ROME // Youth is Arsenal's main weakness, the AS Roma forward Julio Baptista said of his team's opponents in the Champions League.
"Don't get me wrong, it isn't a defect, but when you're playing at this level, the last 16 of the Champions League, a lack of international experience can give your opponents an advantage," the Brazilian told Corriere dello Sport.
Arsenal host Roma in the first leg on Tuesday, and then visit Italy on March 11. The Gunners will be without the injured Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor.
"They are two quality players and this is obviously good for Roma," Baptista said. "For Arsenal they will be two big losses, even if Eduardo has returned. He has come back in great form and we will need to watch out for him."
The Brazilian then will be relieved to find out the Gunners will be without the striker who suffered a hamstring injury during his comeback match.
The Croatian forward will be sidelined for two weeks.
"What a nightmare," the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
"Nobody knows how it happened but I knew straight away after the game it would be a two-week job. It is nothing like he had before but I do know that little setbacks like this are part of being nine months out.
"After that long out, nobody plays six months on the trot. It is impossible."
Roma-Arsenal is one of three Anglo-Italian matches in the Champions League, with Inter Milan facing European champions Manchester United and Juventus playing Chelsea.
Baptista, who spent a season on loan at Arsenal, said the Italians teams cannot afford any slip ups.
"For sure they will be three great matches between the best teams in Europe. For us, as for Juventus and Inter, it will be hard because at the moment English football is the forefront.
"Inter, Roma and Juventus have everything needed to do well against Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea, but it will be fundamental not to make any mistakes because if you mess up even briefly, you're out and can't recover. For this reason us, Inter and Juventus cannot commit any errors."
*AP
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
The five pillars of Islam
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
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