Sporting Captain Morten Hjulmand Rates Viktor Gyokeres Above Erling Haaland Ahead Of Champions League Clash

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Sporting CP's captain, Morten Hjulmand, has praised Viktor Gyokeres as a better striker than Erling Haaland. This comes ahead of Sporting's Champions League match against Manchester City. The game will feature two top Scandinavian forwards: Sweden's Gyokeres and Norway's Haaland. Sporting is also preparing for the departure of head coach Ruben Amorim to Manchester United next week.

Gyokeres has been outstanding since joining Sporting from Coventry City last season. He has scored 34 goals in Portugal's top league this year, more than twice the number scored by Porto's Galeno, who is second with 16 goals. Gyokeres' expected goals (xG) figure stands at 28.17, and his shot conversion rate is an impressive 27.9%, far surpassing Galeno's 19.5%.

The Swedish striker has converted 31 out of 47 big chances in 2024, achieving a big-chance conversion rate of 61.2%. This ranks him second among players in Europe's top ten leagues, just behind Jan Kliment of Sigma Olomouc, who boasts a 75% conversion rate. Gyokeres' performance has earned him high praise from his captain.

At a pre-match press conference on Monday, Hjulmand was asked to compare Gyokeres and Haaland. He responded confidently: "Gyokeres, because he plays for Sporting." Meanwhile, outgoing coach Amorim acknowledged that Sporting might eventually sell Gyokeres due to financial reasons.

"I don't know Sporting's plans," Amorim stated on Monday, "but if the right offer arrives they will have to sell." He noted that Gyokeres is at his peak and can bring significant value both financially and on the field to any club he joins in the future.

This season, Gyokeres has already netted 16 league goals for Sporting, leading Europe's top ten leagues ahead of Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski with 14 goals. Haaland shares third place with Bayern Munich's Harry Kane and Atalanta's Mateo Retegui.

European Competition Contributions

In European competitions, Gyokeres has been directly involved in ten goals across twelve appearances for Sporting. He has scored seven times and provided three assists, finding the net in all four of his European starts at Estadio Jose Alvalade.

However, he still trails behind Haaland in Champions League achievements. The City forward has contributed to 49 goals in just 42 appearances (44 goals and five assists). If Haaland scores or assists on Tuesday, he will set a new record for reaching 50 goal contributions in the fewest appearances (43), surpassing Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of 45 games.

The upcoming match between Sporting CP and Manchester City promises an exciting clash between two prolific strikers. While Gyokeres continues to shine domestically and in Europe, Haaland remains a formidable force on the Champions League stage.