Category: Football

MADRID: Real Madrid and Champions League holders Manchester City shared a pulsating 3-3 draw in a rollercoaster quarter-final first leg on Tuesday at Santiago Bernabeu.

Bernardo Silva put City ahead with a low free-kick but Ruben Dias’ own goal and Rodrygo Goes helped Madrid dramatically and swiftly fight back.

Manchester City’s own quick-fire double in the second half through Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol stunned the record 14-time winners, but they snatched a draw through Fede Valverde’s scorching volley.

The thrilling match was played in the shadow of a threat by the Islamic State group to target every quarter-final first leg, with a heavy security presence around the Santiago Bernabeu.

Spanish officials said 2,000 police were to be deployed, but the match was played without incident off the field. On it, there was plenty under the closed stadium roof, which produced a thunderous atmosphere.

“I think it was a really good, entertaining game, (it) dignified this competition,” said Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola.

His Madrid counterpart Carlo Ancelotti agreed. “I said yesterday, with all the quality we see on the pitch, of course, it will be a fantastic game,” said the Italian.

“A lot of quality, two fantastic teams, I think the result was right, correct.”

Guardiola omitted influential playmaker Kevin De Bruyne after the Belgian said he was unwell shortly before the game.

The former Barcelona coach also chose Stefan Ortega in goal over the experienced Ederson, only just back from a thigh injury, while Gvardiol overcame a fitness doubt to start.

Ancelotti opted for defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni at centre-back over Nacho Fernandez and an early rash challenge from the Frenchman paved the way for City’s opener.

Tchouameni clumsily hacked down Jack Grealish after 33 seconds and was booked, meaning he will miss the second leg.

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From the free-kick Silva punished Madrid further, catching goalkeeper Andriy Lunin out at his near post with a low effort which skidded home.

Lunin was sluggish to react and although he got a hand to the ball he could not keep it out.

Ancelotti, coaching a record 200th Champions League match, claimed his team lacked courage and personality when they were crushed by City in last season’s semis, but they showed mental strength to quickly turn the game on its head.

This kind of feat is Madrid’s wont in the Champions League, and they produced two goals in two minutes, reminiscent of their stunning 2022 semi-final comeback against City thanks to Rodrygo’s brace.

Dias deflected the first into his own net as he tried to block Camavinga’s long-range piledriver, and Rodrygo slipped home the second after Vinicius Junior played him in, aided by another deflection, off Manuel Akanji.

A breathless first 45 minutes was followed by more of the same, in a tie increasingly dubbed a Champions League “Clasico”.

Rodri headed over for the visitors and Vinicius blasted over the top before City sprang their own comeback and extended their unbeaten run to 26 matches.

Foden pulled his team level with a superb strike, and arced into the top corner from the edge of the box.

The England international is enjoying his finest goalscoring campaign with this perfectly placed effort his 22nd across all competitions.

Foden was taken off hurt late on but Guardiola said the injury was just “a knock”.

With Antonio Rudiger shackling Erling Haaland, City got a goal from an unlikely source to lead five minutes later.

Gvardiol’s ferocious bending effort from distance left Lunin no chance and silenced the Bernabeu — but not for long.

Valverde’s brilliant volley from Vinicius’ cross zipped past Ortega to level the score and leave the game deliciously poised for the second leg on April 17.

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ABUD DHABI: Veteran striker Cristiano Ronaldo was shown a red card during Al-Nassr’s 2-1 loss to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Monday.

The star player received marching orders four minutes before the final time as he elbowed opponent defender Ali Hadi Mohammed Al-Bulaihi in frustration as his team was heading towards a 2-0 loss.

Former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, however, scored a consolation goal for Al-Nassr in injury time to reduce the deficit.

Al-Nassr’s manager, Castro criticized the decision and accused Al-Bulaihi of acting to get Ronaldo sent off.

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“The decision was incorrect,” said Castro. “The Al Hilal defender pretended that he was hit in the face, and it was a play on his part, and the contact was small, and they took advantage of Ronaldo’s provocation.”

“The VAR referee was supposed to call the main referee, and this is my personal opinion.”

Earlier, Al-Hilal drew first blood in the 62nd minute courtesy of Salem Al-Dawsari finding Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s cross and sending the ball smoothly into the net.

The defending champions’ lead was extended ten minutes later as Michael’s long cross found Malcolm, who headed the ball to get his name on the scoresheet.

Al-Hilal will face Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Super Cup final on Thursday, aiming for their fourth title.

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Liverpool were held to a damaging 2-2 draw by Manchester United as they handed the initiative to Arsenal in the Premier League title race, while Tottenham moved into fourth place with a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side would have gone top with a victory against their bitter rivals at Old Trafford.

But despite taking the lead through Luis Diaz’s 23rd minute strike, Liverpool couldn’t deliver the knockout blow.

They wasted several chances to increase their advantage before Bruno Fernandes alertly pounced on Jarell Quansah’s wayward pass to score from just inside the Liverpool half in the 50th minute.

To Klopp’s visible fury, Kobbie Mainoo found space to net United’s second with an eye-catching curler in the 67th minute.

Liverpool avoided a repeat of their FA Cup quarter-final defeat at United earlier this season as Mohamed Salah equalised with an 84th minute penalty after Aaron Wan-Bissaka chopped down Harvey Elliott.

But it was still a frustrating final visit to Old Trafford for Klopp before his departure at the end of the season, with Liverpool stuck behind Arsenal, who hold a nine-goal advantage on goal difference.

Klopp’s team, who are one point ahead of third placed Manchester City, have seven games left to overhaul Arsenal as they chase a record-equalling 20th English title.

“We should have won the game, that is clear. We should have had other goals in the first half. We dropped too deep,” Klopp said.

“The whole Liverpool community just stay calm. We are where we are and we keep giving it a proper go.

“Do I wish we had 10 points difference? Of course. We are in the race and I’m absolutely fine with it.”

United boss Erik ten Hag added: “Very mixed emotions. We have to blame ourselves for making stupid mistakes.

“On the other side I’m very proud. You see how we are improving and the potential of this squad is amazing.”

At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the game went ahead despite a fatal stabbing just yards from the ground earlier on Sunday.

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Ange Postecoglou’s side took the lead thanks to an own goal from Forest defender Murillo in the 15th minute.

Timo Werner’s low cross into the six-yard box caused panic and Murillo’s stretching attempt to clear diverted the ball into his own net.

Chris Wood equalised in the 27th minute with a clinical strike from Anthony Elanga’s pass for his 12th league goal this season.

But Micky van de Ven bagged Tottenham’s second in the 52nd minute with a blistering strike from just inside the area.

And six minutes later Pedro Porro produced a powerful half-volley from 14 yards to put the result beyond doubt.

Tottenham are now above fifth placed Aston Villa on goal difference and also hold a game in hand in the race to qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish.

“Everyone has been banging on about us getting fourth. We’re fourth now but it doesn’t stop, we’ll keep going. We’re in a good shape to finish the season strong,” Postecoglou said.

Fourth bottom Forest are outside the relegation zone by the slenderest of margins, above Luton only on goal difference.

In Sunday’ other game, Ole McBurnie’s last-gasp equaliser forced Chelsea to settle for a 2-2 draw at bottom of the table Sheffield United.

Fresh from scoring twice in the final seconds of stoppage-time to beat Manchester United on Thursday, Chelsea took the lead after 11 minutes as Thiago Silva finished off Conor Gallagher’s corner at the far post.

The Blades equalised in the 32nd minute as Gustavo Hamer’s pass sent Jayden Bogle through on goal and the right wing-back slotted home.

Noni Madueke put Chelsea back in front in the 66th minute, cutting in from the right to drive his shot into the far corner.

Yet mid-table Chelsea’s troubled season suffered another setback when McBurnie levelled with a close-range finish three minutes into stoppage-time.

“We feel really bad in the way we conceded. We need to be more clinical,” Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino said.

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Jude Bellingham is aiming to give Real Madrid the edge they badly lacked last season in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Manchester City on Tuesday, as he continues a remarkable first season in Spain.

England star Bellingham will lead Madrid’s attack alongside Vinicius Junior as the reigning European and Premier League champions visit the Santiago Bernabeu.

Battered and bruised in a 5-1 aggregate thumping by Pep Guardiola’s City at the semi-final stage last year, Real Madrid stumped up 103 million euros ($112 million) to sign the England star from Borussia Dortmund.

Madrid’s initial expectations for the 20-year-old were quickly smashed, as he surpassed them at lightning pace.

Jude Bellingham began in stunning goalscoring form, with 14 strikes in his first 15 matches for the club, breaking the record of 13 held by Madrid greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Alfredo Di Stefano.

Having arrived at the club as a midfielder but mainly deployed in the attack by Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, Bellingham quickly established himself as a leader and a fan favourite — “Hey Jude”, they serenade in the capital.

Although inevitably his goal flow has slowed in recent weeks, he remains Madrid’s top scorer and in addition to 20 across 32 appearances in all competitions, he also has provided 10 assists.

Madrid, who also seem poised to capture Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe this summer at the end of his contract, hope Bellingham can help them catch up with City.

Guardiola believes Bellingham’s presence could be crucial for the record 14-time winners.

“(Bellingham’s) impact has been massive,” Guardiola told reporters in March.

“It’s a different team from last season — his influence is obvious, and we have to try to discover what he does to control it.

“Facing Real Madrid is always a tough challenge, nobody can deny it. They are an exceptional club, and in this competition, they can control many things with the experience they have in the past.”

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Madrid have a track record of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in Europe and did just that against Manchester City in 2022 on the way to glory.

Rodrygo Goes struck in the 90th and 91st minutes against City to force the tie to extra-time and Karim Benzema netted the winner to secure a remarkable 6-5 aggregate triumph for Los Blancos.

However, the following season Benzema was not fully fit, and a Madrid lacking spine crumpled at the Etihad Stadium in a 4-0 second-leg thrashing.

Despite only being at the club for a few months, Bellingham has already shown a penchant for the big occasion.

The midfielder helped Madrid come from behind to beat Barcelona 2-1, netting a brace in the league match in October including a 92nd-minute winner.

Bellingham’s Madrid thrashed Barcelona 4-1 in his second Clasico appearance to claim the Spanish Super Cup in January, his first trophy with Madrid.

Eight points clear in La Liga, a second beckons domestically, but Bellingham understands how much Champions League victory would mean for his club.

“I’d much rather keep scoring in the 90-plus minutes than in the 15th, even though it might take a bit of strain (on) my heart and the fans’ hearts,” said Bellingham after a 94th-minute winner against Union Berlin in the group stage.

“That’s the history of the club, I’m new… but I’ve had a TV since I was little and I can’t remember from what age I’ve been watching Madrid complete comebacks where I’m thinking ‘there’s no chance’ and ‘it’s not possible’.”

Bellingham has four Champions League goals in six appearances this season, including netting twice against Serie A champions Napoli.

An ankle sprain and a suspension has disrupted his start to 2024 but the City tie offers Bellingham a chance to get fully back on track, against a club that would have loved to sign him before it became clear he had his heart set on Madrid.

Most would have liked to — even at 20, Bellingham is drawing comparisons to some all-time greats.

“There are things about the way he plays that remind me of (Zinedine) Zidane — it’s his extraordinary quality on the ball,” declared Ancelotti in February.

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SEVILLA: Athletic Club ended a 40-year wait to win the Copa del Rey by beating Real Mallorca in the final on penalties 4-2 on Saturday following a 1-1 draw after extra time here at La Cartuja stadium.

The Basque side lifted the Copa del Rey trophy for the 24th time, behind only 31-time winners Barcelona, as they edged underdogs Mallorca.

Dani Rodriguez sent Mallorca ahead in the first half but Oihan Sancet levelled soon after the break and the sides could not be separated until penalties.

Athletic goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala saved Manu Morlanes’ penalty and Mallorca’s Nemanja Radonjic lashed another spot kick over the bar, with Athletic converting all four of theirs to triumph.

Alex Berenguer stroked home the winning penalty to spark wild celebrations among the hordes of travelling Basque support.

Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic, defeated in their six previous appearances in the final, brought an era almost to a close with a hard-fought win.

Having beaten Barcelona and Atletico Madrid en route to the final, Los Leones were able to secure the club’s first major trophy since a domestic league and cup double in 1984.

“This is incredible, we’ve made history,” man-of-the-match Nico Williams told TVE.

“The team worked hard, the fans are always with us and they deserve it, I’ve dreamed of this for a long time.”

Athletic Club, whose players celebrated on a boat known as the ‘Gabarra’ after they last won it, will now get the chance to launch the barge once again next week.

“I’m so excited (for that), I am so happy, this is the club of my life,” added the Spanish winger, who taunted Mallorca with his dribbling all night.

Mallorca, winners in 2003, had started the stronger and target man Vedat Muriqi’s long-range effort was tipped over uncertainly by Agirrezabala.

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In the final for the fourth time, the islanders took the lead after 21 minutes through Rodriguez’s perfectly placed finish.

After Giovanni Gonzalez’s shot was blocked and Jose Copete’s effort was saved, Rodriguez carefully placed the ball into the top corner, past Athletic’s Dani Vivian on the line.

When Los Leones did create anything it came from the outstanding Nico Williams, and he slotted home after 39 minutes but was offside.

Yuri Berchiche blocked well to deny Copete as Mallorca had a sight of goal for their second before Nico Williams fired into the side netting after breaking into the area.

Agirrezabala thwarted Canada international Cyle Larin early in the second half before Athletic found the equaliser.

Again Nico Williams was heavily involved, sliding a pass into the box for Sancet to gleefully stroke beyond Mallorca goalkeeper Dominik Greif to delight Athletic’s raucous travelling support.

A brilliant dribble by Nico Williams almost helped the Basques take the lead but his cross flashed through his brother Inaki Williams’ legs, with the Ghana international unable to react in time to finish.

Greif beat away a Vivian piledriver late on and Gorka Guruzeta headed narrowly wide, but the teams could not be split before extra time.

Nico Williams had a shot from close range brilliantly deflected wide by the lunging Pablo Maffeo after 111 minutes.

At the other end, Agirrezabala was alert to shovel away Muriqi’s header, with the Kosovo striker sporting a large bandage after a painful clash of heads with Unai Gomez.

What followed in the shoot-out was more painful still for Muriqi, who converted his penalty but his team-mates could not follow suit.

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A Salma Paralluelo hat-trick inspired Spain to a 7-0 win in Belgium on Friday in the opening fixture of their Euro 2025 qualifiers, while Marie-Antoinette Katoto gave France a narrow home win over Ireland.

Paralluelo goals bookended a Jenni Hermoso strike in a clinical start by the Spanish, before the Barcelona attacker scored her third two minutes after the break and Esther Gonzalez and Sheila Garcia then completed the rout.

“Salma had a great game. She’s a player with goals who gives us a lot,” said Spain coach Montse Tome.

In Leuven in Belgium, Paralluelo broke the deadlock with a precise finish from a corner in the eighth minute and Hermoso doubled the lead eight minutes later.

After 30 minutes, former Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas set Paralluelo up with a delightful backheel and the 20-year-old turned and finished assuredly inside the box.

The hat-trick came soon after the interval when Paralluelo swept home Ona Batlle’s cross from inside the six-yard box.

Gonzalez netted a fourth for Spain on 64 minutes, before Garcia and Gonzalez struck again in the last five minutes to complete an emphatic away win.

Earlier in Group 2 of the Euro 2025 qualifiers, Denmark won 3-1 in the Czech Republic 3-1 thanks to an early Amalie Vangsgaard strike and two goals in four second-half minutes from Stine Ballisager and Josefine Hasbo.

Olympic hosts France beat the Republic of Ireland 1-0 in Metz. Herve Renard’s side dominated the visitors but lacked incision in a combative encounter in Group 3.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Katoto netted in the sixth minute to give the Euro 2022 semi-finalists a winning start to their campaign.

The 25-year-old was quickest to react to Maelle Lakrar’s pass across goal and tapped the ball over the line from one yard out.

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France were unable to break down the stubborn Irish defence a second time but were never troubled.

“I’m very satisfied with this match in terms of the spirit, the desire to get forward, to press,” said France coach Renard, adding that the Irish are “a very difficult team to destabilise”.

In the same group, England drew 1-1 with Sweden at Wembley. Alessia Russo’s opener midway through the first half was cancelled out by a 64th-minute Fridolina Rolfo header.

The breakthrough came for the reigning European champions in the 24th minute from Russo’s close-range stooping header after Lauren James picked out the Arsenal forward.

Soon after the hour, Rolfo levelled when she headed in Rosa Kafaji’s cross at the back post.

Moments later, Stina Blackstenius raced clear but her left-footed finish rolled wide of Mary Earps’ post.

Elsewhere in League A, Norway beat Finland 4-0 at home in Group 1 while Italy beat Euro 2017 winners Netherlands 2-0 at the San Vito stadium in Cosenza.

Roma forward Valentina Giacinti opened the scoring on four minutes with a clinical right-footed finish, before Agnese Bonfantini turned in Michela Cambiaghi’s cross to secure the three points just before the hour.

Iceland won 3-0 at home against Poland and Germany came from two down to win 3-2 in Austria.

In League B of the Euro 2025 Qualifiers, Wales made a flying start to their campaign with a 4-0 home victory over Croatia and Scotland were held to a goalless draw in Serbia.

Montenegro beat Andorra 6-1 in Podgorica and Luxembourg, 117th-ranked in the world, came from behind to win 2-1 at home to Albania in League C.

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French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday he remained hopeful national team captain Kylian Mbappe would be able to play for his country at the upcoming Paris Olympics.

“I hope he will be able to play at the Olympic Games,” Macron said when asked by pupils during a visit to a school in the French capital.

Mbappe has previously made clear his desire to represent France at the Games, but that possibility dissipated when Real Madrid recently warned they would not release any of their players to take part in the Olympics.

The 25-year-old World Cup-winning forward is currently at Paris Saint-Germain but has told the Ligue 1 side he intends to leave when his contract expires at the end of this season, with Madrid his expected next destination.

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The Olympic football tournament — which is for Under-23 players with three overage players allowed per squad — does not fall during FIFA dates for international matches, which means clubs have no obligation to release their players for the competition.

Kylian Mbappe will lead France at Euro 2024 which runs from June 14 to July 14 in Germany.

The Olympic football competition begins on July 24 and runs to August 9, with France in a group alongside the United States, New Zealand and another side still to be determined.

Emmanuel Macron also stated that he would go to Germany for the semi-finals and final of Euro 2024 should Les Bleus get there.

“I will go if we are in the semi-finals or in the final,” he said, pointing out that the final in Berlin falls on France’s national day, July 14.

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Kylian Mbappe had a penalty saved but then scored the only goal of the game as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) beat Rennes 1-0 in the last four of the French Cup on Wednesday to set up a final showdown against Lyon.

Mbappe saw Rennes goalkeeper Steve Mandanda save his 37th-minute spot-kick at the Parc des Princes, but three minutes later the France captain found the net with a shot that took a deflection on its way in.

It was Mbappe’s 39th goal of the campaign for PSG in all competitions, and he appears certain to break the 40 mark for the third time in four seasons.

PSG will play Lyon, 3-0 winners against second-tier Valenciennes in Tuesday’s first semi-final, in the final in Lille on May 25 as the capital side look to add to their record tally of 14 victories in the French Cup.

They had won the competition six times in seven seasons before missing out in each of the last two campaigns, with Nantes lifting the trophy in 2022 and Toulouse succeeding them last year.

“I’m very happy. The French Cup is one of our main objectives this season and winning through to the final is a source of satisfaction for all of us,” said PSG coach Luis Enrique.

The final at the end of next month could end up being Mbappe’s last game as a PSG player, with the 25-year-old having informed the club of his intention to depart after this season when his contract expires.

The Ligue 1 season concludes on May 18, although the Champions League final will be played in London on June 1 — PSG are still alive in Europe and face Barcelona in the first leg of the quarter-final next week.

Luis Enrique’s PSG side sit 12 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 with seven games left having already won the French Champions Trophy at the turn of the year, meaning they remain in contention to claim a clean sweep of honours this season.

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“We all want to win trophies for the club and we are on the right track,” the coach said.

“In football at the highest level, the difference between winning and losing is very small, but we are in a good position in the league and the Cup, we have won the Super Cup, and in the Champions League we are where we want to be.”

They did not have it easy against a Rennes team who drew 1-1 in Paris in the league a month ago and who competed well for much of Wednesday’s game.

However, the home side almost went ahead inside 12 minutes, when Ousmane Dembele released Mbappe to accelerate away towards the goal, only for Mandanda to get a big touch on his shot, which struck the underside of the bar and bounced away.

It was Mbappe who won the penalty as he was fouled by Warmed Omari just inside the area, but Mandanda’s stop meant it was the third time PSG’s star man had been denied from the spot this season.

Unfortunately for Mandanda, there was nothing the former French international goalkeeper could do when Mbappe’s shot in the 40th minute took a touch off Omari to leave him wrong-footed.

Paris were unable to make the game safe in the second half but Rennes also lacked the bit of quality needed to find an equaliser and force a penalty shoot-out, even after their attacking talisman Martin Terrier was introduced off the bench.

Rennes, who currently sit eighth in Ligue 1, are now left to focus on their fight to qualify for Europe.

Lyon, who beat Valenciennes with the help of two Alexandre Lacazette goals, will be attempting to win the Cup for the sixth time in their history.

Their last piece of silverware came when they won the French Cup in 2012.

READ: Pep Guardiola backs ‘world’s best’ Erling Haaland in Roy Keane row

Pep Guardiola said Erling Haaland should be respected as the “best striker in the world” after the Manchester City star was subjected to scathing criticism by Roy Keane.

Former Manchester United captain Keane, speaking on Sky Sports, said Haaland’s “general play” was “so poor” and “almost like a League Two player”.

Haaland came under fire from Keane for his lacklustre performance in City’s goalless draw against Premier League title rivals Arsenal on Sunday.

Erling Haaland is the Premier League’s leading scorer this term with 18 goals after winning last season’s Golden Boot during a remarkable first season with City.

He netted 52 times in all competitions as Guardiola’s men lifted the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

Keane conceded the 23-year-old Norwegian is in a class of his own in front of goal.

But City boss Pep Guardiola was unimpressed by Keane’s remarks, insisting any blame for the scoreless display against Arsenal should be shared by the team.

“I don’t agree with him, absolutely not. He’s the best striker in the world and he helped us to win what we won last season. Erling is exceptional,” Guardiola told reporters on Tuesday.

“The reason we don’t create chances is not because of Erling. The standards that Erling has are unbelievable and everyone expects other things.

“There are games where he could be better but I knew during the game against Arsenal that the reason why we were not creating chances was not because of Erling.

“We needed more presence in the box. If we had that Erling would have more space. It happens sometimes. If you want to score goals, bring a lot of players to the opponent keeper, it is as simple as that.”

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City’s failure to beat Arsenal has damaged their bid to win an unprecedented fourth successive English title.

They are three points behind leaders Liverpool ahead of Aston Villa’s visit to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

Pep Guardiola will need Erling Haaland at his predatory best if City are to extend their reign as champions.

And the Spaniard accepts that criticism comes with the territory of being a high-profile player.

“If you don’t want to accept that as a football player, you have to dedicate yourself to another job,” Guardiola said.

“When you are a public figure, you have to accept it. That’s why when you are in contract talks, you have to ask for a lot of money to accept those moments.

“I’m surprised it comes from former players. With journalists I can understand because they have never been on the pitch but the former players is always a surprise (when they are critical).”

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Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said Tuesday he was “very happy” with star attacker Kylian Mbappe during a press conference on the eve of his side’s French Cup semi-final clash with Rennes, as he downplayed rumours of a rift.

Following Mbappe’s announcement to the club in February that he would leave Paris at the end of his contract this summer, the Frenchman has seen his playing minutes reduced and he looked visibly unhappy when substituted off with half an hour to play in PSG’s 2-0 win at Marseille on Sunday.

Asked about Kylian Mbappe’s attitude when leaving the pitch at the Velodrome, PSG’s Spanish coach Luis Enrique said: “What’s curious is everything that’s being said based on a piece of false news.

“Someone has invented an insult (based on a lipreading of a video showing Mbappe as he made his way off the pitch) and then from that comes all kinds of speculations.”

After the match, Mbappe posted a photo on Instagram of himself walking off the field under the rain, holding the captain’s armband in his hand — in the absence of Brazilian defender Marquinhos, the attacker was PSG’s captain on the night.

“I’m taking it all in my stride. I’m very happy with all my players, Kylian included, he’s always behaved admirably,” said Luis Enrique at Tuesday’s press conference.

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Ahead of PSG’s fixture with arch-rivals Marseille, the Spaniard said Saturday in an interview with Prime Video that Mbappe “can still change his mind” about leaving.

Although heavily linked to Spanish giants Real Madrid, Mbappe has still not announced where he will play football next season after his current contract expires with PSG.

Still in contention for three titles — the French league, French cup and Champions League — PSG now enter a crucial phase of their season.

On Wednesday, they will welcome Rennes to the Parc des Princes where they are favourites to book a place in the French Cup final on May 25 in Lille.

The following Wednesday, Luis Enrique’s former side Barcelona visit PSG for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

“We’re all in the same boat, sailing and seeking success,” said Luis Enrique of his side’s treble quest.

“I’d love this to end well for PSG, for Kylian, for everyone.”

On Tuesday, Lyon host second-division Valenciennes in the first semi-final tie of the French Cup with the winners facing either PSG or Rennes in May’s showpiece final.

READ: PSG edge past Marseille to take step closer to Ligue 1 title