LONDON: The champions of Spain against the champions of Italy. The most successful side in Spanish history against the most successful side in Italian history. A repeat of last season’s final (and the final of 1998). Real Madrid’s trip to Turin to face Juventus today is a clash of undoubted pedigree, and yet doubts swirl around both sides.
For Juventus, there are familiar questions about the quality of Serie A. Napoli put up more of a fight than many anticipated, but Juve’s lead is now four points and they should wrap up a seventh straight title (and given they’re in the final of the Coppa Italia, quite possibly a fourth straight double.) And yet against Tottenham in the last round, there were long spells when Massimiliano Allegri’s side were dominated, apparently unable to deal with the pace and power of the team that lies fourth in the Premier League. They were streetwise and ruthless enough in front of goal to take advantage of Spurs’ naivety but the overall picture was concerning.
Perhaps that is a natural result of the way football’s economy funnels capital to a handful of clubs in a handful of leagues, Juve’s domination at home meaning they are only partially equipped for the challenges they face in Europe. Similar financial fundamentals underlie the issues at Real Madrid.
There is, on the face of it, something vaguely absurd about the fact that Zinedine Zidane’s position at Madrid is under threat. He could this season become the first manager to win the Champions League three times in a row, having last season become the first since Arrigo Sacchi in 1990 successfully to defend it. With Madrid 13 points adrift of Barcelona in the league, though, the sense is that if Zidane does not win the Champions League he will be gone.
It is a situation that sums up the absurdity of super-club economics, suggesting on the one hand the impatience of owners, fans and media, the demand that success should be constant, and on the other the way that clubs of a certain stature can take a certain level of progress for granted. For Real, being in the quarterfinal of the Champions League is no great achievement.
There lingers a feeling that Zidane, despite his success, is not a great coach, that he has collected silverware by dint of having at his disposal of squad packed full of great players. It is true their 2016 Champions League victory came thanks to an extremely fortuitous draw, but last season they had to beat Napoli, Bayern Munich, Atletico and Juve. It was striking during that run how often Zidane made substitutions that changed the game.
At the same time, though, Zidane’s sides rarely control games. Again and again they concede soft goals and are forced to come back. They frequently have the quality to do that, and have tended to be rather more efficient in Europe, but it is a persistent niggle. They too had their problems against Tottenham this season, drawing in their home group game before being comprehensively beaten at Wembley.
That said, Zidane’s use of a 4-4-2 in the last round against Paris St. Germain, leaving out Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, suggested a tactical audaciousness, and his substitutions helped turn the first leg just as surely as Allegri’s turned Juve’s second leg against Tottenham. Still, though, it feels like his future depends on this competition.
Zinedine Zidane walking a tightrope as Real Madrid ready to face Juventus test
Zinedine Zidane walking a tightrope as Real Madrid ready to face Juventus test
- Under-pressure manager Zinedine Zidane leads his Real Madrid side against Juventus looking to win a third consecutive Champions League title
- Real Madrid trail rivals Barcelona by 13 points in La Liga
Liverpool look to deepen Manchester City crisis, Amorim seeks first Premier League win
- All three teams who have enjoyed a lead of eight points or more at this stage of the season in Premier League history have gone on to win the title
- The visit of struggling Everton to Old Trafford offers the Red Devils the perfect chance to kickstart life under their new boss
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool can take another giant step toward just a second English top-flight title in 35 years against fragile Manchester City on Sunday as Ruben Amorim aims for a first Premier League win as Manchester United manager.
The top-of-the-table clash at Anfield offers Arsenal, who face West Ham, and Chelsea, who host Aston Villa, the chance to gain ground.
Here are some of the key talking points ahead of this weekend’s action:
Arne Slot’s rampant Reds go into the weekend off the high of beating Real Madrid 2-0 to top the Champions League table.
Liverpool have barely put a foot wrong in the Premier League either, surging into an eight-point lead after just 12 games.
All three teams who have enjoyed a lead of eight points or more at this stage of the season in Premier League history have gone on to win the title.
City are there for the taking.
Winless in six matches, the English champions are physically and mentally “fragile,” according to manager Pep Guardiola, who is experiencing the worst run of his career in the dugout.
“It has been, is being and will be a tough season for us. We have to accept it for many circumstances,” he said.
Even at their best during a glorious era under the Catalan, City have failed to tame Anfield, with their last win there in front of a crowd coming back in 2003.
Amorim did not hold back after seeing Manchester United labor to a 1-1 draw at lowly Ipswich in his first match in charge last weekend.
“We are going to suffer for a long period,” said the Portuguese coach. “This will take time, but I know we have to win games.”
The visit of struggling Everton to Old Trafford offers the Red Devils the perfect chance to kickstart life under their new boss.
The Toffees (10) are one of only three sides to have scored fewer Premier League goals this season than United’s 13.
Sean Dyche’s men are just two points above the relegation zone and have not beaten United away from home since 2013.
United, who sit 12th, need to make the most of home advantage to move swiftly back up the table with daunting trips to Arsenal and City to come in two of their following three league games.
Aston Villa are another side struggling for form. A 0-0 draw against Juventus in midweek extended their winless run to seven games in all competitions.
Unai Emery’s men are still well placed to progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League in their first taste of Europe’s elite competition for four decades.
But their European exertions are beginning to take a toll domestically. Villa have taken just seven points from their past seven league games to slip to eighth.
Next up is a difficult trip to Chelsea, who are flying high in Enzo Maresca’s first season in charge.
The Blues sit third, ahead of Arsenal on goals scored, and could easily end the weekend as Liverpool’s closest challengers should City fail to end their winless run at Anfield.
Arsenal have bounced back to form with comprehensive wins over Nottingham Forest and Sporting Lisbon and will go second for 24 hours at least with victory at West Ham on Saturday.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Friday
Brighton vs. Southampton (2000)
Saturday
Brentford vs. Leicester, Crystal Palace vs. Newcastle, Nottingham Forest vs. Ipswich, Wolves vs. Bournemouth (all 1500), West Ham vs. Arsenal (1730)
Sunday
Chelsea vs. Aston Villa, Manchester United vs. Everton, Tottenham vs. Fulham (all 1330), Liverpool vs. Manchester City (1600)
Hojlund scores 2 for Manchester United to give Amorim winning home debut in Europa League
- Amorim: I see what everybody sees: good moments, difficult moments
- Tottenham continued to show inconsistent form as they were held 2-2 at home by struggling Roma
Rasmus Hojlund scored twice as Manchester United fought back to beat Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt 3-2 in the Europa League on Thursday to give new manager Ruben Amorim a victory in his first game at Old Trafford.
Hojlund also set up the opening goal scored by Alejandro Garnacho in the opening minute of the game, but United still had to stage a comeback in order to stay unbeaten in the competition with two victories and three draws.
“I see what everybody sees: good moments, difficult moments,” Amorim told TNT Sports “There was some confusion in the end, trying to hold on to the result, but the lads did a great job. They ran, they pressed, they tried to do the things we have worked on in the last three days and we won.”
After the visitors took a 2-1 lead, Hojlund equalized just before halftime and then scored the winner five minutes into the second half from close range, tapping in a cross from Manuel Ugarte.
After leaving Portuguese leaders Sporting Lisbon to replace the fired Erik ten Hag as United manager, Amorim made his debut in charge of United in a 1-1 draw at Ipswich in the English Premier League with Marcus Rashford scoring 81 seconds into the game.
In the Europa League, the goal came even sooner.
Hojlund intercepted a back pass to goalkeeper Nikita Haikin to allow Garnacho to put United ahead in the fist minute.
Hakon Evjen equalized in the 19th minute with a perfectly directed first-time left-foot strike from the edge of the area and Philip Zinckernagel gave the Norwegian champion the lead, finishing off a fast counter after Tyrell Malacia failed to stop him. Malacia made his first senior appearance in 550 days and was substituted at halftime by Diogo Dalot.
Tottenham continued to show inconsistent form as they were held 2-2 at home by struggling Roma. Tottenham lost 3-2 to Galatasaray in the previous round, then beat Manchester City 4-0 away in the Premier League, and gave up a late equalizer against Roma.
Captain Son Heung-min gave Spurs an early lead with a fifth-minute penalty but Evan N’Dicka pulled Roma level in the 20th. Brennan Johnson restored the lead for Tottenham in the first half but the hosts couldn’t hang on as Mats Hummels salvaged a draw in stoppage time.
Earlier, Athletic Bilbao cruised past Elfsborg 3-0 in the Europa League on Thursday to join Lazio and Frankfurt at the top the 36-team standings,
Lazio missed a chance to remain the only team with a perfect record after five games as they were held 0-0 by Ludogorets at Stadio Olimpico. In Spain, Adama Boiro, Benat Prados and Gorku Guruzeta all scored for Bilbao.
Frankfurt, the 2022 Europa League winner, won 2-1 at Midtjylland.
Like in the new-look Champions League, the top eight teams after the eight-round league phase advance directly to the round of 16 in March, and teams placed from ninth to 24th enter a playoffs in February.
Among other results, Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce rebounded from their first defeat at Alkmaar (3-1) with a 2-1 win at Slavia Prague, Rangers won 4-1 at Nice, Ajax lost 2-0 to Real Sociedad and Braga eased past Hoffenheim 3-0.
Galatasaray drew 1-1 away at AZ Alkmaar after Victor Osimhen equalized for the Turkish club before halftime with his third goal in his last two Europa League games. Sven Mijnans scored early for Alkmaar, which finished the game with 10 men after substitute Kees Smit was sent off in injury time.
Georges Mikaukadze scored two goals while substitute Corentin Tolisso and Malick Fofana added one each for Lyon to rout host Qarabag 4-1.
Maccabi Tel-Aviv ended a four-game losing run with a 3-1 victory over Besiktas in a game that was played at a neutral venue in Debrecen, Hungary, after Turkish authorities decided not to host match.
That decision followed unrest after Maccabi’s recent Europa League game in Amsterdam, where at least five fans were injured in violent street attacks, after their team’s 5-0 loss to Ajax.
The game was played without fans at the request of Hungarian authorities.
Gavriel Kanichowsky, Dor Perets and Weslley Patati had a goal apiece for the Israeli team, while Rafa Silva netted for Besiktas.
Dynamo Kyiv lost its fifth straight game, this time 2-1 to Viktoria Plzen. The consolation goal for the Ukrainian team, scored by Vladyslav Kobaiev in stoppage time, was the first for Dynamo in the competition.
Conference League
Chelsea have been cruising the the third-tier Conference League with the fourth win from four after beating Heidenheim 2-0.
In a matchup between two teams that were perfect, Christopher Nkunku broke the deadlock in the second half from close range before Mykhailo Mudryk roofed the second from inside the area.
Chelsea midfielder Cesare Casadei received his second yellow card in stoppage time and was sent off.
Legia Warsaw remained the only other perfect team after a 3-0 win at Omonia.
Jeddah Corniche Circuit hosts main trial sessions ahead of SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024
- European GT4 Series, supported by the R-Ace Club, began free practice sessions with 3 periods
- Circuit also hosted the first, second official trial sessions for Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe supported by AWS
JEDDAH: The Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Thursday hosted official trials for the SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024, dubbed the world’s fastest street circuit, taking place in Saudi Arabia for the first time on Nov. 29-30.
The European GT4 Series, supported by the R-Ace Club, began their free practice sessions with three periods: The first started at 1:00 p.m., the second at 4:00 p.m. and the third concluded at 7:00 p.m.
Each session lasted one hour in preparation for the two-day race, which is being organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and Motorsports Company, under the supervision of the Ministry of Sport.
The circuit also hosted the first and second official trial sessions for the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe supported by AWS, a media statement said.
The first session began at 2:15 p.m., and the second followed at 5:15 p.m., with each lasting 90 minutes. The endurance race, known as the “six-hour race,” covers a distance of 1,000 km.
Bronze category trials for the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe supported by AWS were launched at 8:45 p.m. and lasted one hour.
As the SAL Jeddah GT 2024 competitions start tomorrow, the qualifying trials for the European GT4 Series supported by the R-Ace Club will take place at 2:15 p.m. and last one hour.
The second trial session, lasting 45 minutes, will start at 6:00 p.m. and determine the starting positions for the first European GT4 Series race, which will begin at 10:00 p.m. and last one hour.
The fan zones include various entertainment areas, children’s zones, interactive games, virtual reality experiences and carnival-style games.
Saudi Sailing Federation hosts Junior Global Sailing Yacht Challenge Championship
- SSF’s CEO Samia Baghdadi sees event as historic moment for sailors, teams from around the world
- ‘Hosting these two major global championships at the Jeddah Yacht Club will significantly impact the sport’s growth in Saudi Arabia,’ Baghdadi says
RIYADH: World Sailing, which was formerly the International Sailing Federation, has selected Jeddah Yacht Club to host the 2024 Junior Global Sailing Yacht Challenge Championship, organized by the Saudi Sailing Federation, which takes place from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2.
The Women’s Global Sailing Yacht Challenge Championship event will follow from Dec. 5-8.
The events reflect the successes of the Saudi Sailing Federation and are significant milestones in the federation’s efforts to promote sailing in Saudi Arabia.
Quanhai Li, the president of World Sailing, said: “We are thrilled to host these unique races at such an exceptional venue. This championship marks the first event organized by the International Sailing Federation in Saudi Arabia.”
He added it reflected the Kingdom’s commitment to developing diverse sports while enhancing its international standing.
He said: “Sailing is one of the fastest-growing sports globally, and through this event we see a fantastic opportunity to promote and develop sailing in the region.”
Samia Baghdadi, the SSF’s CEO, sees the event as a historic moment for sailors and teams from around the world.
Baghdadi said: “It’s an extraordinary opportunity to explore Jeddah’s potential as a vibrant hub for marine sports. We are working to promote sailing.
“Hosting these two major global championships at the Jeddah Yacht Club will significantly impact the sport’s growth in Saudi Arabia. We are excited to welcome all teams who participate in this remarkable event.”
David Graham, the CEO of World Sailing, said: “Selecting the Jeddah Yacht Club to host the 2024 Junior and Women’s Global Sailing Yacht Challenge Championships is a significant step in our efforts to elevate the sport on a global scale.”
The Red Sea region offers opportunities for developing programs that can benefit individuals across the Gulf, Africa, and beyond, according to Graham.
He added: “This event will serve to inspire those passionate about sailing.”
The SSF aims to raise awareness and foster a culture of sailing within the community.
Saudi Arabia’s T20 World Cup hopes end in defeat against Qatar
- Hosts register 6-wicket victory over Kingdom to book ticket to next round
- Qatar successfully chase target of 166 in 17.5 overs
DOHA: Saudi Arabia’s hopes of qualifying for the final round of the 2026 Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup have ended after the team lost to Qatar in the final league match of their Asia Qualifier B in Doha.
The hosts registered a six-wicket victory over Saudi Arabia on Thursday to book their ticket to the next round.
Qatar successfully chased their target of 166 in 17.5 overs after putting the Kingdom in to bat first at the University of Doha for Science and Technology Cricket Ground.
A win would have been enough for Saudi to advance to the next round ahead of Qatar, but the hosts batted well enough to achieve their goal.
Saudi Arabia’s middle order failed to capitalize on the start given by their openers as the side ended up with 165-6 in 20 overs. Opener Abdul Waheed top scored with 34 runs off 27 balls, hitting two fours and two sixes before getting out in the ninth over.
His brother, Faisal Khan, scored 18 off 11 balls and was the first wicket to fall in the fourth over.
Abdul Manan Ali (24), Usman Khalid (18), and Waji Ul Hassan (20) all got starts but could not convert their knocks into big ones. Abdul Wahid hit two fours and a six in his 20-ball 27 while Muhammad Jabir picked up three wickets for Qatar.
In reply, Saqlain Arshad started off well for the hosts, hitting four fours and two sixes in the powerplay. He hit one more maximum before being caught out for 45 runs off 32 balls in the seventh over.
Player of the Match Mohamad Ahnaff saw two more batters return to the pavilion before he opened fire against Saudi’s spin attack. He hit five sixes and two fours to crown an excellent spell of form, going on to complete his third half-century of the tournament before getting out soon after reaching the milestone.
Muhammad Tanveer’s experience came in handy as he made sure his team did not falter. Tanveer scored 35 runs off 22 balls, with two fours and two sixes. Mohammed Hisham Shaikh took three wickets for Saudi Arabia but it was not enough to save his side from defeat.
The UAE had already qualified for the next stage before their last match, and retained their perfect win record in the tournament by beating Bahrain by eight wickets, finishing top of the standings with 12 points.
Qatar took second spot with 10 points, with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand completing the top five with six points each. Cambodia opened their account in the final match with a consolation win over Bhutan, who claimed no points.
The UAE and Qatar will now join Qualifier A sides Malaysia and Kuwait in the regional final. Samoa and Japan are representing the East Asia-Pacific region, with Nepal, Oman, and Papua New Guinea competing in the regional finals.
