Thomas Tuchel hailed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s ‘sensational’ hat-trick after Borussia Dortmund’s 4-0 romp at home to Benfica saw the Germans steamroll their way into the Uefa Champions League quarter-finals.
Aubameyang has now scored seven goals in his last three games and has seven Champions League goals in as many matches this season. The result saw Dortmund win 4-1 on aggregate after their 1-0 defeat in Lisbon last month.
“It was a sensational performance,” Dortmund manager Tuchel said. “I love goals like his first one, because they need such good timing and Auba is always where he needs to be.”
Aubameyang’s first Champions League hat-trick was redemption after his night to forget in the first leg, when he missed four clear chances including a second-half penalty.
“We saw the real Aubameyang tonight as opposed to the first leg when I think his brother played,” Tuchel said. “That was the perfect time for ‘Auba’ to get his hat-trick. For a goalscorer, there is nothing more important than to score and he has a nose for goal.”
__________________________________
Read more
■ Neymar: 'The game of my life' as Barcelona stage historic comeback
■ Gallery: The best photos from Barcelona 6 PSG 1
■ PSG; Unai Emery battles to save job after 'nightmare' in Barcelona
__________________________________
Aubameyang is on 28 goals for the season as Dortmund reached the last eight in Europe for the first time since 2014.
Aubameyang took the man-of-the-match award, but US international Christian Pulisic, who only turns 19 in September, was outstanding.
The teenager set up Aubameyang’s opening goal with just four minutes gone, then netted the crucial second on 59 minutes to put Dortmund ahead in the tie and Aubameyang added the third two minutes later
“Christian is a very self-confident person and he can draw on his potential on moments like tonight,” Tuchel said.
“Along with the rest of the team, he put in an exceptional second-half performance.”
The defeat ensured more German pain for Benfica, who have now lost 15 times in 23 European games away to Bundesliga clubs.
“We played well up until the point when the opponent scored two goals in quick succession,” Benfica manager Rui Vitoria said. “We didn’t start well, conceding after only four minutes, but then we found our way.
“We had a few goal chances in the second half, but we didn’t use them and we didn’t react once they got their quick goals
“We can’t say everything was bad, the result was bad, but we played well in places and had our chances.
“We did all we could to reach the next round, we fought, but it wasn’t enough and of course, we’re sad after the result.”
Tuchel said he had no preference who his side plays in the last eight.
However, he admitted the euphoria of their victory turned into disbelief in the dressing room as the Dortmund squad watched the closing stages of Barcelona’s stunning 6-1 win over Paris St Germain.
“We watched the last two minutes of the game, we thought we were the sensational news of the round, but that clearly wasn’t to be,” Tuchel said with a smile.
* Agence France-Presse
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
KLOPP AT LIVERPOOL
Years: October 2015 - June 2024
Total games: 491
Win percentage: 60.9%
Major trophies: 6 (Premier League x 1, Champions League x 1, FA Cup x 1, League Cup x 2, Fifa Club World Cup x1)
TECH SPECS: APPLE WATCH SE (second generation)
Display: 40mm, 324 x 394; 44mm, 368 x 448; Retina LTPO OLED, up to 1000 nits; Ion-X glass
Processor: Apple S8, W3 wireless
Capacity: 32GB
Memory: 1GB
Platform: watchOS 9
Health metrics: 2nd-gen heart rate sensor, workouts, fall/crash detection; emergency SOS, international emergency calling
Connectivity: GPS/GPS + cellular; Wi-Fi, LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC (Apple Pay)
Durability: Water resistant up to 50m
Battery: 269mAh Li-ion, up to 18h, wireless charging
Cards: eSIM
Finishes: Aluminium; midnight, silver, starlight
In the box: Watch SE, magnetic-to-USB-C charging cable, band/loop
Price: Starts at Dh999 (40mm) / 1,119 (44mm)
Bridgerton season three - part one
Directors: Various
Starring: Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 3/5
THE SPECS
Battery: 60kW lithium-ion phosphate
Power: Up to 201bhp
0 to 100kph: 7.3 seconds
Range: 418km
Price: From Dh149,900
Available: Now
Company Profile
Name: HyveGeo
Started: 2023
Founders: Abdulaziz bin Redha, Dr Samsurin Welch, Eva Morales and Dr Harjit Singh
Based: Cambridge and Dubai
Number of employees: 8
Industry: Sustainability & Environment
Funding: $200,000 plus undisclosed grant
Investors: Venture capital and government
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Director: Peyton Reed
Stars: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors
Rating: 2/5
ILT20 UAE stars
LEADING RUN SCORERS
1 Nicholas Pooran, 261
2 Muhammad Waseem (UAE), 248
3 Chris Lynn, 244
4 Johnson Charles, 232
5 Kusal Perera, 230
BEST BOWLING AVERAGE
(minimum 10 overs bowled)
1 Zuhaib Zubair (UAE), 9 wickets at 12.44
2 Mohammed Rohid (UAE), 7 at 13.00
3 Fazalhaq Farooqi, 17 at 13.05
4 Waqar Salamkheil, 10 at 14.08
5 Aayan Khan (UAE), 4 at 15.50
6 Wanindu Hasaranga, 12 at 16.25
7 Mohammed Jawadullah (UAE), 10 at 17.00
WISH
Directors: Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn
Stars: Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk
Rating: 3.5/5
2019 ASIAN CUP FINAL
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
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
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Director: Adam Wingard
Starring: Brian Tyree Henry, Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens
Rating: 4/5
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
ANATOMY OF A FALL
Director: Justine Triet
Starring: Sandra Huller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner
Rating: 5/5
Indika
Developer: 11 Bit Studios
Publisher: Odd Meter
Console: PlayStation 5, PC and Xbox series X/S
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
The Specs
Lamborghini LM002
Engine: 5.2-litre V12
Power: 450hp at 6,800rpm
Torque: 500Nm at 4,500rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
0-100kph: 9 seconds (approx)
Top speed: 210kph (approx)
Years built: 1986-93
Total vehicles built: 328
Value today: $300,000+
TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
RESULT
Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 4
Leverkusen: Alario (9'), Wirtz (89')
Bayern: Coman (27'), Goretzka (42'), Gnabry (45'), Lewandowski (66')
Williams at Wimbledon
Venus Williams - 5 titles (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008)
Serena Williams - 7 titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016)
