Rodri has expressed how impressed he has been with Erling Haaland's start to life at the Etihad Stadium ahead of a Champions League group-stage opener against Sevilla.
Shrugging off any doubts that he would struggle to fit in at Manchester City, Erling Haaland has taken to his new club like a duck to water.
With a staggering 10 goals after just six games into the season, the Norwegian is the joint-fastest player in Premier League history to reach double figures in the scoring charts.
Scoring his second hat-trick against Nottingham Forest in just his fifth outing in sky blue, days after a treble at home against Crystal Palace, the Leeds-born forward also became the quickest player to bag two hat-tricks in the English top-flight.
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With the 22-year-old shattering age-old records on a weekly basis, Haaland already seems a bargain signing for the club he supported as a child at £51 million in the summer transfer window.
Haaland is set to showcase his talents in the Champions League once again but for the first time in blue when Manchester City face Sevilla on Tuesday evening.
The former Dortmund striker boasts 23 strikes in the competition in just 19 outings since he burst onto the scene at RB Salzburg.
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With standout displays against Liverpool and PSG in his young Champions League career, the Norwegian seems to possess a special liking for the big European nights.
Ahead of City's group-stage opener at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Rodri opened up on how Haaland can help Pep Guardiola's star-studded squad run the distance in the Champions League.
“We know the player he (Haaland) is, not just in the Champions League, but how he plays," Rodri said.
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“He (Haaland) is improving a lot, he’s trying to fit into the team. We know his goals but he wants to improve in the game. He’s so young and wants to improve."
Rodri has established himself as a crucial member of the Manchester City squad, taking over from club legend and former captain Fernandinho in the number six position at the heart of the team.
The Spain international added: "It (Champions League) is a tricky competition and you need these type of players. You won’t always be in good moments.
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"You can pass it to him (Haaland) and he scores from nothing. Hopefully he continues in this sense.”
Manchester City remain unbeaten this season and have made a strong start to the defence of their Premier League crown, with four wins and two draws in their first six league games.
Rodri said: “It’s great, we have a great start, we drop two draws. We know how tough the Premier League (is), how competitive (it is). You see all the results. No one wins easy.
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"We don’t get frustrated. We’ve done great games since we start, we have to fix a little bit. It’s normal, there’s new players coming in.
"(There is) not much time to work, now to move on we’ll see a very solid team for the next fixtures. Quite good, but we need to improve to get what we want.”
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester City, Premier League, Champions League, La Liga, Sevilla, Pep Guardiola, Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund, Rodri, Football, UEFA, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa
