NNFLFL | Page 5 CYCLING | Page 7 Rookie Clyde Almeida stays uses his in pink at running magic Giro, Tratnik to beat Bills claims stage Wednesday, October 21, 2020 FOOTBALL Rabia I 4, 1442 AH Mueller’s Bayern GULF TIMES form fuels calls for Germany recall SPORT Page 3 FOOTBALL Duhail, Sadd square off in intriguing QSL clash today ‘I will take on a new challenge with one of the biggest Qatari teams. I have started on a good note’ By Sports Reporter Doha t’s quite a rare instance that Al Duhail and Al Sadd go head-to-head today with both the teams not among Ithe leaders of the QNB Stars League. It’s still early days in the tournament, but the Qatari gi- ants have seldom looked at their best in recent times. After three matches in the league, Duhail have won two and lost one and are fi fth in the table, while Sadd have fared slightly better, occupying third position with seven points from three matches. A victory for both the teams in today’s match, post- poned from Week 3 due to their commitment in the AFC Cham- pions League, would at best put them in second place as Al Ahli, with four wins out of four sit pretty at the top. But the face-off between the two formidable opponents has always evoked keen inter- est among all stakeholders for more reasons than one. Reigning champions Duhail are coming off Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez and his Al Duhail counterpart Sabri Lamouchi (right) address the media ahead of their QNB Stars League clash. a 2-1 victory over Qatar SC, as they warm up to new coach Sabri runner-up Al Rayyan on Sun- cern would be Duhail’s poor the path of the title because we two weeks. They also bowed out more tension that in other games. must be ambitious. We want to Lamouchi, who replaced Walid day before again running into record against Sadd recently. In only played three matches. I will of the AFC Champions League in But we are ready and are in a good win this competition. We have to Regragui. arch-rivals Sadd in the Amir Cup last six matches, the Red Knights choose the best squad for this the last 16 before going on to lift moment, even though we lost get these three important points The Frenchman took over the semi-fi nal on October 31. have only won once and lost four match. I want my players to give the 2019-20 season Ooredoo Cup two points against Al Khor in the against Duhail, who are our di- reins last week for his second “I am happy to return to work times. “We will face one of the their best as there are crucial title by beating Al Arabi 4-0 in last game,” the former Barcelona rect rivals,” he added. stint at the club and undoubt- in the QNB Stars League and in teams competing for the title matches ahead, starting from to- the fi nal. midfi eld great said. Xavi confi rmed that both edly he faces a stiff er challenge Qatar. I will take on a new chal- and we are looking forward to a morrow,” he said. Xavi said his side was ready to “I think we are training well. Akram Afi f and Abdelkarim this time. After having been lenge with one of the biggest strong match and achieve a good On the other hand, Al Sadd face Duhail, but expected a com- We have the capacity to defeat Hassan are fi t for the game, but knocked out of the AFC Cham- Qatari teams. I have started on a result,” he said. go into the game following their plicated encounter against the Al-Duhail, and of course, they goalkeeper Saad al-Dosari will pions League at the group phase good note with an important vic- “The match between Al Sadd goalless draw with Al Khor. reigning champions. “Of course, have the capacity to defeat Sadd. miss out. The Spaniard said itself, Duhail have diffi cult fi x- tory against Qatar SC,” said Lam- and Al Duhail is always strong. Xavi Hernandez’s men beat Al it is always complicated to play It will be diffi cult for both sides. he will take a call on Baghdad tures ahead. After today’s match ouchi yesterday. Al Sadd have great potential and Kharaitiyat and Al Sailiya by an against Duhail. It will be very We have to do our best, give our Bounedjah’s availability after against Sadd, they face last year’s The Frenchman’s main con- this match does not determine identical 5-1 margin in the fi rst diffi cult because the players feel 100% and be aggressive. We yesterday’s training session. FOOTBALL / UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Qatar Racing’s Kingsholm back in Morata double gives Juve win over Kiev winners’ enclosure at Wolverhampton Reuters range eff orts by De Ketelaere off Kyiv, Ukraine the line. Sebastian Driussi missed a gilt-edged opportunity to uventus made a winning equalise when he blazed a shot start in the Champions over the bar from 10 metres League as they defeated before the home side levelled Dynamo Kiev 2-0 thanks thanks to a freakish own goal by Jto a pair of classic poacher’s visiting goalkeeper Ethan Hor- goals from Alvaro Morata in vath in the 74th minute. their Group G opener yesterday. Former Liverpool defender Juve coach Andrea Pirlo en- Dejan Lovren hit the post with joyed his fi rst win as a manager a screamer from 30 metres for in Europe’s elite club competi- Zenit and the ball cannoned off tion, which he won twice with the keeper’s back into the net. AC Milan during his playing Horvath kept out an Artem days as a midfi elder. Dzyuba sitter and palmed away Cieren Fallon (right) rides Kingsholm to victory in the With Cristiano Ronaldo ruled Wendel’s long-range eff ort in wolverhampton-racecourse.co.uk Handicap at Wolverhampton in out following a positive test for the closing stages before 19- the United Kingdom on Monday. (Debbie Burt) Covid-19, Dejan Kulusevski was year old forward De Ketelaere twinned with Morata up front silenced the home fans in the Agencies with D. Howden and David and Federico Chiesa created Gazprom Arena deep into stop- Wolverhampton, UK Redvers, racing manager to HE some early chances for the visi- Juventus’ Alvaro Morata (left) celebrates his goal during the UEFA Champions League Group G match page time. Sheikh Fahad bin Abdullah bin tors. against FC Dynamo Kiev at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine, yesterday. (AFP) Midfi elder Ruud Vormer beat Khalifa al-Thani’s Qatar Racing However, Juve suff ered an the off side trap and squared the ingsholm notched his Limited. Taking on his elders on early setback when defender front of his marker to head home Juventus winger Chiesa. “We CLUB BRUGGE STUN ball to De Ketelaere who capped second victory in the Monday, under Cieren Fallon, Giorgio Chiellini had to be sub- from close range in the 84th wanted this victory badly be- WASTEFUL ZENIT a fi ne individual performance Kwolverhampton-race- second jockey to Qatar Racing, stituted in the 19th minute with minute. cause it’s important to have a In Group F, Club Brugge made a with a simple tap-in past the course.co.uk Handicap, a five- they travelled in behind the what appeared to be a hamstring The Covid-19-limited crowd great start in the UEFA Champi- perfect start to their campaign home team’s stranded goalkeep- furlong race three-year-olds leaders on this turning track. injury, forcing Pirlo to reshuffl e roared on the hosts but Kiev ons League. after a stoppage time goal by er Mikhail Kerzhakov. rated 0-80, at Wolverhampton The duo hit the front with two his defence before Morata came struggled to create decent “The expectations are always Charles De Ketelaere gave them on Monday evening. The three- furlongs still to run and had to to the rescue. chances on their return to the high at Juve, but we try to win a 2-1 win at Zenit St Petersburg. RESULTS year-old bay gelding, trained battle hard to hold off the com- A clever backheel by Aaron Champions League after a four- every time we take the pitch,” he After a drab fi rst half, Em- Zenit Saint-Petersburg (RUS) by James Fanshawe, had his petition. Kingsholm was even- Ramsey set up Kulusevski and year absence as Juve comfort- added. manuel Bonaventure fi red the 1 (Horvath 74-og) Club Brugge first win over the same course tually able to land the spoils by although the Swedish winger’s ably closed out the win. Juventus host Barcelona in visitors ahead in the 63rd minute (BEL) 2 (Bonaventure 63, De and distance in August. a neck in front of Mutabaahy, shot was saved, Morata was on “The goal early in the second their next group game on Oct. when he swept in a rebound Ketelaere 90+3) Kingsholm is owned by Qatar with Dream House in third by hand to fi re home the rebound half helped us because we had 28, while Dynamo Kiev travel to from two metres after Yaroslav Dynamo Kiev (UKR) 0 Juven- Racing Limited in partnership three quarters of a length. and the Spaniard then stole in more space afterwards,” said Hungarian side Ferencvaros. Rakitskyy twice cleared close- tus (ITA) 2 (Morata 46,84) Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, October 21, 2020 FOOTBALL TOP OF THE LINE SC outlines Qatar 2022 Sustainability Strategy during virtual summit atar’s eff orts to host a ment plans set out in our Nation- also deliver a fully carbon neutral emissions from travelling while the tournament] as early as the sustainable FIFA World al Vision for 2030.