Sport TUESDAY 20 OCTOBER 2020 BarcaB not among Champions League ffavourites, says copach Koeman When you’re at Barcelona you always want to be there fightingf for trophies, be it in La Liga or Europe. We aren’t the favourites,f but we can go far. Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman Sport | 11 MLB - CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: (GAME 7) Los Angeles Dodgers beat Atlanta Braves 4 - 3 (Dodgers advance to World Series) World No. 1 Farag leads star cast at Qatar Classic THE PENINSULA – DOHA Diego Elias (World No. 6), World No. Syed Azlan Amjad (a wildcard 7 Marwa El Shorbagy and the Qatar’s most successful player entrant). Qatar is getting set to host the eighth-ranked Simon Rosner, the and World No. 27 Abdullah Tamimi stunned the world with world’s best men squash players 2018 finalist. The 2005 champion Mohammed Al Tamimi to join a his superb performance at last again at the 2020 Qatar Classic, the James Willstrop will also be star cast which includes year’s PSA Men’s World Squash 19th edition of the annual interna- strutting his stuff along with Championship where he reached tional squash tournament, which Grégory Gaultier, the 2011 three-time champion and the the Round of 16, narrowly losing to takes place at the Khalifa Interna- champion who has been given a World No.2 Mohammed El eventual champion Tarek Momen. tional Tennis and Squash Complex wildcard. Shorbagy, 2016 champion and Tournament Director Tareq from November 1 to 7. The event, being held against World No. 3 Karim Adbel Gawad, Zainal said, “We are happy to be Forty six players including the the backdrop of the global COVID Tarek Momen, the 2017 finalist hosting the tournament again after world’s top-eight are featuring at 19 pandemic, is doubtlessly a testi- the break occasioned by the the prestigious tournament, one of monial to the undaunted spirit and and the World No.5 Paul Coll at hosting of last year’s World Cham- the signature events on the Profes- passion of all the stakeholders for the19th edition of the annual pionship. Without any doubt, Qatar sional Squash Association (PSA) the sport, as well as the unwavering international squash is passionate about squash, and we Tour, which carries a total prize commitment of the organisers to tournament. are committed once more to purse of $175.000 cash prize. the tournament. hosting an eventful event - a tour- Players expected in Doha All eyes will be on the top- nament will linger for a long time include defending champion and ranked Mohammed El Shorbagy, 22 after 192 days of recess due to in the memories of all participants. World No.1 Ali Farag, three-time who holds the enviable record of the COVID-19 pandemic. His Man- We are leaving no stone unturned champion and the World No.2 the only person to win three times chester title was the 42nd PSA title to ensure the safety of all partici- Mohammed El Shorbagy, 2016 at the tournament, as he embarks of his career, moving him to fifth pants, given the current global champion and World No. 3 Karim on the journey of making it four on the all-time squash win list. coronavirus pandemic, and eve- Adbel Gawad, Tarek Momen, the conquests. Qatar’s most successful player ryone is assured of a safe and 2017 finalist and the World No.5 The 28-year-old Egyptian has and World No. 27 Abdullah hitch-free tournament besides our Paul Coll. been in fine form this year, winning Mohammed Al Tamimi will be well acknowledged world-class World No.1 Ali Farag Other stars on the card include the Manchester open on September leading the home charge alongside hospitality.” United Champions League: PSG kicks without Cavani and off campaign with eye on title Maguire for AFP – PARIS contract, said earlier this month as he trip to PSG indicated PSG could not win the Cham- Paris Saint-Germain came so close to pions League without major winning the prize they crave more than strengthening. REUTERS – LONDON anything in last season’s Champions “We didn’t like what he said. The club League and are hoping to go one better didn’t like it and I didn’t like it either,” Edinson Cavani’s hopes of this time, but there are concerns that the said Leonardo. making his Manchester United Qatar-owned club might actually have “If you decide to stay, you have to debut against former club Paris gone backwards in recent months. respect the club’s sporting policy, the St Germain in the Champions Bayern Munich’s greater experience internal rules and the situation at the League were dashed after the told in Lisbon in August, and there were club.” Uruguayan striker was left out tears at the end for Neymar as the French But if there was no love lost just a of the travelling squad champions agonisingly lost 1-0 in their few weeks ago, Tuchel would have been yesterday. first ever Champions League final. pleased to see several new signings United manager Ole Two months on, Thomas Tuchel’s arrive just before the transfer window Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed side begin their latest bid for European closed on October 5. Cavani as well as captain Harry success at home to Manchester United PSG signed two new midfielders, Maguire, Mason Greenwood, Paris Saint-Germain today, in a rematch of the last-16 tie in with Portuguese international Danilo Eric Bailly and Jesse Lingard players in action 2019 which PSG lost to a controversial Pereira arriving on loan from Porto and have missed the trip to the late penalty. during a pre- Rafinha joining on a three-year deal French capital for today’s It therefore brings back memories match practice from Barcelona. opening group stage match. of just one of several painful defeats in session yesterday, Italy striker Moise Kean was also Solskjaer confirmed Cavani the Champions League in recent years, on the eve of captured on loan from Everton to still needs to work on his fitness but the reality is that Paris should be con- their Champions strengthen the attack. levels, while Maguire has sus- sidered favourites against the Old League match Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are still tained a minor knock. Trafford side and to win a group also against Manchester there of course, and so is Angel di Maria, Cavani, who joined United containing RB Leipzig and Istanbul United. INSET: PSG's but they still look light in defence. on a free transfer after his PSG Basaksehir. Neymar during the Friday’s 4-0 win over Nimes was contract expired last season, Yet whether this will be the season practice session. their fifth in a row in Ligue 1 after starting had to self-isolate for 14 days that they do go all the way remains to the campaign with two straight defeats, on arrival in the United be seen. the Champions League in August -- in PSG’s history. I am saying this so that yet question marks remain about their Kingdom. The 33-year-old fin- Tuchel has been the first to complain Cavani is now at United and so could the club progresses and doesn’t make longer-term prospects this season. ished his spell in Paris as the that his squad is weaker than it was last come back to haunt his old side this the same mistakes in future.” Tuchel Meanwhile in the short term PSG are French club’s most prolific season as PSG -- having already seen week. would appear to agree with that view, still missing a host of players for the start scorer with 200 goals but has several key players depart over the Skipper Thiago Silva did stay for the with his apparently difficult relationship of their European campaign. not played since March. summer -- have started the new cam- ‘Final Eight’ in Lisbon but has since with the man who makes the signings Influential left-back Juan Bernat is In Maguire’s absence, paign hamstrung by injuries, suspensions joined Chelsea and complained that producing regular headlines in France. out with a knee injury, while midfield United playmaker Bruno Fern- and coronavirus cases. sporting director Leonardo had been “We will do everything we possibly duo Marco Verratti and Leandro Paredes andes will captain the side for Right-back Thomas Meunier and all- “clumsy and rushed” in refusing to offer can and we will never accept excuses are expected to miss Tuesday’s game and the first time, which he dis- time record goal-scorer Edinson Cavani him a deal to stay. but we have to face up to the reality and Mauro Icardi is absent too. covered while sitting alongside left when their contracts ended, not even “Not only with me,” the Brazilian told that is that we have lost players,” the Di Maria, at least, can play here while his manager for the news sticking around for the latter stages of France Football. “Cavani is the top scorer German, who is in the final year of his he serves a ban domestically. conference. Boli strikes as Al Rayyan beat Al Wakrah; Al Arabi clinch first win of QSL season THE PENINSULA – DOHA Khater from the right side of the that they earned from their goalless penalty area. draw with Al Khor in Week 2. The Ivorian Yohan Boli was the star of the The victory raised Al Rayyan's Orange Fortress had lost 0-3 to Al day for Al Rayyan who defeated Al points total to seven, while Al Wakrah Duhail in their opener and then 0-2 Wakrah while Al Arabi clinched their remained six points.