Two domestic title races, featuring defending champions who normally win their leagues as a matter of routine, reached crossroads moments at the weekend.
In France, Lille went to Ligue 1 holders, Paris Saint-Germain, second against first, joined on points. In Germany, RB Leipzig played champions Bayern Munich, with a chance to narrow the gap between second and first to a single point.
Bayern had a major concern. Leading goalscorer, Robert Lewandowski, had picked up a knee injury on international duty with Poland grave enough to keep him out for, perhaps, all of April. PSG had good news for their summit meeting. Neymar was ready to make a first start, post-injury, for almost two months.
As it turned out, Bayern managed fine without their stellar centre-forward. Meanwhile, PSG would finish their high-pressure fixture with their star, Neymar, no longer on the pitch. He had been sent off.
Bayern won 1-0 at Leipzig to gain a seven-point lead with seven matches left. The Bundesliga title, one of six trophies they collected from the disrupted 2019-20 season, looks safe.
PSG, on the other hand, skate on thin ice. With seven Ligue 1 games left, they trail Lille by three points, having lost 1-0 at home to their upstart challengers on a wretched day that culminated with Neymar’s red card.
How much of that baggage PSG manage to leave behind when they kick off their Champions League quarter-final at Bayern on Wednesday is part of the challenge for head coach, Mauricio Pochettino.
He is relatively fresh to the job, but has some experience of rollercoaster title-races – with Tottenham Hotspur – and indeed of reversing the odds, as he did with Spurs in 2019, on a journey to a European Cup final.
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Raging Neymar sent off for kicking
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But he has very little silverware from a lauded managerial career. When he won the French Super Cup, a first trophy as a head coach, in only his third match after his January appointment at PSG, Pochettino was inheriting a prize earned by last season’s successful league campaign, under Thomas Tuchel.
Since replacing Tuchel, Pochettino’s path has been far from smooth. He has overseen four PSG league defeats in 14 matches, not the sort of ratio a club who have been France’s champions seven times in the last eight, extravagantly-funded, years are used to.
Pochettino highlighted a problem of “consistency” of “ups and downs” after the Lille setback. He avoided judgment on Neymar’s hot-tempered departure from the field, in the 90th minute. The Brazilian was involved in various confrontations with Lille’s Tiago Djalo, who had also been shown a second yellow card, as the two players returned to their dressing-rooms.
Pochettino needs his superstar calm for Bayern, closer to the version of Neymar that helped to drive Tuchel’s PSG to last season’s Champions League final, against Bayern.
At the end of that, Neymar was in tears after the 1-0 defeat. He had toiled and often galvanised PSG to a historic high, their first-ever European Cup final and fallen tantalisingly short at the last step.
The pressure on PSG to win club football’s biggest prize, and on the game’s most expensive player, the €222m Neymar, bought from Barcelona to deliver a Champions League, weighs heavy.
A re-run of last season’s final at the last-eight stage is the hurdle that was least welcome when the draw for the quarter-finals was made.
Hansi Flick, the Bayern head coach, insists what happened in the Lisbon final last August counts for nothing. “For us, it’s irrelevant. New game, different players, and PSG have a new coach as well.”
The loss of Lewandowski is a significant difference, and Bayern may also miss striker Serge Gnabry, who missed training with a sore throat.
A PSG with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in harness, with their Mbappe-inspired 4-1 win at Barcelona in the last round in the rear-view mirror, are entitled to imagine they have the superior attacking options.
“They have enormous quality going forward,” said Flick. “That’s what we have to stop. It’s about keeping our shape when we are in possession, and minding out for our defensive positions. But we’ve been conceding fewer goals and been tighter at closing up gaps, which will be important.”
Pochettino has absences to compensate for. Marco Verratti and Alessandro Florenzi, both part of his preferred XI, are out, having returned positive Covid-19 tests. Leandro Paredes, his midfield organiser, is suspended, while Mauro Icardi, the striker and Laywin Kurzawa, the left-back, are injured. Of equal concern is the rickety recent form.
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
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
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
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Price: From Dh126,000
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
