Two of international football’s greatest ever goalscorers will be in action on consecutive nights in the UAE this week.
First, Neymar is set to make his long-awaited comeback from injury for Al Hilal on Monday, then Cristiano Ronaldo will be in action for Al Nassr the following evening.
Neymar returns
Al Hilal announced in a social media post on Sunday morning that Neymar will be part of their tour party for Monday’s night’s game against Al Ain.
The Saudi champions will face the side from the Garden City in an AFC Champions League group match at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, kicking off at 8pm.
The fixture would have been a box-office one anyway, even without the return of the Brazilian. After all, Al Ain beat Al Hilal on the way to winning Asia’s Champions League last season, which was the only blemish in an otherwise extraordinary campaign for the Riyadh-based side.
Lengthy absence
In the clip the club posted, Neymar professed himself “ready” to return to playing. How much game time he gets, though, remains to be seen.
The forward, who has 79 goals in 128 games for Brazil, has been sidelined for over a year after suffering an anterior crucial ligament rupture while representing Brazil on October 19, 2023.
He remains unavailable for Saudi Pro League selection, as he will not be part of their squad until January, meaning he will have to work his way back to full fitness via the Champions League.
Form guide
Neymar was the headline signing in a transformative summer spree by Saudi Pro League clubs last year, in a €90 million deal that brought him in from Paris Saint-Germain.
Even though he managed just five appearances before his injury, his club coped just fine without him. Hilal went unbeaten as they won the league by 14 points, and won the King’s Cup to boot, to complete a domestic double.
They have won all seven league games and twice in the Champions League at the start of this campaign, too.
Al Ain’s form, by contrast, has been inconsistent, but that was the same last season and they still somehow managed to win the Champions League.
Plus, they are through to the second round of the new Intercontinental Cup, in which they will face African champs Al Ahly in Cairo later this month.
Chance to see Cristiano
Ronaldo scored his 907th career goal in the 97th minute of Al Nassr’s league game against Al Shabab in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
Now he will be part of their squad for their third Champions League fixtures of the campaign, against Iranian side Esteghlal in Dubai. The game will kick off at 8pm on Tuesday.
Why in Dubai?
The fixture had been set to be played at the Qods City Martyrs Stadium in Tehran. However, the AFC asked for the home club, Esteghlal, to find a venue in a neutral country because of the conflict involving Israel.
They opted for a switch to Rashid Stadium, the ground near Dubai International Airport which is home to UAE Pro League club Shabab Al Ahli Dubai.
Although they have ceded home advantage, the ground is at least known to Iranians. It is the same ground at which the Iran national team, for whom Esteghlal’s captain Hossein Hosseini was a non-playing sub, played their World Cup qualifier against Qatar last week.
The competition
After two matches, Al Hilal top the Champions League table. Asia’s top club competition has been revamped along similar lines to that in Europe.
Now, there are 24 teams playing eight games against different opponents in the new league phase, instead of the previous groups of four.
Twelve teams from the West region and 12 from the East have been placed into separate leagues. The top eight from either side will advance to the round of 16.
Tickets
The Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain is sold out for the visit of Neymar and Co on Monday.
Tickets are available for the arrival of Ronaldo in Dubai on Tuesday, starting at Dh150, and can be bought here.
TV
AFC Champions League fixtures are broadcast live on beIN Sports.
CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20LEAGUE%202
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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South Africa v India schedule
Tests: 1st Test Jan 5-9, Cape Town; 2nd Test Jan 13-17, Centurion; 3rd Test Jan 24-28, Johannesburg
ODIs: 1st ODI Feb 1, Durban; 2nd ODI Feb 4, Centurion; 3rd ODI Feb 7, Cape Town; 4th ODI Feb 10, Johannesburg; 5th ODI Feb 13, Port Elizabeth; 6th ODI Feb 16, Centurion
T20Is: 1st T20I Feb 18, Johannesburg; 2nd T20I Feb 21, Centurion; 3rd T20I Feb 24, Cape Town
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Bournemouth 0
Manchester United 2
Smalling (28'), Lukaku (70')
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
Why%20all%20the%20lefties%3F
%3Cp%3ESix%20of%20the%20eight%20fast%20bowlers%20used%20in%20the%20ILT20%20match%20between%20Desert%20Vipers%20and%20MI%20Emirates%20were%20left-handed.%20So%2075%20per%20cent%20of%20those%20involved.%0D%3Cbr%3EAnd%20that%20despite%20the%20fact%2010-12%20per%20cent%20of%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20population%20is%20said%20to%20be%20left-handed.%0D%3Cbr%3EIt%20is%20an%20extension%20of%20a%20trend%20which%20has%20seen%20left-arm%20pacers%20become%20highly%20valued%20%E2%80%93%20and%20over-represented%2C%20relative%20to%20other%20formats%20%E2%80%93%20in%20T20%20cricket.%0D%3Cbr%3EIt%20is%20all%20to%20do%20with%20the%20fact%20most%20batters%20are%20naturally%20attuned%20to%20the%20angles%20created%20by%20right-arm%20bowlers%2C%20given%20that%20is%20generally%20what%20they%20grow%20up%20facing%20more%20of.%0D%3Cbr%3EIn%20their%20book%2C%20%3Cem%3EHitting%20Against%20the%20Spin%3C%2Fem%3E%2C%20cricket%20data%20analysts%20Nathan%20Leamon%20and%20Ben%20Jones%20suggest%20the%20advantage%20for%20a%20left-arm%20pace%20bowler%20in%20T20%20is%20amplified%20because%20of%20the%20obligation%20on%20the%20batter%20to%20attack.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CThe%20more%20attacking%20the%20batsman%2C%20the%20more%20reliant%20they%20are%20on%20anticipation%2C%E2%80%9D%20they%20write.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CThis%20effectively%20increases%20the%20time%20pressure%20on%20the%20batsman%2C%20so%20increases%20the%20reliance%20on%20anticipation%2C%20and%20therefore%20increases%20the%20left-arm%20bowler%E2%80%99s%20advantage.%E2%80%9D%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Raghida, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: AF Alareeq, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 2,200m
Winner: Basmah, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Liwa Oasis Group 2 (PA) Dh300,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: SS Jalmod, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Trolius, Ryan Powell, Simon Crisford
UAE%20SQUAD
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UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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FIRST TEST SCORES
England 458
South Africa 361 & 119 (36.4 overs)
England won by 211 runs and lead series 1-0
Player of the match: Moeen Ali (England)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
