BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm kick-off UAE)
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Cologne (5.30pm)
Mainz v Arminia Bielefeld (5.30pm)
Augsburg v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (8.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg (10.30pm)
Sunday
VfB Stuttgart v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin (8pm)
Thomas Muller admits Robert Lewandowski's knee injury could not have come at a worse time for Bayern Munich ahead of Saturday's Bundesliga showdown at RB Leipzig and their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Poland striker was sidelined for four weeks after damaging ligaments in his right knee last Sunday during their World Cup qualifying win over Androrra.
Bayern lead second-placed Leipzig by four points in their bid for a ninth straight Bundesliga title.
"Injury to Lewy is bitter news for us. It's the worst possible time," said Bayern forward Muller. "Well, others will have to step into the breach."
The statistics show Lewandowski's importance to Bayern. The 32-year-old has scored 35 goals in 26 league games this term to put him within range of Gerd Mueller's record of 40 goals in a single Bundesliga season.
Lewandowski will miss the Champions League first leg against PSG in Munich on Wednesday and the return game on April 13.
Should holders Bayern progress, Lewandowski would even face a race against time to be fit for the first leg of the semi-final against either Manchester City or Borussia Dortmund on April 28.
Against Leipzig, Bayern manager Hansi Flick is likely to start Germany winger Serge Gnabry as a solo striker, playing in front of Mueller.
Selecting Lewandowski's under-study Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting or moving Mueller forward are other options.
Bayern are also missing suspended defenders Alphonso Davies and Jerome Boateng, meaning Niklas Suele is likely to partner David Alaba at centre-back.
Leipzig expect a tough battle "even without Lewandowski", according to sporting director Markus Kroesche.
However, captain Marcel Sabitzer sees it as a chance for the hosts. "We have nothing to lose. The fact the pressure is not on us suits our team," said Sabitzer.
US midfielder Tyler Adams said Leipzig want to "give them [Bayern] a good fight".
Dortmund face Manchester City on Tuesday in their Champions League quarter-final first leg, but are in danger of missing out on next season's tournament.
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Gallery: Bayern 4 Stuttgart 0
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On Saturday, they host fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, who fifth-placed Dortmund trail by four points with eight games remaining.
"This is incredibly important for us," said Dortmund manager Edin Terzic. "It's a landmark game because we can narrow the gap."
Failure to qualify for the Champions League could see Dortmund lose the likes of Erling Braut Haaland and Jadon Sancho in the transfer window, and may also carry serious financial consequences.
Dortmund's finance director told local paper the Ruhr Nachrichten that the club lost € 43.5 million ($51m) in revenue in 2020. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the result could even be "significantly worse again" in 2021.
Haaland has scored 21 goals in as many league games this season, but is showing signs of frustration with his Dortmund team-mates.
He stormed off, clearly angry with another poor team performance, after his second goal rescued a 2-2 draw at Cologne 10 days ago.
According to media reports, the 20-year-old's father Alf-Inge Haaland and agent Mino Raiola met with Barcelona representatives on Thursday.
Man City and Real Madrid are also said to be interested in Haaland, who is under contract at Dortmund until 2024.
Any thoughts of the Norwegian hotshot moving to rivals Bayern have been shot down by the Bavarian's chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
"I don't know where the rumours have come from," he told Bild. "I can only say one thing: we have the world's best footballer in this position. Robert Lewandowski has a contract until 2023."
Elsewhere, third-placed Wolfsburg host relegation-threatened Cologne, while Union Berlin look to boost their European hopes in the capital-city derby against struggling rivals Hertha Berlin on Sunday.
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Youngest players to score 100 career goals
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDirect%20Debit%20System%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sept%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20with%20a%20subsidiary%20in%20the%20UK%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elaine%20Jones%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WTL%20SCHEDULE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
Profile Box
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Mohammed Toraif
Based: Manama, Bahrain
Sector: Sales, Technology, Conservation
Size: (employees/revenue) 4/ 5,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($100,000)
Investors: Two first-round investors including, 500 Startups, Fawaz Al Gosaibi Holding (Saudi Arabia)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
Mountain%20Boy
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zainab%20Shaheen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Naser%20Al%20Messabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm kick-off UAE)
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Cologne (5.30pm)
Mainz v Arminia Bielefeld (5.30pm)
Augsburg v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (8.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg (10.30pm)
Sunday
VfB Stuttgart v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin (8pm)
