LaLiga's Haaland: will Girona's Dovbyk be top scorer in first year in Spain?

LALIGA'S Prolific striker Artem Dovbyk has drawn comparisons with the Man City ace HAALAND

[{"selector":"#anim-0ce52e90-2999-4fc9-abdb-1b50c8b34002","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b01c46ff-d89c-42eb-aece-71a20a99d682 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.819672131147541)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"forwards"}] Artem Dovbyk is enjoying a fabulous first year in LaLiga. With 14 goals in 20 games, he’s joint-top scorer alongside Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham.

[{"selector":"#anim-5d1e467b-158c-4f40-bd49-583a3a6b913f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-987b610e-819d-4fee-8ab4-1e4735941776 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(16.249999795206307%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] The Ukrainian is Girona’s club-record signing, having arrived in the summer for €7.7m ($8.3m). Given his scoring form, that looks a major snip.

[{"selector":"#anim-f708c55b-9142-44ee-a1a6-131c4e6d210d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.53844%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-440e08e0-c21c-4785-8654-364360c880ff [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-19.866071245719922%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] Dovbyk is also an emerging force at international level. At Euro 2020, his last-gasp goal sent Ukraine into their first ever quarter-finals.

[{"selector":"#anim-f97e813f-0adc-499c-9095-82f0069408d2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7150ecd5-4efa-4ace-a164-8a0a845d5171 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, -8.333332827669901%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] And the striker knows how it feels to lift silverware. At Danish club Midtjylland, he picked up domestic league and cup winners’ medals.

[{"selector":"#anim-050f412a-595e-4eb5-8ede-865800fe8b7e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-06c02301-bbe2-41ce-b817-f3f7a4c77bb8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(18.768656535119156%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] Dovbyk wasn’t a regular in Denmark, but at Ukrainian club Dnipro-1 he really began to fulfil his potential, scoring 54 goals in 86 games.

[{"selector":"#anim-065d4bac-8f1b-4d2a-ad16-30a6548e1f69","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 195.30265%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7d805226-27b8-4374-9aa5-a90cad0fd463 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 9.086668970448912%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] Last season, the 26-year-old was the top scorer in the Ukrainian league, plundering 24 goals as his team finished second in the table.

[{"selector":"#anim-8cb0acd6-500c-470c-837c-d1a5e1b02623","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-85c42107-40ee-4ff0-a3aa-d288b997f8ac [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 8.256880733944966%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] And his subsequent success in LaLiga owes much to the presence of compatriot Viktor Tsygankov, who has helped him settle in seamlessly.

[{"selector":"#anim-7edd827a-7df9-4de8-98db-8c6bff9bae8e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-12892140-30ba-4111-8be6-1da3a496e352 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-16.249999795206307%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] A powerful, left-footed centre-forward with ruthless finishing ability, Dovbyk has invited comparisons with Manchester City star Erling Haaland.

[{"selector":"#anim-8f14e694-e1ee-4da0-b9dd-47c96dfc8838 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(32.499999590412614%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"fill":"both"}] In Sunday’s 5-1 win over Sevilla, that killer instinct was on full display as he hit his first hat-trick for Girona - in the space of six first-half minutes.