Arne Slot hailed Alisson Becker "the best goalkeeper in the world" after the Brazilian's heroics kept Paris Saint-Germain at bay and allowed Liverpool to grab a 1-0 advantage in their Uefa Champions League last-16 tie.
PSG were much the better side throughout the match, denied only by the brilliance of Alisson, who kept Liverpool in contention long enough for substitute Harvey Elliott to score in the 87th minute with their only shot on target.
Slot said: “We’re the lucky ones, that’s clear for everyone. I think they were the much better team today, especially in the first half [when they had] three or four big, big chances.
“In the second half, they were still the better team, still had a lot of shots on target but they were mainly from outside the box.
“That’s why Alisson still had to make a lot of big saves. I have had some very good players as a manager but never the best goalkeeper in the world until now.
“He showed that he is the best in the world today. To go away with a win here was probably a bit more than we deserved.”
Alisson made nine saves from 27 shots against a side who had not been beaten since November and had scored 40 goals in winning their last 10 matches in a row.
The Brazil international told TNT Sports it was “probably the performance of my life” as he broke Pepe Reina’s club record with his 22nd Champions League clean sheet.
His nine saves were also the most on record (since 2003) by a Liverpool goalkeeper in a Champions League match.
Liverpool were fortunate VAR ruled out Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s first-half goal for offside and also decided Ibrahima Konate’s shoulder barge on Bradley Barcola did not warrant a red card.
“We were lucky with the first half that the goal was fractionally offside,” added Slot.
“I think if the referee would have blown his whistle [for the Konate offence] VAR would not have overturned it and it was also clear for me that he should not have overturned it because it wasn’t clearly wrong.
“It’s a big decision, that’s true.”
Slot also enjoyed great fortune with his substitutions, with one – Darwin Nunez – teeing up Elliott to score with his first touch after replacing Mohamed Salah late in the game.
“A big moment for him. I can understand that he’s sometimes frustrated about the playing time he gets, because he’s a good player,” Slot said of Elliott.
“He has to do it with limited playing time but he just keeps on going. I have to give him big compliments for that.
“But it wasn’t only Harvey, it was also the one that assisted, Darwin, who came from a difficult two games but was absolutely there again tonight.”
PSG head coach Luis Enrique was not too disappointed by the result, which he believes they can recover in the second leg at Anfield next week.
“We deserved more. Their best player was their goalkeeper – he was magnificent today,” he said.
“Today wasn’t a game based on the stats or the details. We were far superior. We didn’t allow Liverpool to play. They were better than us for the first five minutes but, apart from that, it was us on top.
“I’m so proud of my team, my players. I congratulate my players. A team can always improve. I’m a demanding coach.
“All I can do is praise my players and motivate them. We’ll go there and make our fans proud of us.”
Szczesny saves the day for Barca
Another team indebted to their goalkeeper was Barcelona, with Wojciech Szczesny unbeatable after the Spanish club were reduced to 10 men after an early red card to record a hard-fought win over Benfica
Szczesny made some big saves at Benfica’s Stadium of Light in Barcelona's 1-0 away victory in the first leg of the round of 16.
“We had a good goalkeeper today, which was fantastic for us,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. “We defended as a unit, and that’s the important thing. I am happy for him.”
The first stop came seconds into the match when Szczesny showed quick reflexes to extend his right hand and deflect a close-range low shot by Benfica forward Kerem Akturkoglu.
Szczesny also stopped a free kick taken by Orkun Kokcu in the 25th minute, after defender Pau Cubarsí was sent off with a straight red for a foul on forward Vangelis Pavlidis.
Szczesny showed quick hands again for his third great save in the first half after a close-range header by Akturkoglu just before the interval.
The Polish goalkeeper continued his good performance in the second half as Benfica kept pressing forward and creating scoring opportunities. One last effort came in stoppage time after a half-volley by substitute Renato Sanches.
The 34-year-old Szczesny came out of retirement to join Barcelona after regular starter Marc-Andre ter Stegen sustained a serious knee injury last year.
Flick had to replace playmaker Dani Olmo with defender Ronald Araujo in the 28th minute after Cubarsi was ejected.
Raphinha scored the only goal of the game just past the hour-mark, sending a left-footed shot into the far corner of the net.
The second leg is next Tuesday in Barcelona.
Martinez nets landmark Inter goal
Lautaro Martinez became Inter Milan's all-time leading scorer in the Champions League with his 18th goal in Europe's premier club competition, overtaking club great Sandro Mazzola's record.
Brazilian Adriano also scored 18 goals in the Champions League, but that included qualifying games.
Martinez's landmark goal is notable, given some of the forwards to have played for Inter, including Ronaldo, Christian Vieiri and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
He fired high into the corner of the net in the 50th minute in Rotterdam to double Inter's lead after Marcus Thuram struck in the 38th.
The 2023 finalists could have been in an even more commanding position after the first leg, but but Piotr Zielinski’s penalty in the 65th minute was saved by Timon Wellenreuther.
Bayern Munich took a giant step towards the quarter-finals after a comfortable 3-0 win over 10-man Bayer Leverkusen, which had defender Nordi Mukiele sent off in the second half.
Harry Kane scored twice to end his four game-scoring drought and Jamal Musiala capitalised on a mistake from Leverkusen goalkeeper Matej Kovar to give Bayern a big advantage going to Leverkusen for the second leg next Tuesday.
Kane’s second goal was a penalty, his 30th successful spot kick in a row.
It was Bayern’s first win over a Leverkusen team coached by former player Xabi Alonso at the seventh attempt.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Read more about the coronavirus
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
More on animal trafficking
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More on Quran memorisation:
The five pillars of Islam
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Zayed Sustainability Prize
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
Men’s singles
Group A: Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)
Women’s Singles
Group A: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Pusarla Sindhu (Ind), Sayaka Sato (Jpn), He Bingjiao (Chn)
Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
More coverage from the Future Forum
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
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
