TOKYO // Japan's Gamba Osaka swept past Adelaide United of Australia with a commanding display in the first leg of the Asian Champions League final.
The Brazilian striker Lucas put the home side in front in the 37th minute, beating the offside trap before finding the net with a deflected shot.
The influential midfielder Yasuhito Endo doubled Gamba's lead two minutes before half-time, latching on to a clever pass from Lucas to score with a clinical left-foot drive.
Robert Cornthwaite squandered a fine chance to snatch a precious away goal for the visitors before the midfielder Michihiro Yasuda volleyed a third for Gamba in the 68th minute.
"They didn't put us under as much pressure as we had expected," the Gamba manager Akira Nishinosaid. "The job's not finished yet though. We expect a tough return game.
"We were desperate to win this title and we are halfway there. Now we must go there and be professional so we can finish it off."
The favourites Gamba, who had knocked out the champions Urawa Reds 4-2 on aggregate in an all-Japanese semi-final, dominated the match and could have won by a much wider margin.
"We should have scored four or five," said Endo, who had a last-minute free-kick ruled out for offside.
"We'll go to Adelaide with the same motivation and try to play the same way. Hopefully, we will be able to handle the pressure and become champions."
Gamba's win puts them in touching distance of their first Asian Champions League title and a place in December's lucrative Fifa Club World Cup.
Adelaide have already qualified for the tournament as the highest-placed non-Japanese side in the ACL competition.
European champions Manchester United will begin as favourites to win the Club World Cup in Japan.
The second leg takes place on Nov 12
*Reuters
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Test series fixtures
(All matches start at 2pm UAE)
1st Test Lord's, London from Thursday to Monday
2nd Test Nottingham from July 14-18
3rd Test The Oval, London from July 27-31
4th Test Manchester from August 4-8
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BIG SPENDERS
Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
