Bayern Munich and Harry Kane head to Inter Milan on Wednesday night knowing that nothing but victory will be good enough to reach the semi-finals and keep alive their dream of playing in a home Uefa Champions League final.
Inter's 2-1 win in Munich last week puts the Italians in the driving seat to reach the last four for the second time in three years.
Despite a crippling injury list, Bayern had enough chances to win the first leg but failed to make their dominance show on the scoresheet. It has been a familiar story recently for the German giants - and in particular star striker Kane.
With 25 minutes gone, Kane hit the outside of the post from just five metres out with only Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer to beat. It was a shocking miss, and one he will dwell on if he cannot make up for it at San Siro.
In Saturday's 2-2 draw against rivals Borussia Dortmund, Vincent Kompany's men also failed to make a glut of chances count.
If the German giants are to reach the Champions League showpiece at their Allianz Arena home at the end of May, Kane and the forward line will need to find their lost killer instinct.
In their past two games, Bayern have scored three times from 46 shots on goal.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, centre-backs Dayot Upamecano and Hiroki Ito and wing-back Alphonso Davies will all miss the trip to Milan, hollowing out Bayern's defence. Midfield creator Jamal Musiala will also be absent.
Under-pressure central defender Kim Min-jae, who was hooked shortly after a mistake leading to Dortmund's first on Saturday, is still nursing an Achilles injury, but looks set to play on Wednesday.
Against Dortmund, Bayern finished with one fit centre-back on the field: English veteran Eric Dier. Given their defensive woes, the need to convert chances becomes even more important. It is a tall order.
Bayern and Kane had no trouble in the last 16 against Bayer Leverkusen, when the England captain scored three goals across the two-game tie.
The 31-year-old has 10 goals in 12 games this Champions League season but seems to have lost his touch at the vital time.
Kane told reporters on Saturday his side were "dominant" but "were a bit wasteful with our chances" against Dortmund, as they had been against Inter in Munich.
"We just have to be more clinical. On another day we would have got three or four against them (Inter). It gives us confidence because we know we can create chances against them," said Kane. "It's about being there in the right moments. We didn't quite have that in the past two games so hopefully we can turn that around on Wednesday."
Bayern are chasing the romance of winning the title on home soil and hoping to exorcise the ghosts of their 2012 final loss to Chelsea in Munich. Joshua Kimmich, often called upon to lead the side in Neuer's absence, said: "If we're a bit more efficient, the game can go our way. It's not like we need a miracle. We just need to win the game."
To reach the semi-finals, Bayern will need a two-goal win, or victory by one followed by a triumph on penalties. The Bavarians are not the first team this season to find it hard to score against Simone Inzaghi's men.
Thomas Muller's 85th-minute far-post tap-in last Tuesday was just the third goal Inter have conceded in 11 games this Champions League season.
After a 3-1 win over Cagliari on Saturday, Inzahgi said of Wednesday's return leg: "We've got to replicate our first-leg performance, playing with pace, aggression and organisation. We go into this clash with a lot of confidence, against one of the top three or four teams in the world."
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
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Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
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The currency conundrum
Russ Mould, investment director at online trading platform AJ Bell, says almost every major currency has challenges right now. “The US has a huge budget deficit, the euro faces political friction and poor growth, sterling is bogged down by Brexit, China’s renminbi is hit by debt fears while slowing Chinese growth is hurting commodity exporters like Australia and Canada.”
Most countries now actively want a weak currency to make their exports more competitive. “China seems happy to let the renminbi drift lower, the Swiss are still running quantitative easing at full tilt and central bankers everywhere are actively talking down their currencies or offering only limited support," says Mr Mould.
This is a race to the bottom, and everybody wants to be a winner.
