Each has experienced and enjoyed the glamorous element of participation of European competitions. Now Portsmouth and Aston Villa are confronted with pivotal, if less eye-catching, ties if they are to extend their continental adventure into the New Year.
Now the memorable matches against former European Cup winners Ac Milan and Ajax have been consigned to the past, tonight could determine the fate of both English teams.
Victory for Villa against the Slovakian side MSK Zilina would guarantee their presence in the last 32. Defeat for Portsmouth in Germany, where they face Wolfsburg, could curtail their first Uefa Cup campaign. Theirs is the stiffer task. Wolfsburg only stand eighth in the Bundesliga, but they are unbeaten at home this season and invested heavily in the summer, purchasing two of Italy's World Cup winners in Andrea Barzagli and Cristian Zaccardo.
While Wolfsburg's top scorer, Grafite, is absent, Portsmouth are depleted. John Utaka and Lassana Diarra are both sidelined and it is far from certain captain Sol Campbell will be able to return. With five games in 16 days, rotation is an issue for manager Tony Adams. "The game could be a chance to give other people a chance and rest some legs," he said. "I think one or two are a little bit tired. We are running on empty at the moment. I'm taking the Uefa Cup very seriously, though."
Villa are too, but their 100 percent start to the competition affords them room for error and allows Martin O'Neill to tinker. Fringe players such as Marlon Harewood, Moustapha Salifou and Brad Guzan will be granted rare starts.
Harewood may have the greatest incentive to impress. With John Carew struggling with a back injury, there could be a vacancy in the Villa attack, even though O'Neill hopes the Norwegian will not need surgery.
Gareth Barry, one of the few to have experienced European football for Villa before, says memories of the victory over Ajax should spur on a makeshift side against the group's rank outsiders. "It was a tremendous night against Ajax," he said. "The noise was electrifying. It is great to be playing on nights like that at Villa Park."
@Email:rjolly@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The%20Roundup%20%3A%20No%20Way%20Out
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Company%20profile
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PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
