When Nick Woltemade's bullet header hit the back of the net to put Newcastle United in front against Wolves on Saturday, you could feel an outpouring of relief in the St James' Park roar.
It was a troubled summer striker-wise for the Magpies, caught in the middle of the Premier League's major transfer saga, as well as being beaten to the punch in multiple battles as they looked to strengthen attacking options ahead of what promises to be a relentless campaign.
Alexander Isak, scorer of 27 goals last season, had controversially downed tools in pre-season in a bid to force through a move to Liverpool that was not concluded until a British-record deal was agreed on deadline day.
Newcastle, meanwhile, had tried – but failed – to seal deals for the likes of Joao Pedro, Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko, before Stuttgart striker Woltemade (for a club record £69 million) and then Brentford's Youane Wisse (£55m) finally completed moves to Tyneside.
It seemed fitting after such a summer of turmoil that Wissa would pick up a knee injury while on international duty with DR Congo which will hold up his debut for around a month.
After two points and two goals from their opening three games, manager Eddie Howe was given little alternative but to throw Woltemade in at the deep end against Wolves.
And the 1.98m-tall German international made an instant impact, nodding home Jacob Murphy's inch-perfect cross from the right to earn Newcastle their first win of the season.
“You saw his qualities, his technical qualities that we've been discussing and his intelligence,” said Howe after the match. “But most importantly for a striker, when the ball comes into the box, you need to be there. And he was.”
Woltemade was given a standing ovation by the Geordie crowd after being forced off with cramp in the second half.
“I worked a lot on it the last weeks, the last months and the last year,” he said after being asked about his headed finish. “With my height, I guess you have to. You can get more goals if you can have a good header.
“A header always feels good as a striker, especially if you work on it every week, so I was just happy when the ball was going in.”
It was a particularly fitting goal if you know the history of Newcastle's next fixture. On Thursday, the club is back on Uefa Champions League duty for only the second time in two decades when they play host to a Barcelona side that has just thrashed Valencia 6-0 in La Liga.
And it will be almost exactly 28 years ago to the day that the black and whites secured a famous 3-2 victory over the Catalan giants with Faustino Asprilla scoring a superb hat-trick.
It had also been a nightmare summer back then for Newcastle manager Kenny Dalglish, who lost the services of his fearsome strike pairing Les Ferdinand and Alan Shearer before a ball had been kicked in anger.
After the club agreed to sell Ferdinand to Tottenham Hotspur to balance the books, following years of big spending under previous manager Kevin Keegan, Dalglish could only look on in disbelief as talismanic striker Shearer broke his fibula and ruptured ankle ligaments during a pre-season game against Chelsea.
So when they lined up against Louis van Gaal's star-studded Barca team – that included the likes of Luis Enrique, Luis Figo and Rivaldo – on September 17, Dalglish was relying on unpredictable Colombian striker Asprilla to lead his attack in the club's first ever Champions League game.
As it turned out, Asprilla and Irish winger Keith Gillespie were about to write themselves into Geordie folklore in front of a deafening Tyneside crowd.
“Aaah, the noise! It was unbelievable,” said Gillespie in Tyneside journalist Martin Hardy's 2016 book chronicling the football club, Tunnel of Love.
“The noise was so loud,” added Asprilla. “Barcelona could not stop us. You hear the fans. They gave us belief. It was an incredible night.”
Asprilla put Newcastle in front from the spot after being taken down himself by Barca keeper Ruud Hesp. It was then time for the Gillespie-Asprilla show to take over.
Just after the half-hour mark, winger Gillespie left Spanish international full-back Sergi in his wake before firing over a cross that Asprilla rose to nod home.
“The leap? I've never seen a leap like it,” said Gillespie. “How did he get that far off the ground? It made the goal even better the height he got.”
Just after half time, there was a carbon-copy goal to make it 3-0 with Gillespie again leaving Sergi for dead before finding Asprilla, who headed home in style.
“I knew I was having the game of my life,” said Gillespie. “I just wanted the ball at every opportunity.
“It was the best I ever played football by a long way. There was just noise. When you look back, you go, 'Who do you want your best game to be against?'. Luckily for me, it was Barcelona.”
There were similar sentiments from Asprilla, who was not even expecting to play after being fined by Dalglish for what had become trademark poor timekeeping during the Colombian's spell on Tyneside.
“It was one of the most important games of my career,” said Asprilla. “It was so special for me and the fans. That was my best game for Newcastle.”
It also turned out to be his last goals for the club as Asprilla was sold back to former club Parma four months later as his relationship with Dalglish disintegrated.
Now it is the school of 2025 dreaming of beating Barca, and Woltemade leading the line, looking to make his own piece of history.
“It's my first Champions League game at home here at St James' Park against Barcelona,” he said after beating Wolves. “I guess it can't be better, so I'm really looking forward to it.”
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
Stats at a glance:
Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)
Number in service: 6
Complement 191 (space for up to 285)
Top speed: over 32 knots
Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles
Length 152.4 m
Displacement: 8,700 tonnes
Beam: 21.2 m
Draught: 7.4 m
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Company%C2%A0profile
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Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.
- It’s So Easy
- Mr Brownstone
- Chinese Democracy
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Double Talkin’ Jive
- Better
- Estranged
- Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
- Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
- Rocket Queen
- You Could Be Mine
- Shadow of Your Love
- Attitude (Misfits cover)
- Civil War
- Coma
- Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine
- Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
- Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
- November Rain
- Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
- Nightrain
Encore:
- Patience
- Don’t Cry
- The Seeker (The Who cover)
- Paradise City
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
RESULT
Copa del Rey, semi-final second leg
Real Madrid 0
Barcelona 3 (Suarez (50', 73' pen), Varane (69' OG)
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
The years Ramadan fell in May
Key developments in maritime dispute
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
Genesis G80 2020 5.0-litre Royal Specs
Engine: 5-litre V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 505Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L/100km
Price: Dh260,500
The%20specs
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Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
MATCH INFO
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
Number of employees: 36
Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Abu Dhabi card
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,400m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 2,200m
6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
The National selections:
5pm: Valcartier
5.30pm: AF Taraha
6pm: Dhafra
6.30pm: Maqam
7pm: AF Mekhbat
7.30pm: Ezz Al Rawasi
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Fernando Jara (jockey), Irfan Ellahi (trainer).
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,400m
Winner: Yaalail, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Fernando Jara, Helal Al Alawi.
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2.200m
Winner: Ezz Al Rawasi, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
SQUADS
UAE
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice-captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
Nepal
Paras Khadka (captain), Gyanendra Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Pradeep Airee, Binod Bhandari, Avinash Bohara, Sundeep Jora, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Rohit Paudel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Basant Regmi, Pawan Sarraf, Bhim Sharki, Aarif Sheikh
