Riding high after their fourth Premier League championship in five years, Manchester City have already reloaded for 2022-2023. MCFC completed a transfer that brought in striker Erling Haaland from the Bundesliga’s Borussia Dortmund, where he emerged as a scoring phenom.
The soon-to-be 22-year-old is widely regarded among the world’s best strikers – if not labeled as No. 1. The Norwegian follows in the footsteps of his father, Alfie Haaland, who played for the Sky Blues from 2000-2003 and in the Premier League for most of his career.
City’s electric addition adds gasoline to an already dangerous annual race for the EPL crown, but does this alter much about betting on who will win the league or who will lead the Premiership in scoring? Let’s clarify betting tips for Man City and Dortmund amidst all this Haaland hype.
(All EPL and Bundesliga betting odds are current as of Tuesday, July 5.)
How Erling Haaland Fits With Man City
The primary question will be how a true number nine fits into Pep Guardiola’s rotation-heavy 4-3-3 that has often deployed false nine tactics in recent years. Eight MCFC players scored seven or more goals last season, so they’re used to distributing the wealth.
Of course, boasting a burgeoning talent such as Haaland will likely force Guardiola to adapt to his personnel a bit more squarely than he’s used to doing.
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Given his lucrative contract, Haaland will prove the least likely name to rotate out among City’s forwards and attacking midfielders – an already stellar bunch that includes fellow international star Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez, Jack Grealish, and another hyped newcomer in Julián Álvarez.
Pep’s pass-happy, possession-centric system may not dictate to overtly feed scoring chances to a singular player, but Haaland’s 6-foot-4 frame helps him stand out and create space with his directness in the box.
Though a tad light at 194 pounds, Haaland still moves powerfully, meaning he can dynamically find scoring chances on his own.
Borussia Dortmund after Haaland’s Departure
With the departure of Haaland, BVB will look to fill his role as a striker. Asking someone to replicate his 22 goals and eight assists is not likely, but they could net a post-July 1 transfer prize to fill the position of aggressive striker.
They’ve been known to churn through big names in order to sell them off later, but an internal solution could help change that pattern.
Borussia Dortmund could look to Youssoufa Moukoko to take on that role. The 17-year-old played in 16 matches with only two goals in an injury-filled season. However, now could be the perfect time for him to break out with an extended opportunity.
Haaland missed a couple of months this past season due to injury, and the club still placed second in the Bundesliga. So while they won't see as much success as they would have with him still there, Borussia Dortmund will still be toward the top of the League table.
Borussia Dortmund might be out of luck, however, as its depth also might be challenged by a potential transfer exit by Jude Bellingham, a young threat possibly considered worthy of helping to hold down the fort after Haaland’s departure.
Erling Haaland Man City Bets: Top Goal Scorer & Man City EPL Win
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Haaland has become one of the top goal scorers in all of Europe at just 21-years-old and has yet to reach his peak. He compiled back-to-back seasons of 20-plus goals in the Bundesliga, scoring 27 in 2020-21 and 22 in 2021-22.
We can attribute Haalad’s dip last year to missing a few cumulative months with hip flexor and muscle problems. Now reportedly fully healthy and joining a much better club who thrives on creating high-danger chances, he’s a wise bet to be the Top Goalscorer.
These are the shortest odds of any player – the hype is priced in. Still, Haaland presents decent enough odds to place as a pivot off the defending co-scoring leaders Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) and Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur).
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Given that City has finished out of first place in English football just once since 2016-2017, they’re able to get richer with the likes of Haaland and withstand noteworthy departures.
The club loses captain Fernandinho, regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in Premier League history, and forward Gabriel Jesus, who scored eight goals and had eight assists in 28 appearances. (Raheem Sterling looks to be on his way out, as well.)
Still, this squad remains absurdly deep and resides in a small tier of teams stacked enough to compete for the win. Now they boast a true scoring forward who can hang with the likes of Salah
Look for parlays with which to connect this short-odds wager to get better returns.
Borussia Dortmund Bets Without Erling Haaland
❌ Borussia Dortmund: Win the Bundesliga (+800) at PointsBet Sportsbook
If it weren't hard enough to win the Bundesliga with Haaland, it looks like a more significant hill to climb without him. Bayern Munich has won the league in 10 straight seasons, with Dortmund last winning a title in 2010-11.
➕Bundesliga Exact Finish 1-2: Bayern Munich-Borussia Dortmund (TBD)
During Bayern Munich's reign as the top team in Germany, Borussia Dortmund accumulated six 2nd-place finishes (including last season) and two 3rd-place finishes.
Keep an eye out for any odds that offer an Exact Finish for Bundesliga 1-2 that feature these two historic clubs, which would prove more profitable.