Casting a long shadow over Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 date with modest Caen this weekend is the imminent visit to the Parc des Princes of cross-channel giants Chelsea.
PSG square up to Jose Mourinho’s runaway Premier League leaders in the Champions League last 16 first leg on Tuesday with Laurent Blanc’s side itching for revenge.
Last season Chelsea blocked PSG’s passage to the Champions League semi-finals on away goals.
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“Last year was an apprenticeship which must not be repeated,” PSG’s Qatari president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said at the draw in December.
At Thursday’s press conference, it was Chelsea inevitably rather than Caen preoccupying Blanc’s mind.
The PSG boss made fun of how his Chelsea counterpart was regarded as, in his words, “a genius” despite their FA Cup knockout at the hands of minnows Bradford.
That Cup upset has given Chelsea crucial more time to prepare for Tuesday’s trip to Paris with this weekend’s programme in England devoted solely to the FA Cup fifth round.
“As Mourinho is a genius, Chelsea lost their Cup tie 4-2 and everyone thinks that’s fantastic.
“But if the same thing had happened to PSG (in the Cup), it would have triggered a tsunami, or at the very least some turbulence.
“People would have said that the manager didn’t know a thing.”
PSG, who are in the League Cup final and reached the French Cup quarter-finals in midweek, squandered the chance to top the table last weekend when Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s controversial retaken penalty salvaged a 1-1 draw at Lyon.
That left Ligue 1’s defending title-holders in third, level on points with second-placed Marseille and two shy of Lyon.
With Marseille in action on Friday against Reims, and Lyon away to struggling Lorient on Sunday, PSG will be anxious to bag the three points in Saturday’s early game to keep the wheels on their title bid and put them in the perfect frame of mind for Tuesday’s massive European tie.
Encouragingly for Blanc, Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani scored his first goal in five games in the 2-0 Cup win over Nantes on Wednesday.
A win over Reims at the Velodrome on Friday will lift Marseille into the lead, at least until PSG and Lyon turn out over the weekend.
Marseille coach Marcelo Bielsa is without suspended Mario Lemina, Nicolas Nkoulou, who picked up a knee injury appearing for Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations, and midfielder Abdelaziz Barrada.
There is also uncertainty over Andre Ayew, who is taking time to come to terms with Ghana’s defeat on penalties in last Sunday’s African Nations Cup final against the Ivory Coast.
Down at the other end of Ligue 1 a tense encounter is on the cards between two relegation-threatened teams, Lens and Evian. Bottom club Metz host mid-table Guingamp.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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LOVE%20AGAIN
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Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
Friday's schedule at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 qualifying, 10:15am
Formula 2, practice 11:30am
Formula 1, first practice, 1pm
GP3 qualifying session, 3.10pm
Formula 1 second practice, 5pm
Formula 2 qualifying, 7pm
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
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
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm)
Burnley v Huddersfield Town (7pm)
Everton v Bournemouth (7pm)
Manchester City v Crystal Palace (7pm)
Southampton v Manchester United (7pm)
Stoke City v Chelsea (7pm)
Swansea City v Watford (7pm)
Leicester City v Liverpool (8.30pm)
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Newcastle United (7pm)
Monday
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (11pm)
The five pillars of Islam
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The biog
Family: Parents and four sisters
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at American University of Sharjah
A self-confessed foodie, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, her current favourite is the poke superfood bowls
Likes reading: autobiographies and fiction
Favourite holiday destination: Italy
Posts information about challenges, events, runs in other emirates on the group's Instagram account @Anagowrunning
Has created a database of Emirati and GCC sportspeople on Instagram @abeermk, highlight: Athletes
Apart from training, also talks to women about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich 1
Kimmich (27')
Real Madrid 2
Marcelo (43'), Asensio (56')
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
