While they close in on retaining the Serie A title, Juventus are confident they can overturn a 2-1 deficit in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final against Benfica on Thursday.
The teams, both two-time European champions in the past, meet at the Juventus Stadium in Turin looking to clinch a place in the final, which will be played at the same venue on May 14.
That is a huge source of motivation for Juve, who are looking for a first European title in 18 years and are eyeing a trophy double after beating Sassuolo 3-1 on Monday to move to within two points of securing a third consecutive Serie A title.
“We are obviously satisfied with the victory against Sassuolo, but our thoughts move immediately to another important game against Benfica,” said Juve midfielder Claudio Marchisio after Monday’s game, in which he scored as the Bianconeri came from behind.
“It will be a difficult match, but we already showed in the first leg that we were up to the task. We will give everything on the field and we are counting on the support of our fans.”
Home advantage could be crucial for Juve, who have not lost in front of their own fans since a 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals in April last year.
Portuguese champions Benfica hold the slight edge thanks to Lima’s smashing late strike at the Estadio da Luz last Thursday, but Carlos Tevez’s away goal for Juve could be vital.
Jorge Jesus’ Benfica side have been beaten just once in their last 37 matches in all competitions - and that was an ultimately inconsequential defeat to Porto in the first leg of a Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup) semi-final that the Lisbon club won - but this is set to be their biggest test in a long time.
And Benfica are furious at Uefa for agreeing to open a disciplinary process against their Argentinian midfielder Enzo Perez following a clash with Juve defender Giorgio Chiellini in the first leg.
The Italians complained to European football’s governing body, who are due to make a ruling ahead of the game about whether to punish Perez, who has been one of Benfica’s best players this season.
Benfica sense a conspiracy, with their director of communication saying: “Benfica wonder if Uefa, with this decision, want to guarantee that Juventus get to the final in Turin.”
Jesus, though, is more concerned with trying to make sure his team manage to score an away goal, and said after the first leg: “We are capable of scoring in 99 per cent of our games, but there was one game in which we had to score and we didn’t. It was in Greece. It’s going to be a great game in Turin.”
That defeat in Greece was a 1-0 loss to Olympiakos that proved decisive in them failing to advance from their Champions League group. Juve also dropped into Europe’s second-tier competition after exiting the Champions League, but Valencia and Sevilla have been in the Europa League from the beginning.
Now the two Spanish sides clash in the second leg of the other semi-final with Sevilla defending a 2-0 first-leg lead thanks to goals by Stephane Mbia and Carlos Bacca.
Valencia are without on-loan Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu due to injury and must also cope in the absence of the suspended Paco Alcacer, who has scored seven goals in the competition this season, including a hat-trick in the quarter-final second leg against Basel.
However, Valencia coach Juan Antonio Pizzi will take heart from his team’s display in that game, when they overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit to go through with a 5-0 victory after extra-time.
“We need to take a few risks because they are 2-0 up and to turn it around we will have to attack,” said Brazilian forward Jonas.
“It is a long time since Valencia were in a final and we know it will be difficult but we will have our fans behind us.”
Fixtures on Thursday
At Valencia, Spain
Valencia (Spain) v Sevilla (Spain) (0-2)
At Turin, Italy
Juventus (Italy) v Benfica (Portugal) (1-2)
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Henrik Stenson's finishes at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship:
2006 - 2
2007 - 8
2008 - 2
2009 - MC
2010 - 21
2011 - 42
2012 - MC
2013 - 23
2014 - MC
2015 - MC
2016 - 3
2017 - 8
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
RESULT
Valencia 3
Kevin Gameiro 21', 51'
Ferran Torres 67'
Atlanta 4
Josip Llicic 3' (P), 43' (P), 71', 82'
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UAE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani
Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Salem Rashid, Mohammed Al Attas, Alhassan Saleh
Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Yahya Nader, Ahmed Barman, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani
Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
Company%20profile
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HOW TO WATCH
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
