Ruben Dias’ club season started with a Champions League defeat for Benfica and could end with Manchester City becoming champions of Europe. His first league appearance was against Famalicao, but he went on to become the first defender voted England’s Footballer of the Year since the 1980s. It could be a transformative affair, for him and City alike.
He has played 62 games for clubs and country but insisted: “We couldn’t be more fresh. We’re fresh because we want it so much. To finish the season with the Champions League, it’s a dream for everyone.”
For him, Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo, City’s three Portugal internationals, the fact the final is in their homeland gives it still added resonance. “A special meaning,” Dias said.
City’s Champions League campaign began with a 3-1 win over Porto. A month earlier, Dias had appeared for Benfica in the qualifying rounds, losing 2-1 to PAOK Salonika. It remains the only European defeat any member of Pep Guardiola’s team has played in this season.
If Dias’ fortunes have improved since then, he harked back to a more recent time when his side was trailing as he pinpointed an outstanding memory from City’s progress to Portugal. The semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain began inauspiciously.
“One of the moments that made me click was when we were 1-0 down at half-time in Paris,” he said. “In the second half, we turned it around and won 2-1. And then, we went into the dressing room and you saw everybody happy, but you didn’t see anybody [who was] too happy. You saw everybody focused.”
City's 2-0 second-leg victory against Mauricio Pochettino's team imbued him with confidence. "We were playing against one of the toughest opponents in the world: special players, a special team," he said. "And to be able to beat them, it says a lot about us and, at the same time, it says we're ready to take on the final."
The final brings a reunion with Chelsea, a fourth meeting of 2021 already. “We know each other very well because we’ve now played three times this season, and obviously, all of that affects how we’ll play,” said Dias.
He has played in all three but, perhaps crucially, he and John Stones were only paired in City’s lone win, January’s 3-1 triumph. Chelsea’s two wins came in games Stones did not play.
“It's true they beat us two times in the last month: one in the FA Cup and one in the Premier League,” said Dias’ compatriot Cancelo. “We need to be true to ourselves, keep our identity, who we are as a team.”
If the centre-back was an immediate success in Manchester, the full-back took longer to become a catalyst. His debut season in England was underwhelming. He has been a revelation now in a different role, coming into midfield to act as a playmaker when City have the ball.
“Pep Guardiola has revolutionised football,” Cancelo said. “He is always ahead of the game. I wasn't used to playing inside, but today I feel I'm a more versatile player, I can do more things on the pitch. I try to do what the manager says the best way I can.”
Cancelo is a symbolic success in a side who found a way to win without a prolific forward starting. “That is our secret: we are very strong as a team,” Cancelo said. “We don't have a superstar that scores lots of goals, but we have a great squad with great players. We can wrap up an incredible season if we win the Champions League, after we have already won the Carabao Cup and the Premier League. It can be an unforgettable season.”
Profile of Tarabut Gateway
Founder: Abdulla Almoayed
Based: UAE
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 35
Sector: FinTech
Raised: $13 million
Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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
Match info
Huddersfield Town 0
Chelsea 3
Kante (34'), Jorginho (45' pen), Pedro (80')
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SE%20(second%20generation)
%3Cp%3EDisplay%3A%2040mm%2C%20324%20x%20394%3B%2044mm%2C%20368%20x%20448%3B%20Retina%20LTPO%20OLED%2C%20up%20to%201000%20nits%3B%20Ion-X%20glass%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EProcessor%3A%20Apple%20S8%2C%20W3%20wireless%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECapacity%3A%2032GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMemory%3A%201GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPlatform%3A%20watchOS%209%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EHealth%20metrics%3A%202nd-gen%20heart%20rate%20sensor%2C%20workouts%2C%20fall%2Fcrash%20detection%3B%20emergency%20SOS%2C%20international%20emergency%20calling%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EConnectivity%3A%20GPS%2FGPS%20%2B%20cellular%3B%20Wi-Fi%2C%20LTE%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDurability%3A%20Water%20resistant%20up%20to%2050m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EBattery%3A%20269mAh%20Li-ion%2C%20up%20to%2018h%2C%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECards%3A%20eSIM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFinishes%3A%20Aluminium%3B%20midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%20Watch%20SE%2C%20magnetic-to-USB-C%20charging%20cable%2C%20band%2Floop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPrice%3A%20Starts%20at%20Dh999%20(40mm)%20%2F%201%2C119%20(44mm)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
RACE SCHEDULE
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm
Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm
Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group F
Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)
