Old Trafford had started to empty when the electronic board went up to announce that Manchester United had three minutes left to play against Young Boys in their Uefa Champions League Group H game.
There was no desperate roar from the home crowd to the accompanying message from the public address system, that primal noise which Jose Mourinho described as “hell” when he visited as manager of Porto. Frustrated by what they have seen this season, United fans appeared resigned to a third straight Champions League home game without a goal. The belief that their team can grab a late winner has lessened, the fans have been worn down and have grown tired with the low-scoring, entertainment-lite football they have been watching.
The fact the scoreboard was scoreless at that time wasn't even a surprise, just another below-par home match, this time against the Swiss champions whom they beat 3-0 in Berne in September.
United had created chances, but Marcus Rashford's profligacy saw Mourinho make his frustration with his young striker clear with his actions on the touchline. But the United manager saved his best for the end, when Marouanne Fellaini, one of his most loyal lieutenants, controlled a long Luke Shaw ball that had been headed on by Romelu Lukaku. As he turned, he appeared to control the ball partly with his hand, before hitting a shot through Loris Benito's legs and into the bottom corner.
As Young Boys players complained, Mourinho kicked one set of plastic water bottles over, before picking up another tray and smashing them into the grass in celebration. Fellaini then ran to his boss and hugged him.
United fans cheered and there were chants of “We’ll never die”, but it was no cathartic release, even though their team are assured of reaching the last 16 of European football’s premier tournament. A late goal against Young Boys helps, but it doesn’t convince those who think United have serious problems that all is well.
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In pictures: Cristiano Ronaldo hits 100 Champions League wins as Juventus soar into last 16
Sergio Aguero rescues draw at Lyon as Manchester City reach last 16
Tottenham looking to show 'anything is possible' in the Champions League
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“Relief,” said Mourinho of his celebration. “And frustration before that. We didn’t play for that, for a 0-0. We didn’t play to be in trouble for the last minute. I was not unhappy with the players, but frustrated with the fact that we couldn’t score. My players were very tired in the end and that’s what I love.”
It wasn’t just about United’s late winner.
“Without David [de Gea’s] save, no winning goal,” said Mourinho, in reference to his goalkeeper’s goal line stop from Ulisses Garcia. “He’s a world-class player, the best goalkeeper in the world. And if our ambitions are to be a winning club, you need the best goalkeeper in the world and also some of the best players in the world. But in the end we’ve qualified from a very difficult group.”
Mourinho, who is confident that De Gea will sign a new contract, knows there are better teams in the competition, defended his own record in the competition .
“I’ve played Champions League 14 times and qualified [for the last 16] 14 times,” he said. “In the two years I didn’t play Champions League I won the Europa League.”
Mourinho left Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku on the bench against a tall, well organised Swiss side while Aleix Sanchez wasn't even named among the substitutes.
Nemanja Matic and Fred held the midfield with Fellaini ahead of them, the role he played for Everton. In front of him, Rashford was frustrated to miss several chances. United had 21 shots in total, but it was De Gea who had to make the most important saves.
Sixty-three minutes in, there was tepid applause when Jesse Lingard came off for Lukaku, the same when Pogba replaced Fred seconds later. Tepid, because the outgoing players scarcely deserved more and there wasn't enough faith that the incoming players could make much of a difference, despite costing £164 million (Dh768m) between them. There has never been a more expensive pair of substitutes introduced in any football match.
Mourinho would rather the focus be on the players he selected and not those he left out. He knows that the win takes the heat off United and him, but not much. Still, it was a goal and a win, something United hadn't managed at home in Europe this season.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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
Teaching in coronavirus times
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
The biog
Age: 35
Inspiration: Wife and kids
Favourite book: Changes all the time but my new favourite is Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Best Travel Destination: Bora Bora , French Polynesia
Favourite run: Jabel Hafeet, I also enjoy running the 30km loop in Al Wathba cycling track
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The view from The National
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Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
Tales of Yusuf Tadros
Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)
Hoopoe
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
MADAME%20WEB
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Scoreline
Arsenal 0 Manchester City 3
- Agüero 18'
- Kompany 58'
- Silva 65'
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
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Results:
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah (PA) | Group 2 | US$55,000 (Dirt) | 1,600 metres
Winner: AF Al Sajanjle, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint (TB) | Group 2 | $250,000 (Turf) | 1,000m
Winner: Blue Point, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Muntazah, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
8.15pm: Meydan Trophy Conditions (TB) | $100,000 (T) | 1,900m
Winner: Art Du Val, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Balanchine Group 2 (TB) | $250,000 (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Poetic Charm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (D) | 1,200m
Winner: Lava Spin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,410m
Winner: Mountain Hunter, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor
RACECARD
6pm Emaar Dubai Sprint – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35pm Graduate Stakes – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm Al Khail Trophy – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,810m
7.45pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,000m
8.55pm Downtown Dubai Cup – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 1,400m
9.30pm Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
10.05pm Dubai Sprint – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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