Paris // Giovanni Sio struck a controversial equaliser for Rennes in a 1-1 draw to dent Monaco's Uefa Champions League hopes, while struggling French giants Marseille saw their record winless home run extended to 15 matches in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
Monaco are wrestling with Lyon, Nice and Saint-Etienne for a pair of Champions League berths, and grabbed a 14th-minute lead at Roazhon Park when Helder Costa steered home after Nabil Dirar’s clever flick from a long throw.
But Ivory Coast international Sio snatched a contentious equaliser 10 minutes from time, controlling the ball with his hand before beating Monaco goalkeeper Danijel Subasic from close range as the visitors’ protests fell on deaf ears.
Read more: 'We can end on a good note' as PSG hone in on clean sweep of French titles after beating Lille in League Cup final
Also see: Michel sacked as Marseille manager: 'It had been coming for a while'
Fabinho nearly scored a dramatic injury-time winner for Monaco, but the Brazilian’s effort was cleared off the line by Fallou Diagne as Rennes ended their two-game losing run.
“I think Monaco played better and created three or four good situations,” said the principality club’s coach Leonardo Jardim.
“We missed these chances and then Rennes scored a beautiful goal with a piece of control of great quality,” he added bitterly of the equaliser.
“When you work, you always do so to win, and when you don’t win you are disappointed, but it is still in our hands if we are to reach our objective.”
Monaco trail second-place Lyon, 3-2 winners at Toulouse on Saturday, on goal difference in the race for France’s second automatic Champions League qualifying spot, with Nice and Saint-Etienne both two points adrift.
Earlier, crisis-hit Marseille were again left to rue costly mistakes as the 10-man hosts were held to a 1-1 draw by Nantes.
Sunday’s game at the Velodrome was played in front of fewer than 20,000 fans as Marseille served a partial stadium ban following crowd trouble during their 0-0 draw against Bordeaux a fortnight ago.
Michy Batshuayi went close to scoring the opening goal on 29 minutes when his low strike was tipped onto the post by Nantes goalkeeper Maxime Dupe, but it was a familiar tale as Nicolas Nkoulou gifted Nantes the lead two minutes later.
A breakdown in communication between Nkoulou and goalkeeper Steve Mandanda resulted in the former diverting a cross into his own net when there appeared to be little danger.
However Florian Thauvin, whose goal in a 1-0 win against Sochaux in midweek sent Marseille through to next month’s French Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain, grabbed an equaliser just after the break.
But Marseille’s hopes of snapping a 10-match winless streak in the top flight suffered a damaging blow when Alaixys Romao was sent off on 55 minutes for kicking out at Yacine Bammou.
And there was worse to come for OM as Abou Diaby, starting his second straight game after 18 months out through injury, hobbled off midway through the second half.
“There was a lack of rhythm in the first half and we started the game poorly. Then there was the goal which was a bit unlucky and that knocked down my players’ confidence to a level even lower than it was at the start of the game against Sochaux,” said OM interim coach Franck Passi.
“Since the start of the season quite a few things have gone against us, but the players never give up. Faced with adversity, to get back level and earn a point is important,” he added, with OM five points above the relegation zone with three games left to play.
Saint-Etienne remain firmly in the hunt for the third and final Champions League place as Nolan Roux struck two second-half goals in a 2-0 victory over Lorient, stretching their winning run to five matches.
Montpellier all but banished their relegation fears after thrashing bottom side Troyes 4-1, while Gazelec Ajaccio climbed out of the bottom three, at the expense of Reims, following a 3-2 victory against Bastia in the Corsica derby.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
Remaining Fixtures
Wednesday: West Indies v Scotland
Thursday: UAE v Zimbabwe
Friday: Afghanistan v Ireland
Sunday: Final
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times
If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.
A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.
The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.
In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.
The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.
Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.
Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.
“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.
The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.
“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.
“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”
Naga
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMeshal%20Al%20Jaser%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EAdwa%20Bader%2C%20Yazeed%20Almajyul%2C%20Khalid%20Bin%20Shaddad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
ASSASSIN'S%20CREED%20MIRAGE
%3Cp%3E%0DDeveloper%3A%20Ubisoft%20Bordeaux%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Ubisoft%0D%3Cbr%3EConsoles%3A%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20Series%20S%26amp%3BX%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
Number of employees: 36
Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
