Marsch hoping for some luck against 'incredible' Haaland when Leeds host Manchester City

Elland Road manager and City striker worked together at RB Salzburg for one year

1) Erling Haaland opened his Manchester City goals account with a penalty in the 2-0 win against West Ham United at London Stadium on August 7, 2022. Getty

2) Haaland celebrates after also scoring the second goal against West Ham. Reuters

3) Haaland was on target again in the thrilling 3-3 draw against Newcastle United St James' Park on August 21, 2022. Getty

4) City fell two behind at home to Crystal Palace on August 27, but a shock was averted. Haaland celebrates after scoring their second goal in a 4-2 win. EPA

5) ...and the Norwegian soon added their third against Palace. AP

6) ... and their fourth for his first City hat-trick. PA

7) Haaland clearly enjoyed scoring a treble, so he helped himself to another in the 6-0 destruction of Nottingham Forest at Etihad Stadium on August 31, 2022. This was the first. Getty

8) Haaland celebrates after scoring his second goal against Forest. EPA

9) Haaland completes his hat-trick against Forest. AFP

10) Doubles figures for Haaland on September 3 as he scores in the 1-1 draw at Aston Villa. Action Images

11) Haaland opens his City Champions League account with the opening goal in the 4-0 victory at Sevilla on September 6. EPA

12) Haaland celebrates with teammates after scoring his second and City's third against Sevilla. Getty

13) Erling Haaland scores a spectacular winner in the 2-1 Champions League victory against former club Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad stadium on September 14, 2022. AP

14) Haaland on the mark again, this time in the 3-0 win at Wolves on September 17. PA

15) A first Manchester derby for Erling Haaland, and he scores the second goal in City's 6-3 Premier League win against United on October 2, 2022. Getty

16) No stopping the Norwegian in the derby as he scores again against United. PA

17) Haaland scores City's fifth goal against United and completes his hat-trick. Reuters

18) Erling Haaland celebrates scoring the opening goal in the Champions League win against FC Copenhagen on October 5, 2022. PA

19) Erling Haaland scores his second goal against FC Copenhagen - and was taken off at half-time to spare them more punishment. AP

20) Erling Haaland scored his 20th of the season in the 4-0 rout against Southampton on October 8. EPA

21) Haaland celebrates after scoring City's opening goal in the 3-1 Premier League win against Brighton at Etihad Stadium on October 22, 2022. PA

22) Haaland adds his 22nd goal for City from the penalty spot against Brighton. Getty

23) Erling Haaland is congratulated by his teammates after scoring the late winner in the 2-1 victory against Fulham at Etihad Stadium on November 5, 2022. AP

24) Haaland celebrates scoring the opening goal in the 3-2 League Cup fourth round win against at Liverpool at Etihad Stadium on December 22, 2022. Getty

25) A quarter of a century as Haaland celebrates scoring City's second goal in the 3-1 Premier League win against Leeds at Elland Road on December 28, 2022. PA

26) And another against Leeds on the same night. PA

27) Rounding off the year with another goal, but a surprise draw, Haaland scored in the 1-1 Premier League game against Everton at the Etihad Stadium on December 31, 2022. AFP

28) Haaland heads City's second in the 4-2 Premier League win against Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium on January 19, 2023. PA

29) Haaland after scoring the first in the 3-0 Premier League win against Wolves at Etihad Stadium on January 22, 2023. Getty

30) Yes, 30 for the season in January, as he nets again against Wolves. PA

31) Wolves suffer even more as Haaland completes his hat-trick. AFP

32) A crucial game in the title race and Haaland scores City's third in the 3-1 win against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on February 15, 2023. Getty

33) Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto fails to stop Haaland from scoring City's second goal in their 4-1 Premier League win at the Vitality Stadium on February 25, 2023. PA

34) City players celebrate after Haaland scores the only goal in the Premier League win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on March 11, 2023. Getty

35) The start of an incredible night - even by Haaland's astonishing standards - as he scores the first goal in the 7-0 Champions League destruction of RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium on March 14, 2023. AFP

36) ... No 2 on the night soon followed. Action Images

37) Haaland had a hat-trick before half-time. AFP

38) But three was not enough for Haaland as he celebrates his fourth against Leipzig. AP

39) Five on the night against RB Leipzig and up to 39 for the season - a City record - and it's only midway through March. AP

Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch revealed he has been educating his players about the danger posed by Manchester City striker Erling Haaland as the pair get set for a reunion at Elland Road on Wednesday night.

Marsch was Haaland's manager for one year at Austrian side RB Salzburg, where the Norwegian, then a teenager, scored 29 goals in 27 appearances before joining Borussia Dortmund in January 2020.

Haaland, 23, has been prolific throughout his career and has set the Premier League alight during his debut season with City, topping the scoring charts with 18 goals in 13 games and 24 across all competitions.

Well rested after Norway failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, there is an expectation that Haaland should capitalise on any weary defences, with Leeds first up for champions City on their return to Premier League duty. Indeed, Haaland has already scored since the end of the World Cup, netting the first in a 3-2 win over Liverpool in the League Cup.

To add to the sense of reunion, his father Alfie played for Leeds for three years and Haaland Jr was born in the city.

Factoring it all in, Marsch is expecting Haaland to be extra motivated on Wednesday and conceded that could cause some problems for his Leeds side. However, the American believes his intimate knowledge of working with the striker should help Leeds's chances.

"It will help us I think a little bit. It will motivate him on the day a little bit, but it will motivate me as well," Marsch said. "The time I had with Erling was just outstanding and we had an incredible relationship.

“In general, I have some ideas of things we will try to do, but it will come down to luck on the day in certain moments and finding ways to contain him and hoping that we can still find ways to punish him as well.”

Marsch admitted, though, that having a plan for Haaland is one thing, but how his players execute it is another.

“Obviously I know how good he is and I know how good he can be when he is at his best," he said. “It will certainly be important for us to manage him on the day. I have been asked many times, how do you do that?

“And the answer is I think you have to have a keen awareness of where he is at all times and where he likes to be. Certainly his ability to run hard into the box, his ability to run hard in transition, his ability to do whatever it takes around the goal to get on the end of plays.

“So he is often not the one that is starting the plays, but he is always thinking about where he can be so he can be finishing it and his instincts in that manner are incredibly unique.”

While Haaland is City's chief goal threat, Pep Guardiola's squad is packed with attacking riches, including winger Riyad Mahrez, and the Algerian has urged his team to "hit the ground running" on their return to the Premier League. Champions City trail leaders Arsenal by eight points, albeit having played one game fewer.

"We are not currently top of the Premier League and that is where we want to be,” he said. “We will take it game by game but our aim to try to win another title.

“There are lots of strong teams in England who could still win the league so we are not just focused on Arsenal, although they have been very good so far. If we want to win the league, we will have to be ready as soon as the league starts again."

Mahrez is expecting a tough challenge against a Leeds side who have won two of their last three league matches, including a 2-1 victory against Liverpool at Anfield, but insisted City are ready.

“Leeds are a big club and it's a hard place to go but we know what to expect from them," he said. “We will be prepared for it and hopefully we can come away with the three points."