Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal continue their Fifa Club World Cup campaign on Tuesday when they face Manchester City in the last-16.
The game kicks-off 5am on Tuesday (UAE time) at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando with the winner taking on either Inter Milan or Fluminense in the quarter-finals.
Manchester City finished top of Group G after winning all three of their matches while Hilal qualified for the knockout stages having finished second behind Real Madrid in Group H.
We pick out the main talking points ahead of the last-16 clash.
Can Inzaghi gain revenge over 'inspiration' Guardiola?
Al Hilal manager Simone Inzaghi will once again be going head-to-head with Pep Guardiola, someone he has just described as “the best coach” in modern football.
It will be the third time the pair have clashed in recent years. In 2023, Guardiola's City secured their first Uefa Champions League crown when they defeated Inzaghi's Inter Milan 1-0 in Instanbul on the way to a historic treble.
Then last September, the two teams played out a goalless draw in a group stage match at the Etihad Stadium, in a campaign which would end with Inter again losing in the final – this time a 5-0 battering by Paris Saint-Germain.
Inzaghi insisted on Monday that Inter “deserved more” in that final defeat in Turkey but made clear his admiration for his managerial counterpart that night.
“I believe every coach that starts to train considers Guardiola an inspiration,” said Inzaghi. “I believe there was football before and there will be after Guardiola, but he developed a new philosophy of football and a new way of playing.
“I believe he is the best coach over the last 20-25 years and is a great example for us as a coach.”
Will weather delay the game?
Managers at the tournament have so far voiced their concerns over weather, extreme heat and player welfare.
There were five delays in group stage matches due to weather warnings as temperatures rose well over 32ºC, while Chelsea's extra-time last-16 victory over Benfica lasted more than four hours.
With just four minutes left, the match in Charlotte was halted and then delayed nearly two hours due to threat of thunderstorms and the 'seek cover' protocols which kick in when a lightning strike occurs within an eight-mile radius.
“For me personally, it's not football. I think it's a joke. It's not football,” said Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca after the game.
“If you suspend seven or eight games, that means that probably this is not the right place to do this competition.”
But City boss Guardiola insists the threat of delays is not a concern. “If it is [suspended] here the same reason as why they suspend the other one, I will go inside and we will continue to be active and play again,” insisted the Spaniard on Monday.
“It is not the ideal situation but I grew up to understand not to be worried about the situations that I can't control. So, no problem.”
Have Man City hit top gear in the US?
After a frustrating season domestically, City have hit the ground running out in the United States.
After easing past Wydad Casablanca 2-0 in their opener, City then ruthlessly disposed of Al Ain – smashing six unanswered goals past the hapless UAE outfit, including four by half-time.
But it was against Serie A giants Juventus in their final Group G clash that City sent out a warning to Club World Cup opponents that the team is firing on all cylinders once again following a 5-2 win.
With the arrivals of Nico Gonzalez, Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis in January, followed Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Marcus Bettinelli this summer, it feels like a new era has begun at the club.
“We're still early in the season, but I think the energy is different,” said Matheus Nunes, who started at right-back against Juventus. “Last year we were a little down in terms of spirit, but we know what it means to play for Manchester City and this season that's definitely going to change.
“What I like most about this tournament is that we entered all the games to win and it has to be that way until the final.”
Can Al Hilal overcome injury blows?
It has already been a memorable tournament for 19-time Saudi champions and four-time Asian Champions League winners Al Hilal.
A thoroughly deserved draw with mighty Real Madrid started their campaign with a bang and, after a battling point against Austria's Red Bull Salzburg, Inzaghi's side then defeated Pachuca 2-0 to seal their last-16 place.
“We were not coming here just to have fun, we were coming here to play a Club World Cup and we wanted to reach this stage,” said Inzaghi after securing their place in the knockout stages.
“Now we’ll have to play against Manchester City … one of the greatest teams in the world. These are the games where you can improve and mature as a team, so I’m very proud.”
But the SPL side have suffered a double blow ahead of the game. Prolific Serbian striker Aleksandr Mitrovic has yet to kick a ball in the US due to a calf problem and will not be fit to take on City.
And captain Salem Al Dawsari – who scored in the win over Pachuca – will also be missing after being ruled out for at least a month with a hamstring injury.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')
Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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match info
Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
The%20specs
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
ENGLAND SQUAD
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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
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
BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
