Oh, Al Ain, can we have more nights like this? This was an evening when the UAE’s most decorated club welcomed Al Nassr’s galaxy of stars from Saudi Arabia, their Hazza bin Zayed Stadium teeming and trembling, and sent them packing with a deserved defeat.
Sofiane Rahimi grabbed the game’s only goal, Khalid Essa twice somehow repelled Cristiano Ronaldo, Aymeric Laporte saw red late on, and Al Ain seized the upper hand in the Asian Champions League quarter-final.
Nassr, on their longest unbeaten run in the continent’s premier club competition at eight matches, were seen off by a display full of determination and discipline from the 2003 champions. Some devastating play, too.
With the first leg complete, if this full-blooded and forever feisty affair is anything to go by, there remains plenty left in the tie yet.
To think Al Ain did it on Monday without Kodjo Laba, their leading striker, only accentuates their victory. The Togo forward sits as the current top scorer in the 2023/24 Arabian Gulf League. In the Champions League, he has scored six goals in as many matches.
But, with Laba injured, playmaker Rahimi led the line with aplomb. The Moroccan ended a gripping encounter as its man of the match. There could have been many more from his team.
Nassr had their absences, also, namely World Cup finalist Marcelo Brozovic, former Manchester United full-back Alex Telles, and Anderson Talisca, the prolific Brazilian with five goals in his past two matches.
Despite those who had not made the trip, Luis Castro could still call upon Ronaldo, Manchester City treble-winner Laporte, Portugal international Otavio, and Sadio Mane. The latter, a late addition to Nassr’s match day squad, has won Europe’s Champions League, England’s Premier League, and Africa’s Cup of Nations.
With Colombia No 1 David Ospina finally back following last season’s injury, it was hardly Nassr-lite. Ronaldo, though, was always going to play the protagonist.
Such is the Nassr captain's reputation and résumé, that his every move is monitored, his every mistake or misplaced pass greeted with howls of derision from opposing fans. The Al Ain faithful were no different, not early on when the sporting superstar attempted a step over, stumbled on the ball and was unceremoniously cleaned out by a combination of Al Ain’s midfield.
Then, not long after, Ronaldo eyed a looping ball close to the Al Ain goal, shaped for an overhead kick, but spooned his attempt well off target. Not for the first time, chants of “Messi”, that old foe from the days at the pinnacle of world football, reverberated around the stadium.
Close to the half-hour, Al Ain's support was in raptures, thinking their team had taken the lead. Rahimi was sent clear on the right, and his low centre was finished superbly by Kaku. The stadium erupted; so too was the Nassr bench, which led by Castro, ran down the touchline en masse to remonstrate with the referee’s assistant.
Following a VAR review, their protestations were answered. The goal was chalked off for offside.
However, Al Ain would ultimately have the opener to reward their endeavour. In first-half stoppage time, a swift move found its way to Kaku who, roles reversed, slid in Rahimi. This time, he stayed onside, nudging the ball beyond the onrushing Ospina before rolling into the net. Al Ain would not be denied once more; the goal was more than merited.
As the hosts caught their breath, Nassr nearly punished them. But Ronaldo’s rasping half-volley from close-range was saved excellently by Essa.
At the beginning of the second half, Ronaldo had another go, yet he could not keep down Ayman Yahya’s cross. As the five-time Ballon d’Or grew evermore frustrated by those in Al Ain white constantly snapping at his heels, his side looked to have slipped to two down.
Rahimi scored on the counter, but it was ruled out. Replays showed he was quite some way beyond the Nassr backline when the release pass was played.
And then, Essa produced an incredible stop to thwart Ronaldo. For once, Al Ain failed to deal with a Nassr cross, and the ball arrived at the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star eight yards out. Leaping across the goal and in the other direction, Essa instinctively threw up an arm to block. Ronaldo threw his head in his hands.
In injury time, Laporte thrust his elbow into Bandar Al Ahbabi’s back, the referee consulted VAR and brandished a straight red.
It rather summed up Nassr’s night. Yes, they can go again in what is sure to be a raucous Riyadh in a week. But the first leg, at least, belonged to a defiant and dazzling Al Ain.
3%20Body%20Problem
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MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
7.40pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m
8.15pm Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Majestic Thunder
7.05pm Commanding
7.40pm Mark Of Approval
8.15pm Mulfit
8.50pm Gronkowski
9.25pm Walking Thunder
10pm Midnight Sands
The biog
Prefers vegetables and fish to meat and would choose salad over pizza
Walks daily as part of regular exercise routine
France is her favourite country to visit
Has written books and manuals on women’s education, first aid and health for the family
Family: Husband, three sons and a daughter
Fathiya Nadhari's instructions to her children was to give back to the country
The children worked as young volunteers in social, education and health campaigns
Her motto is to never stop working for the country
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The years Ramadan fell in May
The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
Left Bank: Art, Passion and Rebirth of Paris 1940-1950
Agnes Poirer, Bloomsbury
MEFCC information
Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Sri Lanka's T20I squad
Thisara Perera (captain), Dilshan Munaweera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ashan Priyanjan, Mahela Udawatte, Dasun Shanaka, Sachith Pathirana, Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Gamage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay and Chathuranga de Silva.
Company%20profile
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What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
UAE finals day
Friday, April 13
Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ready Player One
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Match info
UAE v Bolivia, Friday, 6.25pm, Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium, Dubai
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
The Kites
Romain Gary
Penguin Modern Classics
From Conquest to Deportation
Jeronim Perovic, Hurst
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The%20specs
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Scoreline
Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (53')
Atletico Madrid 1
Griezmann (57')
Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic
John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers
PFA Premier League team of 2018-19
Allison (Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)
Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
SPECS
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PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
UAE%20set%20for%20Scotland%20series
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
SPIDER-MAN%3A%20ACROSS%20THE%20SPIDER-VERSE
%3Cp%3EDirectors%3A%20Joaquim%20Dos%20Santos%2C%20Kemp%20Powers%2C%20Justin%20K.%20Thompson%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Shameik%20Moore%2C%20Hailee%20Steinfeld%2C%20Oscar%20Isaac%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Joker'
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
Rating: Five out of five stars
Spec%20sheet
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The Greatest Royal Rumble card
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto
THREE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Nayla%20Al%20Khaja%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Jefferson%20Hall%2C%20Faten%20Ahmed%2C%20Noura%20Alabed%2C%20Saud%20Alzarooni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
