Yann Sommer had a night to forget on Borussia Monchengladbach's return to the Uefa Champions League. Cristina Quicler / AFP
Yann Sommer had a night to forget on Borussia Monchengladbach's return to the Uefa Champions League. Cristina Quicler / AFP

Player to watch: Yann Sommer — Gladbach’s penalty specialist struggling for form this season



You wait 37 years for a place in the European Cup and then what happens? Borussia Monchengladbach, European Cup finalists in 1977, made their first appearance in the group phase of the Uefa Champions League on Tuesday and lost 3-0 at Sevilla. Worse, they conceded three penalties.

Angst in Andalusia

For Yann Sommer, the Swiss goalkeeper signed in 2014, the Champions League was always a target when he moved to Germany. He has distinguished himself in European club football before, while with Basel. In Seville, he had a traumatic night. He gave away the first penalty, converted by Kevin Gameiro, and effectively scored an own goal as he flapped at the angled shot that gave Sevilla their third.

Spot-kick specialist

His one bit of luck? Gameiro hit the crossbar with the second spot kick. Gameiro would have known Sommer’s history with penalties, and perhaps that unnerved him. Two seasons back, Sommer emerged the hero from a shoot-out to settle a Europa League quarter-final between Basel and Tottenham Hotspur. He had saved another penalty earlier in the competition.

Swiss roles

Sommer has been his country’s first-choice keeper since the international retirement of Diego Benaglio just after the 2014 World Cup. He was captain of the Switzerland Under 21 side who reached the final of the 2011 European championship. A string of clean sheets there put him on the wish lists of scouts from Europe’s leading leagues.

Borussia’s bad start

His first Bundesliga season, 2014/15, was a success. His second has been gloomy. Amid the excitement of being in the Champions League, the team’s league form has been disastrous, with four defeats in as many matches. Sommer has conceded 11 goals and saw signs of ebbing confidence among his defenders when a poor back pass invited Hamburg to score one of their three last weekend. Today, more pressure: Monchengladbach seek their first point of the campaign at nearby Cologne. Their keeper can expect to hear no sympathy for his recent misfortunes from a noisy derby crowd.

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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
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Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani

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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

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Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Six tips to secure your smart home

Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.

Keep your smart home devices’ software up-to-date. Device makers often send regular updates - follow them without fail as they could provide protection from a new security risk.

Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.

Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.

Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.

Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.

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The flights

Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes. 

The hotels

Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes. 

When to visit

March-May and September-November

Visas

Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.