Erling Haaland, Karim Benzema and two Chelsea outcasts confirm Champions League U-turn

Mirror says The big men are back.

If Tuesday’s first Champions League semi-final is set to be defined by who comes out on top between Karim Benzema, the Ballon d’Or winner, and Erling Haaland, the force ripping up the record books, then Wednesday night’s Milan derby might well be shaped by less popular centre forwards who equally show that the No9 is having a renaissance.

Not too long ago, at the peak of the false-nine era, theorists suggested that No9s were a dying breed. The example of Harry Kane, among others, dropping deep during build-up play was used as a reference to how the game was changing and the message was clear: appreciate physically dominant goalscorers while you still can.

But the last four contenders of a Champions League that is yet to meet the standards set in recent seasons are all leaning heavily on classic No9s. There are nuances between them all, of course, but similarities outweigh the differences.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/erling-haaland-karim-benzema-two-29934089