Bundesliga
Haaland: "I try to be free in my mind"
Borussia Dortmund top-scorer Erling Haaland says he tries to not overthink things in front of goal, but knows the onus is on him to "deliver goals" at the Signal Iduna Park.
Haaland - who returned to the BVB lineup for Matchday 14's 2-0 win over Wolfsburg after missing four games through injury - has 10 goals in nine Bundesliga outings this term.
Remarkably, the 20-year-old - whose overall Bundesliga record stands at 23 goals in 24 appearances - thinks his return this season "could've been better" and he'll get the opportunity to improve on those 10 strikes when Dortmund travel to face RB Leipzig on Saturday.
Far from feeling the pressure of shouldering Dortmund’s goalscoring burden, Haaland - known for his meditation both on and off the pitch - seems to relish the responsibility, approaching it with a clear head whenever he takes to the field of play.
"I try to be free in my mind and to attack this game without thinking too much to be honest," Haaland told former Dortmund favourite Patrick 'Owo' Owomoyela ahead of the Leipzig game in the club's Matchday Magazine.
"I know that I'm the striker, I need to deliver goals. But this is not my focus, my focus is to play good and to deliver with the team. I know that the chances will come for me and my teammates and when we score a goal that’s a good sign that we're doing something right."
Dortmund and Haaland certainly got it right the last time they met Leipzig in June, with the Norway international scoring both goals in his side’s 2-0 win at the Red Bull Arena.
Watch: Haaland strikes twice in Dortmund 2-0 Leipzig
"It was a nice game," said Haaland of June's victory. "For me, we have to do the same now. We come there and we know it's a good team, but we have to adapt and we have to attack the game."
There will be a new face in the Dortmund dugout this time around, but Haaland firmly believes the team only require subtle changes under new coach Edin Terzic in order to close the gap on the Bundesliga's top-three.
"I like Edin a lot. We have a good relationship and I'm looking forward to building on that and to get myself and him to the new level," explained Haaland.
"We train a little bit more intensively, that's maybe the main difference and, of course, we're good players so we just need small adjustments to take the next level and that’s what we need to do now."