Manchester United 4 // Schalke 1 (Manchester United win 6-1 on aggregate)
MANCHESTER //After 25 minutes, the Manchester United supporters broke into a chant that has become a regular in their repertoire over the years. "Que sera, sera," they began. "We're going to Wembley," they concluded.
It is a familiar destination, but not for 43 years has a trip to England's national stadium carried such significance. United's first European Cup was won in London in 1968. Their fourth will be, too, should they overcome Barcelona on May 28.
A huge obstacle awaits after a comparatively minor one was overcome, both impressively and easily. Schalke languish in the lower half of the Bundesliga and, while Sir Alex Ferguson warned against complacency in his programme notes, the United manager opened himself up to accusations of underestimating his opponents by making eight changes. Of the team beaten by Arsenal, only Edwin van der Sar, Nani and Anderson were retained.
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Also
• Paul Lambert is a manager moulded from fires of Martin O'Neill
• The reasons why it works at Liverpool under Kenny Dalglish
• Ronaldo: Next year they should just give cup to Barcelona
• Fortune has smiled on Manuel Neuer
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Sunday's Premier League title decider against Chelsea meant the Champions League was downgraded to second in the priority list.
Squad rotation is a policy the United manager often employs in the group stages, but rarely at such at an advanced stage and never with such crushing consequences should it backfire. It didn't, however; Ferguson's confidence was richly justified as first-half goals from Antonio Valencia and Darron Gibson sealed their final berth, before Anderson's brace garnished the scoreline.
Nonetheless, it created an odd atmosphere for a match of this magnitude. Compared with the intensity and rancour of el clasico, the watching Pep Guardiola witnessed something altogether more sedate.
While United's central midfield trio were all booked in the first half, this was a game that never threatened to boil over: the near-certainty of United's progress removed the tension and rendered much of the final hour a footnote. Schalke may have eliminated the defending champions, Inter Milan, in the quarter-finals, but a second shock never seemed feasible.
If Ralf Rangnick's side have surprised, the same could be said of United's outstanding performer on the night. Had Ferguson picked his first-choice team, Gibson probably would not have even merited a place on the bench. Instead, this was an improbable triumph for United's most-maligned player. When he joined Twitter a couple of weeks ago, he quit the social networking site after a couple of hours of abuse from the club's fans. If the consensus is that the Irishman is not good enough, a surreal eight minutes showed that the midfielder is not without his merits.
By creating one goal and scoring another, Gibson achieved something many more garlanded and gifted players can only dream of: he clinched a place in the Champions League final. After an uneventful start, Gibson guided a pass into the path of the advancing Valencia and the Ecuadorian finished with precision, angling his shot into the far corner.
Then the favour was returned: after Valencia and Anderson combined, Gibson drilled in a low shot. Manuel Neuer, whose performance in Gelsenkirchen last week was a one-man resistance act, rather ruined the good impression created then by letting Gibson's effort slip through his hands.
Neuer's colleagues at least mustered a response, Jose Manuel Jurado rifling in just the fourth goal United have conceded in this season's Champions League.
Yet their hosts' response, without scoring, was sufficiently emphatic to serve as a reminder of their ability to open up Schalke: a jinking Valencia defeated Neuer, though Benedikt Howedes cleared his shot off the line.
Neuer redeemed himself to some degree with an acrobatic save from Anderson. The Brazilian nevertheless struck twice in five minutes to double his tally for United after first Nani and then Dimitar Berbatov set him up.
By then there was a carnival feel around Old Trafford, Ferguson reintroducing Darren Fletcher after a long lay-off and gave Michael Owen a comparatively rare outing. Heroes past and present were saluted in song, a place in Europe's final a reality long before Pedro Proenca blew his final whistle.
The danger overachievers face is that they become exposed and embarrassed at a higher level.
That has been Schalke's fate and as a much-weakened team advanced with conspicuous ease while Ferguson saved his premier players for Chelsea, the fans' new favourite chant - "We're Man United and we do what we want" - had rarely seemed more apt.
Match report card
Manchester United
• Keeper Edwin van der Sar, the Dutchman, showed fine distribution and was the steadying influence United needed at the back. Could do nothing to stop Jose ManuelJurado's goal. B
• Defence A better opposition would have troubled them more. Chris Smalling was strong in the air, but at fault for Schalke's goal. Jonny Evans never looked comfortable on the ball. C
• Midfield Antonio Valencia was tireless, Paul Scholes showed some vintage passing, Darron Gibson hit back at his critics and Anderson was rewarded with a surprise double. B
• Strikers Dimitar Berbatov showed flashes of class, but the Bulgarian striker could have used some more support from his midfield. B-
• Manager Took a calculated risk by resting his biggest names, but it paid off for Sir Alex Ferguson. Showed obvious relief once the first goal went in. B
Overall Grade: B
Schalke
• Keeper Manuel Neuer impressed the world in the first leg. Last night he made a poor mistake for United's second goal but then made a brilliant finger-tip save from Anderson. C
• Defence Needed to keep a clean sheet to stand a chance, but Atsuto Uchida, the right-back, gave the ball away for United's first goal and Schalke left far too many gaps. C
• Midfield Jurado, who scored a cracker, and Alexander Baumjohann, surprisingly replaced at half time, were livewires. Their triangles of passing created space. B
• Strikers Jefferson Farfan was stunted. Raul chased tirelessly, but enjoyed more possession from deep in the second half as Edu caused a few problems. C+
• Manager Ralf Rangnick picked a flexible 5-3-2/3-5-2. It was a good game plan in principle, but his defence did not keep it tight long enough for Schalke to gain a foothold. B-
Overall Grade: C+
sports@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Pickford (Everton), Pope (Burnley), Henderson (Manchester United)
Defenders Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Chilwell (Chelsea), Coady (Wolves), Dier (Tottenham), Gomez (Liverpool), James (Chelsea), Keane (Everton), Maguire (Manchester United), Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Mings (Aston Villa), Saka (Arsenal), Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Foden (Manchester City), Henderson (Liverpool), Grealish (Aston Villa), Mount (Chelsea), Rice (West Ham), Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Winks (Tottenham)
Forwards: Abraham (Chelsea), Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Kane (Tottenham), Rashford (Manchester United), Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Sterling (Manchester City)
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
EA%20Sports%20FC%2024
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20EA%20Vancouver%2C%20EA%20Romania%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20EA%20Sports%3Cbr%3EConsoles%3A%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20One%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The%20specs
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Company%20Profile
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
World%20Food%20Day%20
%3Cp%3ECelebrated%20on%20October%2016%2C%20to%20coincide%20with%20the%20founding%20date%20of%20the%20United%20Nations%20Food%20and%20Agriculture%20Organisation%2C%20World%20Food%20Day%20aims%20to%20tackle%20issues%20such%20as%20hunger%2C%20food%20security%2C%20food%20waste%20and%20the%20environmental%20impact%20of%20food%20production.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How%20I%20connect%20with%20my%20kids%20when%20working%20or%20travelling
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
More from our neighbourhood series:
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
