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By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- They must have been moments of pure joy Erling Haaland.
The man of the match had just set a stunning Champions League record by scoring goals number 17 and 18 in 13 games in Borussia Dortmund's 3-2 win against Sevilla.
Scoring every 55 minutes, the Norwegian striker has acquired the status of the king of European club-football.
None of the continent's other leading scorers come close to his figures, and they include Robert Lewandowski, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Having hit the back of the net on eight occasions, Haaland is the 2020/2021 campaign's leading scorer. In total he has scored 41 goals in 42 games for Dortmund.
The striker's future was immediately a subject of further speculations. It all came down to the question as to which one of the big guns like Real, Manchester City or Barcelona will open its purse and sign the man of the moment?
Nothing of that was in Haaland's mind after the game. The match-plan of caretaker coach Edin Terzic had have paid off, "but we are far from done" Borussia's striker stated.
To transform the convincing victory into a real turning point on its bumpy journey this season "requires more games like this. We must make it into the Champions League for next season, we must, we must."
Haaland quickly mentioned the upcoming challenge, the derby against arch rivals Schalke in the league this Saturday.
Doors for the Champions League quarterfinal now seem wide open after the result in the south of Spain, but delivering greater consistency has become vital for the Black and Yellow's.
The foundations seem set as Marco Rose (Moenchengladbach) has been announced as next season's coach. Terzic said he will stay with the club and return to his former job as an assistant.
Solving the coaching problem has given them the opportunity to concentrate on their football.
Haaland's advice mirrored his vital contribution on the pitch in Sevilla. "Passion and team-spirit," the forward said.
In Sevilla, it was enough to count on a solid team performance and "special agent" Haaland (4-5-1 system) who was promised by Terzic to "get more chances than ever" (Haaland) in his role as a dynamic marauding spearhead.
In the wake of Haaland, struggling performers such as team-captain Marco Reus and midfielder Mo Dahoud put in better performances. The entire team seemed to follow the call of their center forward.
"Everyone was mentally ready," the 20-year-old striker said.
Not only the Norwegian spoke about the derby against Schalke. "It requires another good performance. One excellent game won't help us to achieve our minimum goals," the German international Reus commented. He is well aware it is up to the team, not whatever coach to deliver.
As for Dortmund's hero, everything is in place for him to continue in his rich vein of form. "It's derby time and I like derbies. I'm ready for the challenge," Haaland said. "But we must win, there is no other option." Enditem