Bernardo Silva likens City team-mate Haaland’s instinct to Cristiano Ronaldo’s

As Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated a remarkable 700th career club goal with the winner for Manchester United at Everton last weekend, it seems difficult to envisage any modern-day forward coming close to the feats of the Portuguese icon.

But over at neighbors Manchester City there is someone who may have the age and ability to yet challenge the game’s current goalscoring greats such as Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Having netted 20 times in his first 13 games — taking a career total to 155 goals — Erling Haaland has been outstanding since his £51.2-million summer switch from Borussia Dortmund.

It is no surprise to City team-mate Bernardo Silva, who also believes the potential is there for the Norway striker, 22, to make the same impact as the 37-year-old Ronaldo.

“You never know what will happen, Erling’s still very young, still got a lot to do, but the mentality is there, so yes,” said Bernardo, who plays alongside Ronaldo for Portugal’s national team.

“I’m playing with Erling (for City) so I hope so. But the standards are so high — Cristiano has won five Ballon d’Ors, six Champions Leagues — but I’m very impressed by Erling.

“Honestly, I was speaking with a few friends the other day and I said he is the only player who gets close to Cristiano in terms of knowing where the ball will land inside the box.

“He’s got that smell of knowing where it lands and he’s so quick and strong, which is not easy for defenders.”

Haaland will be bidding to score for a fifth successive Premier League away game when City visit Liverpool on Sunday.

With hat-tricks against Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and in the 6-3 Manchester derby success over United, he already has 15 league goals in nine matches.

“We knew what was coming, the