Al Hilal manager Jorge Jesus praised his defence for keeping Cristiano Ronaldo quiet on Monday as the record-breaking Riyadh club booked their place in the Saudi Super Cup final with a 2-1 win over Al Nassr in Abu Dhabi.
Following a scoreless and even first half, Hilal broke the deadlock at the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium through Saudi international Salem Al Dawsari just after the hour mark, before Brazilian forward Malcom doubled their advantage 11 minutes later.
Ronaldo, who entered the match having scored successive hat-tricks in his previous two games, could not add to his tally this season, and his frustrations eventually boiled over in the 86th minute when he was shown a red card for elbowing a Hilal player.
Sadio Mane halved the deficit with a goal deep into injury time, but it was too late to spark a comeback as Hilal booked a final showdown on Thursday with Al Ittihad, who had earlier defeated Al Wehda in the other semi-final.
“We expected Nassr to change their style of play and indeed they did to hold us in the first half, but we changed gear after the break to take control and earn a well-deserved result and reach the final,” said Jesus, whose Hilal side stretched their world-record winning run to 33 matches.
“The first half was equal. Both sides created scoring opportunities and going into the second half I think we had some clear chances to break the deadlock, particularly in the first 10-15 minutes. We eventually managed to score, not once but twice, and all credit to the players.”
Key to the victory was preventing Ronaldo from scoring. The Portuguese forward has been in prolific form this season and tops the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with 29 goals, seven clear of Hilal's Aleksandar Mitrovic.
“Cristiano is not someone who wants to be in a losing side. Obviously, he lost his cool. We must understand he’s a dangerous player for any team who may encounter him,” Jesus said.
“We had a good defence to counter Cristiano. Our centre-backs Kalidou Koulibaly and (Ali) Albulayhi marked him closely throughout the game. They did a great job in the last line of defence.
“Hilal and Nassr encounters are derbies. We are winning against them for the third time in the season but these results don’t come easy," Jesus added. "Even tonight, it could have gone either way. Our plans, particularly in the second half, worked better. It really was an outstanding team effort.”
Nassr manager Luis Castro came to Ronaldo’s defence by saying he didn’t deserve to be sent off for retaliation.
“Cristiano is a high-profile and famous player and everyone in the opposite side tries to provoke him. I don’t think he did anything that justified his expulsion,” Castro said, before adding that Hilal ultimately deserved to win.
“We had a good first half but the players lost control of the match after the break.
“We had some difficulties in the attack in the second half and Hilal took advantage of that opportunity to score two goals. We also allowed them to take possession in the second half, and we lacked the positivity of the first half.”
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
