Romelu Lukaku believes the rivalry between Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland will dominate football for at least the next 10 years.
Inter Milan forward Lukaku is preparing to face Manchester City’s Haaland in the Champions League final on Saturday.
Haaland has torn up the record books after scoring 36 Premier League goals in 38 games in his debut season, surpassing Andy Cole’s and Alan Shearer’s respective tallies of 34 goals in a 42-game season. In total, the Norway international has scored 52 goals in 52 appearances to spearhead City’s treble pursuit.
Meanwhile, Mbappe netted 41 goals across 43 appearances in all competitions for Paris Saint-Germain as the French forward claimed his sixth Ligue 1 title.
Speaking to CNN senior sport analyst Darren Lewis, Lukaku said: “I think he [Haaland] will dominate, with Mbappe, world football for the next 10 years.
“They will be fighting from the new generation. They will really take over (from Messi and Ronaldo) in the next two years.”
Lukaku looked in more detail at the test which Inter face on Saturday in Istanbul, and knows the Serie A side will be huge underdogs in Turkey.
“It’s a beautiful thing, playing probably against the best team in the world. I just want to enjoy it, not having pressure, just enjoy the moment, enjoy the build-up, go there to have the best result possible.
“Man City is a well-drilled team. [Pep] Guardiola is such a good coach because every game is a different game plan.
“They have different patterns every game. And you know [Haaland] with these movements and the way how they open defences up at the end, he will get those chances because those movements and the patterns that they do, they synchronise very well.”
Belgium’s all-time record goalscorer also revealed the emotional tribute he pays to his late grandfather after every goal, and explained what it will mean to play in arguably the biggest match in club football.
“I promised [him] that I would look after my mum, when I was 12, I did that. So every time when I look at my mum and I see her in the stands, I look at him after every goal. And I say, I did it.
“It doesn’t matter, wins or losses, I take it in my stride. My grandfather meant the world to me.
When asked what playing in a Champions League final would mean to his grandfather. Lukaku replied: “A lot. When I see my son, I see so much of him. My grandfather, for me was my number one. He was my biggest fan.”
By www.eurosport.com
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