Berlin (AFP)

One is 20 years old, the other 32. One is a rising star, the other already a star of the first magnitude: the Norwegian prodigy Erling Haaland challenges the Polish serial-scorer Robert Lewandowski on Wednesday in the Supercopa de Germany in Munich between Bayern and Borussia Dortmund (8:30 p.m.).

Kicker, the German football magazine, dubbed Haaland this week "The Crown Prince", recalling that, like him, Lewandowski started his German career in Dortmund in 2010, before being recruited by Bayern in 2014.

Haaland's start to his career is overwhelming.

Fifteen goals in seventeen matches since joining the Bundesliga in January.

Before that, with Salzburg, he had dazzled Europe at 19 by becoming the third youngest author of a Champions League hat-trick in the competition (against Genk).

Only the legendary Raul and Wayne Rooney had managed to be earlier!

He is also the first player in history to score before the age of 20 in his first five C1 matches.

Now he has to stay at this level, which is sometimes the most difficult.

Lewandowski, he succeeded.

After ten years at the top, it would take pages to list his exploits.

Last season, he scored 15 times in the Champions League, approaching Cristiano Ronaldo's all-time record (17 goals).

And in the Bundesliga, nobody shows consistency like his: five times top scorer in the league over the last seven years, with a record 34 goals last season.

- Pure instinctive player -

Hansi Flick, the Bayern coach, also believes that a comparison between the two is premature: "Haaland, this is his first season," he said at the end of May, "Robert has been playing at the world level for several years. But Haaland has enormous talent ".

Lewandowski is, logically at his age, a much more complete player.

A time positioned at number 10 by Jürgen Klopp, on his debut in Dortmund in 2010-2011, he is able to win to come and build the game, and knows how to play with his back to goal to deliver assists.

He's also stronger with a header than Haaland, and more efficient in his defensive pressing.

The Dortmund striker is a pure instinctive player with an exceptional sense of goal.

His rage at each celebration says a lot about his appetite as a goleador, but his register remains limited.

"At the moment, Haaland likes to receive the balls deep and makes the difference with his speed," dissects Miroslav Klose, the record holder for World Cup goals.

"But after two or three years, your opponents have analyzed you, you have to change your game (...), he will have to become a player in combinations".

- "I must become better" -

The very young man is perfectly aware of this: "For me, everything is played on the little details", he said in an interview with the local Ruhr press, "I have yet to become a much better footballer, c 'that's what keeps me going every day ".

In Dortmund, he has already amazed his leaders and teammates with his professional rigor.

Exactly like Lewandowski, the Norwegian is attentive to his nutrition, the quality of his sleep, and the maintenance of his physique.

On Wednesday, he will try to prevent the Pole from lifting his fifth trophy of the year, after the sumptuous treble Cup-Championship-Champions League and the recent European Supercup.

In ten years, this is the seventh time that the National Supercup has pitted Bayern against Borussia: each has won three times.

The match usually takes place in early August, at the start of the season, but has been postponed this year due to the upheaval in the schedule due to coronavirus.

The infection rate having recently risen in Bavaria, the local authorities have declared a total closed session for this meeting.

© 2020 AFP