Julian Draxler was reflecting on the difficulties Manchester United face in Paris on March 6. The loss of the sent-off and suspended Paul Pogba threatens to be a big disadvantage.
“I think so because for me Paul is the best player of Manchester United,” the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder said. “He is very important for the team and even [on Tuesday] you could see he is fantastic.
"That is why we are very happy he will not play the second leg.”
Lacking their native Parisian, United could look to PSG for inspiration as they seek to overhaul a 2-0 deficit. The French champions were the supposed three-man team without two of those men at Old Trafford and if the one remnant of their feared front three, Kylian Mbappe, was evisceratingly brilliant, victory showed an adaptability.
“For sure, we are better if [Edinson] Cavani and Neymar are playing, but we have an excellent team even without them,” Draxler said.
So they proved. “It is not easy to come to Old Trafford and win and that is why we are very happy and proud,” the German added.
Deprived of an injured pair who have scored 42 times this season, PSG inflicted United’s heaviest European defeat at Old Trafford. If it was a perception-shifting night, the stardust of the first-choice front three can blind observers to the talents behind them.
PSG’s supporting cast are sufficiently distinguished that they include the man of the match in the 2014 Uefa Champions League final, in Angel di Maria. If the outstanding Di Maria and Draxler felt liberated by more attacking briefs, PSG looked something they do not always seem: a team.
They can feel a star vehicle, patched up with cheaper components because of the frontloaded approach to recruitment. The choice of a manager, in Thomas Tuchel, with collectivist principles seemed to jar with a sense of indulging individualism.
Instead, they shaped the commensurate European away performance, showing defensive and positional discipline and counter-attacking pace. They weathered an onslaught and flourished after United lost the injured Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial.
“We are happy about the result but also the way we were playing,” Draxler added. “In the second half, we were more confident and the pressure of Manchester United was a little bit less so that helped us to improve our game.
"We found some space on the pitch and we used that very well.”
It brought a minor milestone for a side with seemingly limitless firepower. For the first time since October 2017, they kept a Champions League clean sheet.
The old mantra is that defence wins championships and while PSG’s forward line has secured French titles, it has been a different story in Europe for the great underachievers in continental competition.
This was a night to indicate there has been an improvement: Tuchel’s surprise choice of a back three was vindicated as PSG kept more men behind the ball and, without Neymar, had a shared commitment to their defensive duties.
The bare facts are that none of the previous 34 teams to lose a Champions League home knockout tie by at least two goals have progressed. PSG may be scarred by making unwanted history in the past.
That defence was unlocked when they lost 5-2 on aggregate to Real Madrid at this stage last season; 12 months earlier, they suffered the humiliation of a 6-1 second-leg loss to a Neymar-inspired Barcelona, becoming the first team to lose a Champions League tie after taking a 4-0 first-leg lead.
Now the lead is narrower, but the opponents weaker and the resolve seemingly stiffer.
Draxler added: “We know we have to finish it in the second leg in Paris.”
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20fixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFriday%2C%20June%2017%20v%20Oman%3Cbr%3ESaturday%2C%20June%2018%20v%20Singapore%3Cbr%3EMonday%2C%20June%2020%20v%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EWednesday%2C%20June%2022%20v%20Qatar%3Cbr%3EFriday%2C%20June%2024%2C%20semi-final%3Cbr%3ESaturday%2C%20June%2025%2C%20final%3Cbr%3E%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20squad%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chaya%20Mughal%20(captain)%2C%20Esha%20Oza%2C%20Indhuja%20Nandakumar%2C%20Kavisha%20Kumari%2C%20Khushi%20Sharma%2C%20Lavanya%20Keny%2C%20Priyanjali%20Jain%2C%20Rithika%20Rajith%2C%20Samaira%20Dharnidharka%2C%20Sanchin%20Singh%2C%20Siya%20Gokhale%2C%20Suraksha%20Kotte%2C%20Theertha%20Satish%2C%20Vaishnave%20Mahesh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
RACE CARD
6.30pm Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.40pm Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m
8.15pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
9.25pm Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m
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
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Engine: 3.5-litre V6
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- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
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Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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