The Uefa Cup has provided welcome relief for Manchester City in a topsy-turvy season, and Mark Hughes is keen for his side's European adventure to continue. The Blues face Hamburg in the first leg of the quarter-finals tonight and the City manager is hoping for a repeat of their last trip to Germany.
An impressive 2-0 victory over another Bundesliga side, Schalke, back in November was a notable high point for the club in a campaign where their away form has been the subject of much disappointment. They have not won on their travels in the Premier League since beating Sunderland last August, but Hughes says: "Some of our best away performances have come in Europe and we are looking for the level we showed against Schalke; a great performance and a great win.
"This is a difficult tie for us, a big test against a Hamburg team at the top of the Bundesliga. But everyone has enjoyed being in the Uefa Cup and we want to stay." Hamburg will be the favourites though, with Martin Jol having shaped a durable and effective all-round unit in contention for domestic and European honours. Hughes admits he has a number of "walking wounded" with Vincent Kompany ruled out and Wayne Bridge and Stephen Ireland doubts.
But he is boosted by the availability of the Bulgarian winger Martin Petrov, whose season has been blighted by a knee injury. Daniel Sturridge, the talented striker, also returned in the defeat at Arsenal last weekend for his first appearance since January. His future has been the subject of much speculation with Chelsea and Aston Villa keen to lure him away in the summer when his contract ends. But Hughes is hoping City can persuade him to sign a new deal, adding: "He's an exceptional talent."
akhan@thenational.ae
GIANT REVIEW
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Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
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Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
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2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
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A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
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Rating: 4.5/5
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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4/5 stars
The specs
MO
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
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