Anand Mahindra drew a comparison between Norway striker Erling Haaland and his compatriot Magnus Carlsen saying, "Looks like Haaland's chess skills are almost as formidable as...Carlsen's." He noted Haaland, "looking non-lethal", lures defenders into leaving him unmarked before "exploding into space" and striking "like a cobra". "Magnus might call it the Cobra Gambit," Mahindra added.