the hosts - then the reigning kings of Europe - edged their plucky opponents.

Led by Jesse Marsch, Salzburg's XI was littered with players who've become familiar to Premier League fans in the year since; such as Takumi Minamino, Patson Daka, Dominik Szoboszlai, Hwang Hee-Chan and Enock Mwepu. But it wasn't just the starters who strut their stuff against the Reds, as a certain substitute - a strapping 19-year-old Norwegian - rose from the bench and scored within four minutes of entering the fray. The name above the No.30 on the back of his shirt? Haaland.

While his side didn't come away with a win, the soon-to-be global superstar enjoyed a "dream" night at one of world football's most famous stadiums - the place where he'll travel this Sunday with Manchester City. Speaking as he checked out the Anfield pitch during a pre-match training session, Haaland proclaimed: "The best team in the world... very good fans, stadium, atmosphere, everything. So tonight is a dream coming true playing here."

Unfortunately, illness meant that he wasn't able start the match, having already scored 17 goals in all competitions in the opening stages of the 2019-20 season. But when Marsch called him on to replace Daka in the 56th minute after a thumping strike from Minamino cut Liverpool's 3-0 lead to just a one-goal advantage, Haaland looked as fit as ever.

Charging towards goal as Hwang drove Salzburg forward, good work from Mwepu - who was sadly forced to retire at the age of 24 this week - on the right flank allowed Mimamino to turn provider. As Haaland had evaded Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk was preoccupied with attempting to stop the cutback, Norway's finest had a simple tap-in to equalise and sent the away section wild.

The scoreline was only 3-3 for a mere nine minutes, as Mohamed Salah notched the winning goal and condemned Salzburg to defeat, but Haaland had already made his mark.

The former Molde starlet, where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer coached him, didn't let a loss damage his confidence either. Haaland netted in Salzburg's next three group-stage clashes, making him the first teenager to score in five successive Champions League games.

That ominous run of form was halted by Jurgen Klopp's men, who claimed a 2-0 win in Austria on the final matchday to dump Haaland and co out of the competition. The man himself would continue in the Champions League that term for Borussia Dortmund - who he signed for in January 2020 - and he's still going strong at City, boasting five goals in three group games this time around.

Have your say! Will Haaland score at Anfield again? Give us your prediction in the comments section.

Rested on matchday four as Pep Guardiola prioritised the trip to Merseyside on Sunday over Tuesday's 0-0 draw in Copenhagen, Haaland will be raring to go after scoring a solitary goal in his last outing. Despite ending his scintillating streak of three successive hat-tricks in Premier League home games, he now has a mind-boggling 20 goals in what's already been an historic campaign.

Who'd bet against him making it 21 at Anfield?

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