It is a battle for supremacy between the top two that will run to the final day of the season. Not Bayern Munich against Borussia Dortmund, though the Bundesliga may hope for the tightest of title races, but Thomas Muller versus Jadon Sancho in the duel of the goal-makers.
Each got an assist on Saturday, Muller cutting the ball back for Leon Goretzka and Sancho teeing up Achraf Hakimi. The Bayern veteran leads the way with 17 assists. The Dortmund youngster is his closest pursuer with 16. In this, as in much else, Dortmund are trying to overtake Bayern.
It could be seen as a contest of opposites. Sancho was 10 years old when Muller was joint top scorer in the 2010 World Cup. The German is certain to start. The Englishman, who has eased his way back to fitness with two cameos in the last 10 days, is not.
Muller is essentially the least glamorous of No 10s, a functional, efficient player who has transformed himself from scorer into supplier. Sancho is the ostensibly more exciting winger.
What is apparent is how each stands apart. Muller has become the first player to register 17 assists in a campaign in the top five European leagues since Kevin de Bruyne three years ago. Perhaps as remarkable is his return of 0.84 assists every 90 minutes on the pitch; even De Bruyne only averages 0.59 now. Muller averages 2.99 passes that lead to a shot every 90 minutes, according to Comparisonator stats, and 5.08 crosses; as an illustration, only De Bruyne and Adama Traore can top that in the Premier League.
Muller has done it his way, which is almost entirely without dribbling. He scarcely feels a flair player, but instead has used his preternatural understanding of space to become the reliable creator.
It has been a clever reinvention: now others in the same position shoot more often than a man with 250 career goals for club and country. It is a reason why a player who scored 32 times in 2015-16 has just 11 now, but he has set up six in the Bundesliga for Robert Lewandowski alone.
Sancho is a different type of provider but the consistency of his supply line is notable. While young wingers can be defined by dribbling without much of an end product, he is their antithesis. Others – Bayern’s Kingsley Coman and Bayer Leverkusen’s Karim Bellarabi in particular – run with the ball far more.
Sancho only ranks 18th among Bundesliga wingers for successful dribbles, but none can rival his return of 0.75 assists every 90 minutes on the pitch. It suggests he picks the right options, though the fact his nearest rival, on 0.52, is Thorgan Hazard, who could start instead of him on Tuesday night, shows manager Lucien Favre has enviable options. Tellingly, Sancho tops the charts for what are termed smart passes; his decision-making is intelligent.
With 14 league goals, Sancho has double Muller’s tally. He has been directly involved in 30 Bundesliga goals. To show how extraordinary that is, De Bruyne tops the Premier League list, with 24.
Transporting Sancho’s statistics to England is instructive: he is a runaway leader for assists, top for completed passes, second for key passes and third for goals per 90 minutes, behind only Sergio Aguero and Jamie Vardy.
The probable collapse of the transfer market makes it feel hypothetical. A few months ago, it seemed Sancho would head back to England for a fee in excess of £100 million (Dh447.4m).
His on-pitch statistics suggested he could have been the best all-round attacker in the division. Instead, his battle with Muller, the clash of the clinical creators, is one that could run again in Germany next season.
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
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
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
RESULT
Bayern Munich 5 Eintrracht Frankfurt 2
Bayern: Goretzka (17'), Müller (41'), Lewandowski (46'), Davies (61'), Hinteregger (74' og)
Frankfurt: Hinteregger (52', 55')
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
