It was a minute after half time when Real Madrid’s PA announcer was moved to scream ‘Gol de Karim!’ four times. And on each occasion, 76,000 home fans hollered ‘BENZEMA!’ back, getting louder every time.
Those ecstatic cries came when the French striker had put Madrid in front in their stirring Uefa Champions League semi-final, an error from Bayern Munich’s goalkeeper Sven Ulrich allowing him an easy finish. It was Benzema’s 54th Champions League goal in 102 games.
Among current players only Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored more.
Benzema scored Madrid’s first, too, heading in a cross from Marcelo after 11 minutes when he found space at the far post, a much-needed equaliser after Joshua Kimmich’s third minute goal gave Bayern the lead and made the tie 2-2 on aggregate.
Benzema’s opener, the final touch of a 28-pass move, prompted an immense celebration as the former Lyon player, in his ninth season at Madrid, ran towards the corner flag with his arms outstretched. His teammates Mateo Kovacic, Lucas Vazquez and Luka Modric flooded towards him in unabated joy.
Madrid, as the ‘Kings of Europe’ flags and scarves on sale outside the Bernabeu attest, live for European success.
The match was far from over. James Rodriguez, who came to Munich via Madrid, scored a 63rd-minute goal to make the game 2-2 on the night and 3-4 on aggregate, meaning Bayern only needed another goal to go through, but Madrid hung on in a breathtaking finish.
Most of Bayern Munich’s players slumped to the floor, disconsolate, after another epic Bernabeu game between the two giants of European football. Meanwhile, the victorious Madrid players ran hand-in-hand and charged at both ends of football’s grandest stadium before jumping in unison in delight at their latest success.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who reached a sixth Champions League final, took off his shirt and and threw it into a section of 3,000 similarly white-shirted Madrid fans beyond the south goal, where they were waving a solitary flag with his No 7 on.
The Madrid players later returned from the dressing room without their boots but with their children, to salute fans after what Bayern Munich manager Jupp Heynckes described as a “a world-class football match”.
This was a game in which Benzema had been instrumental, as Zinedine Zidane - who has won all 11 knockout ties he has faced in the competition as Madrid boss - acknowledged.
“I am very happy for Karim. He wanted to score tonight and he scored twice. Him doing that he allowed us to make it through the final.
“Karim has played a good season despite the drought he suffered. It is true that he had a drought, but in spite of that he has had a good season.
"He always did his job on the pitch and I always believed in him. I think our fans did the same.”
Many commentators in the media did not and Benzema, who is beloved by club president Florentino Perez, appeared to be losing even Zidane’s favour as he started on the bench at home in the last round against Juventus and only came on for the final 23 minutes in he first leg in Munich. He was also on the bench for the recent Madrid derby against Atletico.
Despite Benzema being Ronaldo’s favourite strike partner, the man who creates space for him by pulling defenders left and right, critics said he did not work hard enough or score enough goals – just nine from 41 games before Tuesday.
When he started as captain but did not score against Leganes at the weekend, he was not expected to start against Bayern. But he did – and how he vindicated that decision and not only by his goalscoring exploits.
Benzema’s relentless running and movement are admired by teammates. Time and time again, he combined with Modric in channels on the right going forward. But he also came back frequently, winning the ball seven times, more than any other Madrid player.
On one occasion after 20 minutes, he won the ball in the middle near the centre circle and took it wide out of danger, earning applause and a cry of ‘This is Madrid!’ from a fan near your correspondent.
Benzema got lucky – Madrid always get lucky – after what Heynckes described as "a gift that we gave Real Madrid" for their second goal, "a little blackout". Just like last year, Bayern were the better side, but they presented chances to Madrid and failed to take their own.
“All Madrid were doing was counter attacks,” Heynckes pointed out. “My team played very well. Quite a few of our players were injured, five of our top seven, but we put on such a beautiful display in front of 80,000 people. All of my players played brilliantly, it's a shame that we are out.”
______________
Our Uefa Champions League coverage
Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool must be 'brave' to reach the Uefa Champions League football final
Richard Jolly: Liverpool know only too well what it's like to face a team with nothing to lose
Ian Hawkey analysis: Roma have shown they are capable of staging seismic comebacks
Dietmar Hamann: Liverpool can use momentum to push Man City harder next season
______________
Madrid, meanwhile, go on to a fourth Champions League final in five years, their third in succession. Benzema will now be a favourite to start in Kiev on May 26.
Those who know him say he needs strong people above him and the 30-year-old player feels that he has that in the supportive Perez and Zidane.
Benzema was given a deserved standing ovation when he came off for Gareth Bale after 71 minutes, while his replacement’s future at the club is in far more doubt.
No longer an automatic starter for his side’s biggest games, the Welshman - who has a contract in Spain until 2022 - will be linked again with a move. It could probably be to Manchester United, one of the few clubs that can afford him. But while United can be tempted by big names, they are not looking for forwards.
Bale can be brilliant, but he has been sorely hampered by injuries, starting less than half Madrid’s Primera Liga and Champions League games. He needs a change of fortune, like the one his teammate had against Bayern.
“Benzema’s showed that he’s a great player,” Zidane concluded. “He never gives up.”
Nor do Madrid.
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets
Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs
Table
1 UAE 5 5 0 10
2 Qatar 5 4 1 8
3 Saudi 5 3 2 6
4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4
5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2
6 Maldives 5 0 5 0
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Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Florence and the Machine – High as Hope
Three stars
MATCH INFO:
Second Test
Pakistan v Australia, Tuesday-Saturday, 10am daily at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Entrance is free
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Fight card
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) v Rey Nacionales (PHI)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROM) v Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR)
Catch 74kg
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) v Omar Hussein (JOR)
Strawweight (Female)
Weronika Zygmunt (POL) v Seo Ye-dam (KOR)
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) v Walid Laidi (ALG)
Lightweight
Leandro Martins (BRA) v Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW)
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) v Sofiane Benchohra (ALG)
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR)
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Glen Ranillo (PHI)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Aidan Aguilera (AUS)
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) Sasha Palatnikov (HKG)
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR)
2019 Asian Cup final
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
US households add $601bn of debt in 2019
American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.
Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.
In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.
The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.
"Younger borrowers, who are disproportionately likely to have credit cards and student loans as their primary form of debt, struggle more than others with on-time repayment," New York Fed researchers said.
Australia men's Test cricket fixtures 2021/22
One-off Test v Afghanistan:
Nov 27-Dec 1: Blundstone Arena, Hobart
The Ashes v England:
Dec 8-12: 1st Test, Gabba, Brisbane
Dec 16-20: 2nd Test, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (day/night)
Dec 26-30: 3rd Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Jan 5-9, 2022: 4th Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Jan 14-18: 5th Test, Optus Stadium, Perth
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
JERSEY INFO
Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
ANATOMY%20OF%20A%20FALL
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If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia