Sports Friday, November 30, 2018 15 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE In-form Al Sailiya look to strengthen inspires PSG position, face to overcome Liverpool Qatar SC today Umm Salal coach insists players be at their best to overcome Al Ahli

TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK mine our course. Umm Salal are a team based on a group DOHA of players. “We started the season IN-FORM Al Sailiya play poorly. Each team was well- host to third from bottom prepared. We will play for Qatar SC in Week 14 of the win. If we want to be in the QNB Stars League at the Al top bracket, we must pull up Ahli Stadium on Friday. our socks and not commit Al Sailiya are third in the many mistakes,” said Macala. standings with 25 points, hav- Umm Salal assistant ing collected maximum points coach Bouziane Ben Arabi in their last three outings. said: “We will play for a posi- The Barzan Towers (Al tive result. We have to be at Sailiya), as they are fondly our best to get the best result. called, pulled off a last-gasp My team has great potential. 2-1 victory over Al Gharafa We have to be more organ- in the last round. They will ised in the final moments. I be keen to extend their good did not like the team spirit of form that will guarantee them the players in the last game. a top-four finish. Any slip- up will threaten their bid to achieve the target as Al Ahli are breathing down the neck of both Al Sailiya and Al Rayy- an with 22 points, one less than fourth-placed Al Rayyan. Tough match Qatar SC, coached by Ar- gentinean Sergio Batista, are expected 10th with 11 points, having picked three wins, two draws “It goes without saying that and eight defeats. They have the match against Umm Salal not won in their last three is going to be very tough. Our outings including a 0-1 loss preparations went off well and to Al Ahli in Week 13 and would be eager to move away we are ready. The next two from the danger zone with a games are important for us in few positive results. the league to determine our Al Sailiya, under Tuni- course. Umm Salal are a team sian Sami Trabelsi, will miss based on a group of players.” Moroccan forward Rachid Tiberkanine due to suspen- sion. “We must do well against Al Sailiya had beaten Qa- Al Ahli. We will definitely tar SC 2-0 in the first leg. play to win. Al Ahli have Meanwhile, Al Ahli coach some outstanding play- Milan Macala says he ex- ers who have helped them pects a tough match against achieve good results in the Neymar (left) of Paris Saint Germain celebrates his with teammate Kylian Mbappe during their UEFA Champions League match against Liverpool in Paris on Wednesday. (EPA) Umm Salal. past rounds. Our players “It goes without say- need to be focused and do ing that the match against their best. PSG head to Belgrade for their last game, which they must win to advance to the knock-out stage Umm Salal is going to be very “My job now is to help the tough. Our preparations went side get some good results. AFP; “When you saw their line- group Liverpool must now win dipping volley before Paris went dio Mane just inside the area. off well and we are ready. The We have many young play- PARIS up, the approach they chose either 1-0 or by two clear goals in front in the 13th minute. Ky- The referee did not initially next two games are important ers and that is a good thing was full risk, especially in the at home to the Italians in a fort- lian Mbappe tried to square for give a penalty but then rightly for us in the league to deter- to note,” said Bouziane. LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen beginning, to try everything as night if they are to progress. Edinson Cavani, but the ball changed his mind, and Milner Klopp hit out at the referee and long as your legs carry you. The Such a regression in Europe broke to Bernat, and the Span- beat from 12 Neymar as his side slumped quality they have meant it was would be a big blow to Liver- iard swept home his second yards. to a 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint- obviously quite intense to deal pool, even if it could conceiv- goal in this season’s competi- Understandably given the Germain on Wednesday that with,” admitted Klopp. ably help them in the Premier tion. high stakes, PSG sat back more leaves last season’s runners-up He acknowledged that League. Verratti’s challenge on and more in the second half, al- dangerously close to an early his team had not been good Meanwhile, PSG head to Gomez came midway through though they still came closest to Champions League exit. enough, but hinted that a “clev- Belgrade for their last game still the first half, but PSG survived scoring again from a Marquin- Juan Bernat and Neymar er” Neymar had play-acted to needing to win to be certain of that and went on to double hos header, and their win was scored to put PSG in control break the game up. He was also advancing, but at least they have their lead thanks to a clearly fully deserved. in the first half in the French unhappy at Polish referee Szy- their fate in their hands. “It was wound up Neymar. “We were not worried about capital, before a mon Marciniak for his decision our last chance to show that we He had been drawing fouls playing at home. We know penalty on the stroke of half- not to send off Marco Verratti are capable of competing with a from opponents and whipping how strong we are and we al- time ensured this pivotal game for a challenge on in team like Liverpool, a team with up a fervent home crowd before ways knew we could do it,” said remained in the balance until the first half. an incredible mentality,” said he burst down the left in the Mbappe. the death. “For me it’s a red card. I PSG coach Thomas Tuchel. 37th minute, combining with PSG knew a defeat here look like a bad loser, but I don’t “Everyone was ready to suf- Mbappe. coupled with an unfavourable care,” said Klopp. fer for each other. That was nec- The France star crossed low Results result in the night’s other Group “Tonight we looked like essary against Liverpool and it for Cavani, whose attempt was Atlético Madrid 2 - 0 Monaco C game could see the ambitious butchers when you look at how was a big step forward for us.” saved by Alisson, but Neymar Lokomotiv 2 - 0 Galatasaray Qatar-owned club eliminated many yellow cards we had. It PSG had only won one of converted the rebound. already. was clever from PSG, especially their previous seven games That should have ensured Dortmund 0 - 0 Club Brugge But instead it is Liverpool -- Neymar, but a lot of others went in the competition. However, a comfortable cushion for the PSV 1 - 2 Barcelona beaten in each of their last five down like it was something seri- Klopp’s side were completely hosts at the break, but Liver- Tottenham 1 - 0 Inter Milan games away from Anfield in the ous and we were not that calm overrun in the opening stages at pool were gifted a route back PSG 2 - 1 Liverpool Champions League -- who now anymore.” the Parc des Princes. into the game in first-half stop- Napoli 3 - 1 Crvena Zvezda seem the more likely to miss out With Napoli beating Red Angel di Maria had forced page time. Umm Salal assistant coach Bouziane Ben Arabi with a player at a on the last 16. Star Belgrade 3-1, in a tight a fine save from Alisson with a Di Maria brought down Sa- Porto 3 - 1 Schalke 04 press conference in Doha on Thursday. Gharafa must be perfect to beat Al Sadd: Weiss Qatar move up to 93rd in

dez) even though he is out of ac- latest FIFA rankings I’ve only temporarily stopped playing for tion with an injury. Slovakia because of the diferences with TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK champions France who also What do you think should Al DOHA had to swallow a defeat, against the present coach: Weiss Gharafa do to beat Al Sadd? the Netherlands. We’ve 50-50 chances. We’ve QATAR improved their rank- Brazil drew closer in third TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK In a team game, what mat- to do everything if we’re to beat ings with three spots to 93rd in position with 16,76 points in DOHA ters the most is the team. Eve- Al Sadd. We’ve to be at our best. the latest FIFA World Ranking an unchanged top-10, ahead rything else is secondary. We’ve I feel we’ve to be fully focused released on Thursday. of World Cup finalists Croatia, THE Weiss family in Slova- had our ups and downs. We for 90 minutes. Remember, Qatar on 1258 points, had England, Portugal, Uruguay, kia holds a rare record. Three got some good results against we showed a lot of passion and two impressive results in their Switzerland, Spain and Den- successive generations of foot- strong teams and negative re- quality in our first-leg match. recent friendlies. They defeat- mark - with Portugal and Uru- ballers played at the highest sults against not-so-strong ed eight-placed Switzerland in guay swapping places. levels and also represented teams. Yet, we’re doing well and On Slovakia national team Lugano. Then and held 37th- Portugal (6th, up 1) were their national teams. And all are in the sixth position. Per- retirement? ranked Iceland to a 2-2 draw in the team to benefit from Uru- three go by the same names — sonally, I feel satisfied. I strug- I’m only 29 and I’ve a lot of a match played in Belgium. guay’s slide down the table, Vladimir Weiss. gled a lot with injury last season international football left in me. Iran have moved up one while the Nations League Well, we are talking about and trained individually in Slo- I’ve only temporarily stopped rung to 29 to remain Asia’s successes of group winners QNB Stars League side Al vakia and Doha in the pre-sea- playing for my national team top team while the top five Sweden and the Netherlands Gharafa’s midfielder Vladimir son besides the team- training because of the differences of have remained unchanged (joint-14th, up 3 and 1 respec- Weiss. His grandfather, father sessions. The injury happened opinion with the present coach. with Australia as Asia’s second tively) are reflected in their im- played big-time football (the exactly a year ago, on Novem- best team, moving one spot up proved positions. first two for erstwhile Czecho- ber 30 (my birthday). Now, I How do you look at the fan to 41st and Japan are third at Morocco (40th, up 7) were slovakia), a rarity in the world feel I’m back to my best and am Vladimir Weiss (left) of Al Gharafa in action during a QNB Stars factor in Al Gharafa? 50th. Korea Republic are 53rd, the top biggest climbers in top of football. doing what I love the most. League match recently. I just thank them for the and are the continent’s fourth 50s after morale-boosting vic- Ahead of Al Gharafa’s high- support they extended to me best- ranked team in the latest tories over Tunisia (26th, down profile QNB Stars League Week Your thoughts on the sec- of confidence. In fact, we were between the teams. We know when I struggled to find form FIFA World Ranking. 4) and Cameroon. The former 14 match against Al Sadd on ond-leg game against Al close to victory, but for the how strong they’re. Al Sadd in my first season here and Meanwhile, Belgium re- result also benefited Senegal Sunday, Weiss spoke to QSL Sadd? equaliser towards the end. have more experienced play- also last season when I missed main in first place, despite a (23, plus 2), who have replaced Online in an exclusive interview. We brought out one of our ers, which is a crucial factor in most part with an injury. They crushing 5-2 Nations League the Tunisians as Africa’s top- best performances during the What’s the difference big games. They’ve players who remained patient. I get a lot of defeat against Switzerland last ranked team. How do you assess Al entire first leg in the match between Al Sadd and Al have been playing together for wishes from them on the social week. The Red Devils top the The final rankings of Gharafa’s and your own against Al Sadd that ended in Gharafa? long. They also have special media. I wish they come to the bill on 1,727 points, retaining a the year are issued on performance this season? a 1-1 draw. That gave us a lot There’re many differences players such as (Hernan- stadiums more and more. slim one-point lead over world December 20.