England is preparing for the challenge of stopping Erling Haaland, the striker who has found the net for more than half of Norway’s World Cup goals, in a tournament where no defense has been able to stop him so far. Coach Thomas Tuchel may have found a strategy, considering 1.98m, 34-year-old defender Dan Burn, who has a history of neutralizing the top scorer in club clashes, for the quarter-final clash.

In his debut in the championship, playing against Mexico, Dan Burn quickly won the favor of English fans when he entered the field as a substitute and delivered a remarkable performance. He achieved the match record for tackles with six, including resisting an intense aerial challenge with Raúl Jiménez, while his team, despite having one less player, managed to secure a 3-2 victory.

The challenge for the English defense increases even further in the quarter-finals, where they will face Norway and Erling Haaland in Miami. The Manchester City center forward is the second leading scorer in the race for the Golden Shoe, scoring seven goals, the same number as Kylian Mbappé, and surpassed only by Lionel Messi, who has eight. Haaland reached that milestone with one game in hand, as he was rested in the final round of the group stage.

Newcastle athlete Dan Burn is currently the tallest outfield player present at the World Cup, and his recent history indicates that he could be the key player in containing the Norwegian team’s main threat.

History analysis: Dan Burn and clashes against Erling Haaland

Erling Haaland faced Newcastle ten times wearing the Manchester City shirt, with Dan Burn on the field as a starter on eight of those occasions. Interestingly, the Norwegian striker scored just one goal in those clashes, recording his worst performance against a Premier League opponent he has faced five or more times.

In four of these matches, Burn played as a left-back and did not have the center forward as a direct mark. Over the eight duels in which both were present, Newcastle suffered six defeats and won two draws.

Despite this, it is notable that Haaland’s offensive capabilities were significantly limited. But how does Dan Burn manage to contain the Norwegian striker?

Burn shows great combativeness in physical duels against Haaland and, due to his height, he is one of the few defenders with the capacity to confront him physically. This characteristic contributes to slowing the attacker’s pace and making it difficult for him to maneuver in possession of the ball.

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After a clash in February this year, Haaland even posted an image of Burn pulling his shirt on her social media, accompanied by the suggestive caption “Another day at the office”.

Still, it’s not often that Burn manages to completely dominate him. At one specific moment, he tried to use his shoulder to unbalance Haaland while receiving the ball, but ended up falling to the pitch.

As defensive references for their respective teams, the two players have already been involved in other incidents, such as in the game in March 2023, when Burn fouled Jack Grealish, it sparked an argument and Haaland promptly intervened.

Although Dan Burn is difficult to overcome in aerial duels or physical clashes against Haaland, he is more vulnerable to agile movements and sprints. This fragility was evident in the only goal scored by Haaland against Newcastle.

Haaland managed to free himself from Burn and beat the defender with a low cross, finding the net.

This moment illustrates how Haaland’s movement has the potential to overcome any defender. The player stands out when attacking crosses, as in the first goal against Brazil in the round of 16, where he headed the ball with great power. His intelligent positioning and speed to explore the opponent’s rearguard consolidate him among the main center forwards today.

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Of the eight times Burn have faced Haaland’s Manchester City, six have come at the Etihad Stadium. This fact suggests that he is seen as more efficient in scenarios where his team has less ball possession and is under intense pressure, a condition similar to his outstanding performance against Mexico.

The Norwegian team demonstrates the ability to control ball possession, as evidenced by the 66% recorded against Brazil, and has considerable offensive power to generate multiple scoring opportunities.

Other alternatives considered by coach Thomas Tuchel

Tuchel may be weighing concerns that Haaland has enjoyed greater success against Manchester City team-mate Marc Guehi, who has started the last three matches replacing Dan Burn and John Stones in defense on the left.

Marc Guehi faced Haaland on five occasions when he played for Crystal Palace, recording only one favorable result in those clashes.

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Haaland has scored in every league match he has started against Guehi, including a hat-trick in their first meeting in 2022. The only occasion the striker has not found the net is in the 2025 FA Cup final, in which Crystal Palace emerged victorious 1-0.

The Norwegian converted two penalties and took advantage of offensive moves coming from Crystal Palace’s right side, opposite Guehi’s position. However, two of the goals came from direct aerial duels between the two defenders.

Haaland’s two headed shots against Palace, in the 2-2 draws in 2025 and in the 4-2 victories in 2022, revealed Guehi’s difficulty in following the movement of the attacker, who was anticipating the header.

Although Guehi is a player with more experience as a starter, Burn may be the most appropriate option to neutralize Haaland’s threat.

Confrontations between English defenders against Erling Haaland

• Marc Guehi: 5 starts, 7 goals conceded by Haaland
• Dan Burn: 8 starts, 1 goal conceded by Haaland
• Ezri Konsa: 5 starts, 1 goal conceded by Haaland
• John Stones: 2 starts, no goals conceded by Haaland
• Trevoh Chalobah: 3 starts, 1 goal conceded by Haaland

Burn would play alongside Ezri Konsa or John Stones, with the likely inclusions of left-back Nico O’Reilly and midfielder Elliot Anderson. This formation would provide Burn with simplified options for releasing the ball, a strong point where Guehi also stands out.

Possible lineup of Dan Burn as starter

Despite Burn’s good adaptation when entering the Azteca Stadium, his first start in a major tournament, and in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, would represent a significant challenge.

Thomas Tuchel has always shown appreciation for Burn, who had played under him as many times as Stones and more than Guehi before the start of the championship, a clear indication of trust.

Given the uncertainty about the physical condition of Reece James and Djed Spence, and the suspension of Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa could be asked to play at right back, increasing Dan Burn’s chances at central defense.

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John Stones, who played alongside Haaland for four seasons at Manchester City, has not started since the opening match against Croatia. Opting for him or Guehi would send a message to Norway that England are looking to dominate the game.

However, Dan Burn’s specific attributes and track record appear better suited to neutralizing Norway’s main offensive strength.