Steve Luckings looks at five games not to be missed this weekend, including a winner-takes-all duel in the Championship, the fight for survival in the Premier League and former Bayern Munich, Juventus and Italy striker Luca Toni's last match.
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ENGLAND’S CHAMPIONSHIP: Middlesbrough v Brighton & Hove Albion, beIN Sports, Saturday, 3.30pm
A game that quite simply, with the new Premier Legaue bonanza television deal to kick in from next season, impossible to put a price on. Middlesbrough are currently second in the Championship on 88 points, ahead of Saturday’s opponents, Brighton & Hove Albion on goal difference only. Victory for either club will guarantee them Premier League football next season alongside Burnley, who can finish no worse than second, with the top two guaranteed promotion. Defeat will mean the losing team having to negotiate the end-of-season play-offs with Hull City, Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday. Neither team will give an inch.
PREMIER LEAGUE: Sunderland v Chelsea, beIN Sports, Saturday, 6pm
Promotion-chasing Championship clubs are not the only teams vying to secure their Premier League status on Saturday. Third-bottom Sunderland take on Chelsea at the Stadium of Light while Newcastle United, currently 17th on 33 points, just one ahead of their North-east rivals, travel to already relegated Aston Villa, as close to a “gimme” as you can get these days in terms of three points. Sunderland know anything less than victory against last season’s champions will most likely consign them to relegation. Norwich City, 19th in the table and two points from survival, welcome a resurgent Manchester United to Carrow Road.
BUNDESLIGA: Ingolstadt v Bayern Munich, beIN Sports, Saturday, 5.30pm
While a 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in Tuesday wasn’t enough to send Bayern Munich to this month’s Uefa Champions League final in Milan – Atletico advanced 2-2 on aggregate on away goals – the Bavarians still have the small matter of clinching the Bundesliga title ahead of rivals Borussia Dortmund to tend to. Pep Guardiola has said previously that critics will see his three-year tenure at Bayern as a failure for not winning the European Cup, but it would amount to something of a disaster if they failed to win the league as well before he departs in the summer for Manchester City. Victory at Ingolstadt will mean Bayern win the title with a game to spare.
PRIMERA LIGA: Barcelona v Espanyol, beIN Sports, Sunday, 7pm
The Barcleona derby has plenty riding on it for both teams. Barcelona need to keep winning to reclaim the Primera Liga title while Espanyol will feel that a point or better will secure their top-flight status in Spain for another season. With midweek Champions League matches no longer an issue and the Copa del Rey still three weeks away, Barcelona should be well rested for the visit of their city rivals to Camp Nou. Barca coach Luis Enrique has fitness concerns over goalkeeper Claudi Bravo, who was replaced for the final few minutes of the win over Real Betis last week with an injury to his right leg meaning understudy Marc-Andre ter Stegen could deputise.
SERIE A: Verona v Juventus, beIN Sports, Sunday, 10.45pm
The Italian champions versus Serie A basement boys. Doesn’t sound like much of a draw, does it? Except that for Luca Toni it will be the last time he plays professional football. The Verona frontman announced Wednesday he will retire after the match against one of his many former clubs, bringing down the curtain on a goal-laden career. While Al Nasr fans probably don’t rememberhim that fondly following a seven-game spell in 2012, Italian and European fans will get a chance to see the 2006 World Cup winner of Italy hang up his boots at age against a Juventus side who were crowned Serie A champions for a fifth successive year last month.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The%20new%20Turing%20Test
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AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 1
Mata 11'
Chelsea 1
Alonso 43'
Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5