Sports world daily: Haaland equals Champions League record; Medvedev beats Zverev at Indian Wells

Erling Haaland equalled a Champions League record by scoring five in Manchester City’s 7-0 win over RB Leipzig to take the club to the quarterfinals.

At Indian Wells, Daniil Medvedev overcame a sore ankle to beat Alexander Zverev.

In football news, bidders for Manchester United are set to meet at Old Trafford this week, according to reports.

Here’s a look at the key stories from international sporting events through the day for 15 March, 2023:

Haaland powers Manchester City

Erling Haaland equalled a Champions League record with a five-goal haul to ease Manchester City into the quarterfinals at RB Leipzig’s expense with a 7-0 win on Tuesday.

Inter Milan held off Porto in a gritty 0-0 draw to reach the last 8 for the first time since 2011.

Haaland also set a new club record for goals in a season of 39 in the process as Pep Guardiola’s men reached the last eight for the sixth consecutive season with an 8-1 aggregate victory.

“My super strength is scoring goals,” said Haaland. “A lot of it is being quick in the mind and trying to put it where the goalkeeper is not.”

The tie was delicately balanced after a 1-1 draw in eastern Germany three weeks ago, but a Leipzig side depleted by injury never looked like a match for their star-studded opponents.

Haaland had three before half-time after converting from the spot, scoring off a rebound from a Kevin De Bruyne shot and putting Amadou Haidara’s attempted clearance into the net.

Haaland hammered home at the second attempt after Janis Blaswich parried his initial header to match Tommy Johnson’s record of 38 goals for City in the 1928-29 season.

Then the Norwegian set a new mark with still three months of the campaign to go when he snaffled up another rebound after Blaswich saved from Manuel Akanji.

In the process, he moved level with Lionel Messi and Luiz Adriano’s record of scoring five goals in a Champions League game.

In Portugal, clutching a one-goal advantage from Romelu Lukaku’s last 16 first leg late winner, Inter set up to frustrate at the Estadio do Dragao.

Porto had the better of the game but only managed to test Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana on a few occasions and failed to make the last eight for the third time in their last five attempts.

Medvedev overcomes stumble to beat Zverev

Daniil Medvedev shook off a second-set fall to beat Alexander Zverev 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5 on Tuesday, the “crazy” victory pushing him into the Indian Wells quarterfinals for the first time.

Medvedev notched his 17th straight ATP victory. But for awhile it seemed the red-hot form that saw him lift trophies in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai wouldn’t be enough in the combined WTA and ATP Masters 1000 event in the California desert.

The world No 6, frustrated as ever by the slow courts at Indian Wells, rolled his right ankle in the sixth game of the second set, crying out in pain and lying on the court for several minutes before limping to his chair.

Zverev, who suffered three torn ankle ligaments at last year’s French Open, looked on in concern, but after the injury was examined and taped by medical staff Medvedev continued and turned the match around.

Men’s top seed Carlos Alcaraz moved into the quarterfinal after his opponent Jack Draper retired with the score at 6-2, 2-0 in favour of the Spaniard.

In other early matches, defending champion Taylor Fritz defeated Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 6-4, 6-3. Britain’s 2021 champion Cameron Norrie eased past seventh-ranked Russian Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4, lining up a meeting with American Frances Tiafoe, who beat Chilean qualifier Alejandro Tabilo 6-4, 6-4.

Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals for the first time with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Barbora Krejcikova. She Coco Gauff, who squeezed past Swedish qualifier Rebecca Peterson 6-3, 1-6, 6-4. Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, a former world No 2 saved four match points in a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (11) victory over third-ranked Jessica Pegula.

Results on Tuesday in the Indian Wells WTA and ATP Masters 1000 hard court tennis tournament (x denoted seeded player):

Men’s singles fourth round

Carlos Alcaraz (ESP x1) bt Jack Draper (GBR) 6-2, 2-0 retired

Taylor Fritz (USA x4) bt Márton Fucsovics (HUN) 6-4, 6-3

Daniil Medvedev (RUS x5) bt Alexander Zverev (GER x12) 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 7-5

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP x23) bt Christian Garín (CHI) 6-3, 6-4

Cameron Norrie (GBR x10) bt Andrey Rublev (RUS x6) 6-2, 6-4

Frances Tiafoe (USA x14) bt Alejandro Tabilo (CHI) 6-4, 6-4

Women’s singles fourth round

Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Caroline Garcia (FRA x5) 6-4, 4-6, 7-5

Karolína Muchová (CZE) bt Markéta Vondroušová (CZE) 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4

Elena Rybakina (KAZ x10) bt Varvara Gracheva (RUS) 6-3, 6-0

Maria Sakkari (GRE x7) bt Karolína Plíšková (CZE x17) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3

Petra Kvitova (CZE x15) bt Jessica Pegula (USA x3) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (13/11)

Coco Gauff (USA x6) bt Rebecca Peterson (SWE) 6-3, 1-6, 6-4

Aryna Sabalenka (BLR x2) bt Barbora Krejcíková (CZE x16) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4

Bidders for Manchester United set to meet

Rival bidders for Manchester United are due to hold talks at the Premier League club’s Old Trafford ground this week, British media reports said on Wednesday.

The club’s owners, the unpopular Glazer family, announced in November they were conducting a strategic review, with the sale of United one option on the table.

Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe have made bids for the 20-time English champions.

Britain’s Press Association said representatives of Sheikh Jassim were due in Manchester on Thursday, with Ratcliffe set to attend a presentation by senior management the following day.

Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim is aiming to take 100 percent control of United and has attracted support from some fans by pledging to wipe out United’s debt.

Boyhood United fan Ratcliffe’s INEOS company is looking to gain majority control by buying out the stake held by the Glazers.

Neither bid is understood to have met the current owners’ reported asking price of £6 billion ($7.2 billion).

With text inputs from AFP

Updated through the day