Sport SUNDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2021 RootR has answer for everything: Stokes He’sH in phenomenal form, just making things look very very easy aand the way he plays, well - dominates - spin is incredible to wwatch. I don’t think we’ve had an England batsman play spin in tthe way that he does. He’s just got an answer for everything that’s tthrown at him, and it’s just a delight to watch at the moment. Ben Stokes Sport |06 RUGBY: SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: France beat Italy 50-10, Scotland beat England 11-6 TODAY'S FIXTURE: Wales vs Ireland European champions Bayern touch down in Doha UEFA Champions League winners FC Bayern Munich players arriving at the Hamad International Airport in Doha yesterday ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020 semi-final clash against Egyptian side Al Ahly SC. TOP: Fans waiting outside the airport to welcome Hans-Dieter Flick’s men who are targeting their second Club World Cup title. Palmeiras, Tigres ready for feisty contest in first CWC semi-final PALMEIRAS Coach: Abel Ferreira FAWAD HUSSAIN Palmeiras players during a practice session (Portugal) THE PENINSULA at Aspire Zone yesterday. Weverton (Brazil), PIC: TWITTER / @PALMEIRAS We are aware of Palmeiras’ Marcos Rocha (Brazil), Newly-crowned Copa Liberta- quality. I don't think there is Emerson Santos (Brazil), dores champions Palmeiras are anything that we don't know Benjamín Kuscevic (Chile), set to make their FIFA Club World Patrick de Paula (Brazil), Cup debut as they take on about them. But we treat all the Alan Empereur (Brazil), Zé Mexican giants Tigres UANL, with teams equally, be it Brazilian, Rafael (Brazil), Luiz Adriano both sides eyeing victory at the Chinese, Korean, German. We do (Brazil), Rony (Brazil), Education City Stadium to book not value or belittle anyone. Mayke (Brazil), Luan spot in the final. Tomorrow is not going to be the (Brazil), Gustavo Scarpa Palmeiras, the Sao Paulo club, (Brazil), Gustavo Gómez was the last side to qualify in the exception: Tigres UANL coach (Paraguay), Matías Viña six-team event being held in Ricardo Ferretti (Uruguay), Lucas Lima Qatar after they edged three-time (Brazil), Jailson (Brazil), champions Santos on last-gasp Raphael Veiga (Brazil), Vin- goal on Saturday to regain Copa stay focused as a group and keep icius Silvestre (Brazil), Libertadores trophy after 21 years. dreaming. That’s what we’re Gabriel Menino (Brazil), Being one of the most suc- doing,” said Melo. Gabriel Veron (Brazil), cessful football clubs in Brazil, Danilo (Brazil), Willian The Greens – coached by Portu- Tigres UANL look to (Brazil), and Felipe Melo guese Abel Ferreira – will start as (captain) (Brazil) favourites against CONCACAF make history at Cup Champions League winners Mexican clubs have played Tigres in today’s first semi-final, Tigres UANL players taking part in a training session. PIC: TWITTER / @TIGRESOFICIAL FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals which will kick off at 9:00pm. on nine occasions but they have But Tigres, who reached the not reached the title match of the semi-final of the ongoing event tournament yet, and Tigres are with a 2-1 comeback win over hoping to achieve the feat. Asian champions Ulsan Hyundai “Just as the fans are excited, FC following Andre-Pierre Gig- so are we and we want to do nac’s brace on Thursday, are things well. The message is the capable of pulling off a shocker same: we will try to do our best,” against the Brazilians. Brazil-born Ferretti said a pre- With head coach Ricardo match video conference Ferretti at the helm since 2010, yesterday. the Mexican side Tigres has "We are aware of Palmeiras’ TIGRES UANL shown phenomenal progress quality. I don't think there is any- Coach: Ricardo Fer- winning four of their seven Liga thing that we don't know about retti (Brazil) MX titles between 2015 and 2019, them. But we treat all the teams Nahuel Guzmán and Palmeiras are aware of their equally, be it Brazilian, Chinese, (Argentina), Carlos Salcedo threat. Korean, German. We do not value (Mexico), Hugo Ayala “Tigres have played in the or belittle anyone. Tomorrow is (Mexico), Rafael Carioca three finals of CONCACAF in the not going to be the exception,” the (Brazil), Jordan Sierra last five years and are a team 66-year-old added. (Ecuador), André-Pierre which has been invested heavily. Tigres captain Guido Pizarro Gignac (France), Diego In addition they have a collective, said his team is targeting a spot Reyes (Mexico), Juan purposeful way of playing. They in the final - against Bayern Sánchez Purata (Mexico), like colourful, attacking football,” But Ferreira, 42, said his this player, we have to worry skilled and strong forwards. We Munich or Al Ahly, who will Leonardo Fernández Palmeiras coach Ferreira told a team will enter the important before the ball reaches his feet, know the ability of the Tigres square off in the second semi- (Uruguay), Aldo Cruz video conference on the eve of match with a positive frame of we have to anticipate. More than striker, hopefully we can have a final tomorrow. (Mexico), Guido Pizarro the semi-final. mind. being concerned about Gignac, great game.” “We are aware of the hier- (captain) (Argentina), “We have to do what we do we have to worry about Tigres Palmeiras defensive mid- archy they have, the same as us. Javier Aquino (Mexico), best: play top football, so we feel as a team. We will impose our fielder Felipe Melo said the team It will be difficult from a technical Francisco Meza safe. We want to go out with way of defending and attacking is focused on today’s semi-final point of view, we face a tough (Colombia), Raymundo Ful- Tigres have played in the three courage and respect. We know against them. We have defend against a tough side. opponent, but trusting in the gencio (Mexico), Luis finals of CONCACAF in the last five they have quality, but we know well because our opponent has “We saw part of the Tigres capabilities we have to go to the Quiñones (Colombia), Luis years and are a team which has our goals, ambitions, what it will a lot of quality and tremendous game, we know that they are a final,” said Pizarro. Rodríguez (Mexico), Jesús been invested heavily. In addition cost us,” he added. potential with great players,” strong team. They are focused “We know that we have the Dueñas (Mexico), Carlos Ferreira also had instructions said the coach. on the World Cup and showed ability and enthusiasm to go González (Paraguay), they have a collective, purposeful for his side against Tigres’ main Yesterday, Palmeiras their strength against Ulsan. looking for it. Sunday will be like Julián Quiñones way of playing. They like colourful, weapon in Frenchman Gignac – defender Gustavo Gomez added They demonstrated strengths a final, to reach the goal that is to (Colombia), Juan Pablo attacking football: Palmeiras the all-time leading scorer for on Gignac: “It will be a difficult and weaknesses, as did all the reach the final, and then we will Chávez (Mexico), Érick coach Abel Ferreira the Mexicans with 146 goals in game, but we work every day teams. We are going to work on go in search of everything. Hope- Ávalos (Mexico), Arturo all competitions. against great forwards. In the it, just as they are going to work fully, we can do it for everyone,” Delgado (Mexico) and “We have to look closely at Brazilian League there are also on us. The important thing is to the midfielder added. Patrick Ogama (Mexico) SUNDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2021 SPORT 07 Home heroes Al Duhail face Asian champions in fifth place play-off We have left our defeat to Al Ahly We will play to win: Lamouchi behind and all our focus is now in the match against Ulsan Hyundai. All our players tried their best against Al Ahly FAWAD HUSSAINHUSSAIN AL DUHAIL SQUAD but we lost. Now the team is THE PENINSULAPENINSULA Coach: Sabri Lamouchi (France) determined to do well in the final Mohammed Al Bakri (Qatar), Mohammed Musa (Qatar), Ali Malolah (Qatar), game of the tournament and leave FollowingFollowing Al Duhail’sDuhail 1-0 loss to Al Medhi Benatia (Morocco), Bassam Al-Rawi (Qatar), Ahmed Yasser (Qatar), mark in this prestigious event. We will AhlyAhA ly inin theirtheir firstfirst gamegag at the FIFA Ismaeel Mohammad (Qatar), Luiz Júnior (captain) (Qatar), Edmilson Junior play to win and take the fifth position ClubClC ub WorldWorldl Cup,Cup, team’steea star striker (Belgium), Karim Boudiaf (Qatar), Mubarak Shanan Hamza (Qatar), Abdullah of this tough tournament. I am very AlmoezAllmomoeze AAlili llamentedamene teed giving ‘too much Al-Ahrak (Qatar), Khalifa Ababacar (Qatar), Sultan Al-Brake (Qatar), Almoez confident that players will give a very respect’rerespecct’t ttoo ththehe AfAfricanfricaan champions. But Ali (Qatar), Ali Afif (Qatar), Salah Zakaria (Qatar), Khaled Mohammed (Qatar), good performance to achieve win: TheThhe RedReed KnightsKKnnights areaare in no mood to Assim Madibo (Qatar), Ali Karimi (Iran), Michael Olunga (Kenya), Mohammed Al Duhail coach Sabri Lamouchi adoptaddopopt thethhe samesas mem approachap again as Muntari (Qatar) and Dudu (Brazil) theythhey taketake ono AsianA champions UlsanUlU sas n HyundaiHyH unundaa FC today. ULSAN HYUNDAI SQUAD We were not lucky enough to find net TheThhe twotwwo Asian rivals will Coach: Hong Myung-bo (S Korea) against Al Ahly but we gained a lot of facefacec ooffff aatt 66:00pm at Ahmad Jo Su-huk (S Korea), Bae Jae-woo (S Korea), Jason Davidson (Australia), experience against a very good side. BinBiB n AliAli Stadium,StStaad looking to Dave Bulthuis (Netherlands), Kim Tae-hyeon (S Korea), Shin Hyung-min We still have one match left in the avoidavvoio d thetth proverbial (S Korea), Kim In-sung (S Korea), Kim Ji-hyeon (S Korea), Yoon Bit-garam tournament and all we target is the woodenwwooddeenn spoons in the six- (S Korea), Lee Dong-jun (S Korea), Kim Min-jun (S Korea), Won Du-jae (S victory.