Mohamed Salah was on target as Liverpool beat Lille to secure safe passage to the last 16 of the Uefa Champions League. Getty Images
Mohamed Salah was on target as Liverpool beat Lille to secure safe passage to the last 16 of the Uefa Champions League. Getty Images
Mohamed Salah was on target as Liverpool beat Lille to secure safe passage to the last 16 of the Uefa Champions League. Getty Images
Mohamed Salah was on target as Liverpool beat Lille to secure safe passage to the last 16 of the Uefa Champions League. Getty Images

Mohamed Salah hits 50th European goal for Liverpool while Barcelona edge thriller against Benfica


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Liverpool boss Arne Slot paid tribute to "special" Mohamed Salah after the Egyptian reached 50 European goals for the club in their 2-1 Uefa Champions League win over Lille on Tuesday night.

The result extended Liverpool's 100 per cent record in the group phase to seven matches and looked like giving them an insurmountable lead at the top of the table to render next week’s trip to PSV Eindhoven academic.

However, second-placed Barcelona’s thrilling 5-4 comeback win over Benfica means Slot’s side have to get a point in his homeland to guarantee top spot.

Lille arrived at Anfield unbeaten in 21 games in all competitions and restricted Liverpool in the opening exchanges. Salah's opener arrived on 34 minutes when he collected Curtis Jones' through ball and finished over the advancing Lucas Chevalier.

He then sent a one-on-one wide of the target before curling beyond the far post in the second half.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men when Aissa Mandi was given a second yellow card for tripping Luis Diaz. His first was for complaining about a possible foul on Jonathan David in the build-up to the goal.

Lille equalised three minutes later when David followed up after Hakon Haraldsson's effort was blocked. Liverpool soon restored their lead when a corner was headed to Harvey Elliott who fired a deflected strike into the bottom corner.

Salah's goal made him the first to reach a half century of European goals for the club, and his manager Slot said: “Special, that is the word to describe Mo’s performance at this club, he has been outstanding at this club for so many years. Today a great goal. When Mo goes on a one-v-one there is a great chance he will score.

“But this goal tells you so much about the work rate of the players who won the ball back before Curtis [Jones] passes to Mo.”

Barca roar back against Benfica

Raphinha struck a dramatic winner in stoppage time as Barcelona came from behind to beat Benfica 5-4 in a wild match to reach the last 16.

Benfica were leading 4-2 with under 15 minutes remaining but Barcelona mounted a stunning late comeback to stay three points behind leaders Liverpool.

Vangelis Pavlidis hit a first-half hat-trick for the hosts, in part thanks to two big errors by Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. However, Robert Lewandowski's double from the penalty spot, Eric Garcia's header and a brace for Raphinha helped Barcelona claim a stunning last-gasp triumph in Lisbon. The final two goals came beyond the 86th minute.

"It was a crazy game. Benfica did well in the first half but we made a lot of mistakes," said Barcelona coach Hansi Flick.

Barca showed determination to keep fighting after going in 3-1 down at half time and quickly conceding again after Raphinha pulled one back.

"The mentality of the team, they always believe in themselves and this was unbelievable to see," said Flick. "In the second half we created more chances than them and we deserved it."

Atletico and Atalanta claim important wins

Atletico Madrid are third on 15 points and certain to at least be in the play-offs after a Julian Alvarez brace secured a 2-1 home victory over Bayer Leverkusen in a game where both teams finished with 10 men.

Atletico had Pablo Barrios sent off midway through the first half, and Piero Hincapie then put Leverkusen ahead just before the break. Argentina star Alvarez levelled seven minutes into the second half, and Hincapie was sent off for the Germans before another Alvarez goal won it for the home side in the last minute as they climbed above Leverkusen.

Last season's Europa League winners Atalanta are also assured of at least a play-off place after crushing Sturm Graz of Austria 5-0. Mateo Retegui, Mario Pasalic, Charles De Ketelaere, Ademola Lookman and Marco Brescianini all scored for the Italians.

Monaco got back to winning ways after some disappointing results had seen their campaign stall, as Wilfried Singo's early goal proved enough for them to beat Aston Villa 1-0. Both teams are set to progress to the knockout phase and both could still finish in the top eight.

Last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund should also progress despite a 2-1 defeat away to Bologna, as substitutes Thijs Dallinga and Samuel Iling-Junior scored a minute apart in the second half after Serhou Guirassy's early penalty had put the Germans in front.

Club Brugge held Juventus to a 0-0 draw in Belgium as that duo both look set to go through to the play-offs at least, while PSV Eindhoven are poised to advance following a 3-2 win at Red Star Belgrade.

PSV led 3-0 at the break thanks to a Luuk de Jong double and a Ryan Flamingo strike, but the latter was sent off early in the second half and Red Star pulled goals back courtesy of Cherif Ndiaye and Nasser Djiga.

VfB Stuttgart maintained their hopes of reaching the play-offs with a 3-1 win away to Slovan Bratislava, who have lost every game. Jamie Leweling bagged a brace for Stuttgart and Fabian Rieder sealed their victory after Idjessi Metsoko had pulled one back.

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Strait of Hormuz

Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.

The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.

Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.

Various Artists 
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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THE SPECS

Engine: 4.0L twin-turbo V8

Gearbox: eight-speed automatic

Power: 571hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 800Nm from 2,000-4,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L/100km

Price, base: from Dh571,000

On sale: this week

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)

Power: 141bhp 

Torque: 250Nm 

Price: Dh64,500

On sale: Now

RESULTS

6.30pm Handicap (TB) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

7.05pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,410m

Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

7.40pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner Switzerland, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar

8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m

Winner Lord Giltters, Adrie de Vries, David O’Meara

8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.

9.25pm Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Land Of Legends, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor

10pm Dubai Dash Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,000m

Winner Equilateral, Frankie Dettori, Charles Hills.

India squads

Test squad against Afghanistan: Rahane (c), Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Karun, Saha, Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Pandya, Ishant, Thakur.

T20 squad against Ireland and England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Raina, Pandey, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh.

ODI squad against England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Shreyas, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

While you're here
Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

The specs

Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Power: 300hp

Torque: 420Nm

Price: Dh189,900

On sale: now

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ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand

UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

Spec%20sheet
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Updated: January 22, 2025, 6:08 AM`