Manchester City are closing in on a second consecutive treble, yet Erling Haaland is still facing criticism as Real Madrid visit the Etihad on April 17 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 in the semi-final second leg. 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 striker hitting the form he did last season, when he scored 52 goals in 53 matches.
Haaland's 31 goals in 38 games this campaign is still impressive, but he has not scored in City's last three meetings with Real and failed to find the net in 13 of his last 20 matches for club and country.
The 23-year-old has also been criticised for not offering anything other than goals. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher labelled him the "ultimate luxury player" who is yet to be "world-class".
This story is from the April 17, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the April 17, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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