Paris St Germain coach Laurent Blanc’s decision to field David Luiz in an unusual midfield position largely paid off on Tuesday in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie.
It was when he went back into the defence that PSG suffered.
PSG fell behind in the 36th minute after Branislav Ivanovic escaped from Luiz’s attention to head Chelsea in front, but Edinson Cavani levelled early in the second half as the hosts played higher up the pitch.
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The Brazil international had no problem imposing himself on the game either, with muscular challenges on Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa among others as well as having the audacity to wipe out the vanishing spray line before Zlatan Ibrahimovic took a first-half free kick, moving it a short distance to the left.
He also delivered some long accurate pinpoint passes from his holding role and seemed to thoroughly enjoy playing against his old team.
PSG beat Chelsea 3-1 in Paris in the last eight last April — when one of their goals was an own goal from Luiz — before losing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to go out on the away goals rule.
A few months later Luiz was out of Chelsea too, moving to PSG for a staggering 50 million pound (DH 283.2 million) fee which helped fund the acquisitions of Fabregas and Costa.
Blanc, often criticised for his lack of tactical sense when France, then PSG coach, faced a barrage of injuries before the game and it prompted him to shuffle his cards.
With holding midfielders Thiago Motta and Yohan Cabaye ruled out injured, Blanc decided to field Luiz instead of the less experienced Adrien Rabiot, while Marquinhos paired up with fellow Brazilian Thiago Silva in central defence.
“It was a great idea. In my humble opinion, he is better here than in central defence, where he sometimes lacks concentration,” Ivory Coast coach Herve Renard told sports daily L’Equipe on Wednesday.
Renard’s verdict was spot on as Luiz was indeed not perfect — letting Ivanovic run off of him in the box to score Chelsea’s goal after Gary Cahill had cleverly flicked John Terry’s free kick into his path.
Luiz played conservatively in the first half, close to the central defence, before bringing the ball forward after the break.
He may not get a chance to shine in this position for the return leg, however, as Cabaye could be fit after a foot injury for the trip to Stamford Bridge, where PSG believe they will have their chances.
“We still have a 50 per cent chance of progressing, especially if we play like we did tonight,” said Thiago Silva.
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Need to know
When: October 17 until November 10
Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration
Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center
What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.
For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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MATCH INFO
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
The specs
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How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
- Steve Baker
- Peter Bone
- Ben Bradley
- Andrew Bridgen
- Maria Caulfield
- Simon Clarke
- Philip Davies
- Nadine Dorries
- James Duddridge
- Mark Francois
- Chris Green
- Adam Holloway
- Andrea Jenkyns
- Anne-Marie Morris
- Sheryll Murray
- Jacob Rees-Mogg
- Laurence Robertson
- Lee Rowley
- Henry Smith
- Martin Vickers
- John Whittingdale
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
Jetour T1 specs
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Planes grounded by coronavirus
British Airways: Cancels all direct flights to and from mainland China
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific: Cutting capacity to/from mainland China by 50 per cent from Jan. 30
Chicago-based United Airlines: Reducing flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong
Ai Seoul: Suspended all flights to China
Finnair: Suspending flights to Nanjing and Beijing Daxing until the end of March
Indonesia's Lion Air: Suspending all flights to China from February
South Korea's Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and Jin Air: Suspend all flights
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
