- Steen Olsen wins World Cup opener as Hirscher wows on comeback
- Georgia thrown into political turmoil after disputed vote
- Japan ruling party projected to miss majority in election
- Philippines death toll from Tropical Storm Trami rises to 110
- Syria Kurd force denies links to Ankara attack as Turkey strikes
- Thousands turn out for Thai royal barge pageantry
- Mbappe and Real Madrid shaken by Clasico thrashing
- An Byeong-hun triumphs after all-Korean playoff at Genesis Championship
- Real Madrid condemn racist abuse of Barca players in Clasico
- Centre-left tipped to take power as Lithuanians vote
- Israel pounds Gaza and Lebanon after Iran strikes
- Left-field thought and patio heaters: How Pakistan turned series on head
- Bagnaia wins wet Thai MotoGP to close gap on title rival Martin
- 'Olympus has fallen': India fears end of an era after New Zealand loss
- Bagnaia wins wet Thai MotoGP ahead of title rival Martin
- Olympic champion Zheng hails consistency after Pan Pacific Open win
- Red-hot Yin Ruoning secures LPGA Malaysia title with flawless 65
- Echavarria birdies final hole to win PGA Tour's Zozo Championship
- Lithuanians vote in runoff as centre-left tipped to take power
- Trump takes election pitch to storied New York arena
- James triple-double helps Lakers hold off Kings, Clippers down Nuggets
- Olympic champion Zheng wins in Tokyo for third title of year
- Death toll in Philippine storm rises to 100
- Ohtani suffers shoulder injury in Dodgers win
- Ohtani injury scare as Dodgers down Yankees to take 2-0 World Series lead
- Ohtani suffers partial shoulder dislocation in Dodgers win: team
- Rare Sahara floods bring Morocco's dried-up south back to life
- Dodgers down Yankees 4-2 to take 2-0 World Series lead
- Far right tipped to gain ground as jaded Bulgarians vote again
- Dodgers' Ohtani injured in World Series win
- China's second-generation factory owners go digital to combat challenges
- Indonesia bets on SE Asia's first battery plant to become EV hub
- Israel's Netanyahu hoping for Trump triumph
- Powell pours in 37 to spark NBA Clippers over Jokic-led Denver
- Recession-hit Argentina gripped by 'Ponzidemia'
- Sakamoto leads Japanese women's sweep at Skate Canada
- Sainz success shows his class as Ferrari rise above the radar
- Verstappen, Norris set for another duel
- Michelle Obama admits fear over vote result, slams Trump
- Sainz takes pole for Mexico City Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen
- Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps defend Skate Canada pairs title
- Lille score twice in stoppage-time to beat Lens after 'extraordinary' week
- Barca in 'flow' state after thrashing Madrid: Flick
- Curfew extended in French Caribbean territory amid power blackout
- Ruling party set to win Georgia election amid opposition protests
- Lille score twice deep in stoppage-time to beat Lens, Brest win
- NASA astronaut released from hospital after return from ISS
- Lewandowski double as Barca shred Madrid in La Liga Clasico
- Floods hit Saint-Tropez as rains lash south of France
- Japan votes with new PM on shaky ground
Haaland out to hush critics as Man City aim to repeat Real Madrid heroics
Manchester City are closing in on a second consecutive treble, yet Erling Haaland is still facing criticism as Real Madrid visit the Etihad on Wednesday aiming to exact revenge for their Champions League exit last season.
The 14-time European champions were humbled 4-0 on their visit to Manchester 11 months ago at the semi-final stage as City went on to win the Champions League for the first time, along with the Premier League and FA Cup.
Pep Guardiola's men are 12 games away from repeating that remarkable feat even without their prolific Norwegian hitting the form he did last season.
Haaland's return of 31 goals in 38 games this season is still impressive, but he has not scored in City's three meetings with Madrid in the past year and failed to find the net in 13 of his last 20 matches for club and country.
The 23-year-old has also been in the firing line for not offering anything other than goals.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher labelled Haaland the "ultimate luxury player" who is yet to become "world-class".
Ex-Manchester United captain Roy Keane, infamously sent-off in a Manchester derby for a pre-meditated lunge on Haaland's father Alf-Inge due to a long-running feud, went even further by claiming the City striker's hold-up play resembles that of a player in England's fourth-tier League Two.
The Spanish press have been just as harsh after Haaland failed to fire for a second consecutive year at the Santiago Bernabeu in a thrilling first leg that ended 3-3 last week.
His performance was described by Madrid sports daily Marca as "impotent", while AS called him "clumsy and desperate" in his attempts to get the better of Antonio Rudiger.
Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti will not repeat the same mistake of dropping Rudiger for the second leg as he did last season after the German had kept Haaland quiet in the Bernabeu.
- Guardiola backing -
City manager Guardiola has been protective of his star striker, pointing to both his record and the collective success of his side in Haaland's two seasons at the club.
The English champions have lifted the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup already this season with more silverware likely to follow.
City hold a two-point lead at the top of the Premier League with six games to play and face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday.
However, it is by helping to retain the Champions League that Haaland can make a global statement and further his bid to win the Ballon d'Or -- the annual award for the world's best player.
"The target is not the Ballon d'Or, the target is to win trophies and he did. Would we have won five trophies last year without him? Not a chance," said Guardiola when quizzed about Haaland's critics.
Guardiola also believes the forward's presence did have a telling impact in Madrid as Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol were allowed space on the edge of the box to smash in stunning strikes as the Real defence tracked Haaland.
"He helps us to make more spaces in the areas and his contribution has been exceptional since the day he arrived last season," added Guardiola.
"(He) helped us score some of them (goals) by creating lots of spaces for the other ones to score the goals. I saw in his face, in what he said after the game, in the locker room, he was extremely happy (in Madrid)."
City's result in the Spanish capital is not as spectacular as it would have been in the era of away goals, but they are now favourites to make a fourth consecutive semi-final thanks to a fearsome record on home soil.
The holders have not lost in 30 Champions League games at the Etihad, dating back to 2018, and are unbeaten in 41 matches in all competitions at home since November 2022.
"There is not one minute where we will not do what we have to do," said Guardiola. "Be a humble team, a solidarity team and to try to attack them. We believe we can do it."
B.Finley--AMWN