LONDON: Noureddine Ould Ali claimed that Palestine are ready to end Australia’s tournament.
The Socceroos were shocked by Jordan in their first match on Sunday and know they need to win in Dubai on Friday. Graham Arnold’s men arrived in UAE lacking several key men due to either retirement or injury, but it would be a huge shock if they were to exit at this early stage.
The defending champions are still the team to beat in Group B and Palestine are only too aware of the task they face.
But Ali revealed he and his team have watched the Australia-Jordan match and have backed themselves to match their Arab rivals and kick the Aussies out of the tournament.
“You need to know that we are in 2019, and every team is able to give a good performance,” Ali said.
“In regard to Jordan against Australia we studied the game between them and (Australia’s) strengths, but we also noticed points of weakness and we are also going to exploit such weaknesses.”
Palestine drew their first match 0-0 against the much-fancied Syrians — their first ever point in the competition — and Ali is hoping his side can take that form into the Australia match.
“In the last game we were very defensive because the conditions of the match did not allow us to change our style,” said the Algerian boss.
“But we were very pleased with our performance and the point we got in the first game, and that was the most important thing.”
Australia’s loss to Jordan was one of the major talking points of the competition’s opening week and Arnold knows his side cannot afford another slip-up against Palestine.
“(when we won) four years ago is a long time, and it’s a completely different team to what we had four years ago,” the Australia coach, who also led the Australians at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, said.
“Four years ago it was played in Australia on home soil, this time its here in the UAE, with a totally different team.
“It’s a great memory for Australian football, of course, but now it’s all about the moment. We handed the trophy back the day before the tournament started before the UAE vs Bahrain match, and the trophy is there to be won again.”
Arnold has told his players a repeat performance of their Jordan reverse will not be acceptable.
“We expect a great reaction from the players,” he said.
“The boys are going into this match with a lot of confidence, a lot of belief and expectation to win.
“Something that Australians also have is a great attitude to fight. Palestine will be aggressive and its important that we win the battle,” he said.
“You don’t want to look back, but against Jordan we controlled 76 percent of possession, we had some good chances and on another day we would have scored three or four goals.”
Palestine ready to follow Jordan’s lead and shock the Socceroos
Palestine ready to follow Jordan’s lead and shock the Socceroos
- Noureddine Ould Ali confident his side can exploit Australia's weaknesses in Dubai.
- Aussies know they cannot afford another slip-up after Jordan defeat.
Inter continue Scudetto march after Champions League humbling
- Milan will be favorites to win at Cremonese in Sunday’s early fixture, with the local rivals set to face off next weekend in a match which will in all likelihood have little impact on the destination of the Scudetto
MILAN, Italy: Inter Milan bounced back from Champions League elimination with Saturday’s 2-0 win over Genoa which continued their march toward the Serie A title.
Federico Dimarco’s brilliant volley just after the half-hour mark and Hakan Calhanoglu’s second-half penalty were enough for Inter to extend their already huge lead over AC Milan at the top of the table to 13 points.
Milan will be favorites to win at Cremonese in Sunday’s early fixture, with the local rivals set to face off next weekend in a match which will in all likelihood have little impact on the destination of the Scudetto.
Inter, whose fans unloaded a collection of anti-Milan chants in anticipation of the derby, have dropped just two points in 15 league matches and have been a cut above the rest in Italy’s top flight this season.
Their domestic dominance comes in stark contrast to the humiliating manner in which they were dumped out of the Champions League by Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday night.
A 5-2 aggregate defeat to the Norwegian minnows cast doubts over not just the quality of Cristian Chivu’s team but of Italian football as a whole.
There was plenty of quality in Dimarco’s opener however, the Italy full-back beautifully placing a first-time finish from a tight angle after exchanging passes with Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Little else happened in a humdrum encounter until Alex Amorim handled a cross from Luis Henrique, whose shot had been tipped onto the post just moments before.
Calhanoglu calmly stroked home the spot-kick on his return to action following niggling muscle problems which have caused him issues since before Christmas, sealing the points for Inter.
Big Rom back
Romelu Lukaku kept Napoli on course for a Champions League spot with a last-gasp winner in the champions’ 2-1 victory over rock-bottom Verona, the Belgium forward’s first goal of the season.
Lukaku forced home Giovane’s cross to snatch the win for third-placed Napoli with the last kick of the game at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.
Napoli had looked like dropping points in northern Italy when Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro levelled Rasmus Hojlund’s early opener in the 65th minute.
But Lukaku, who only played his first game of the season in late January, gave Napoli a huge win with both Como and Atalanta pushing for a top-four placing.
“I was a dead player before coming here,” said Lukaku to DAZN.
“This season has been difficult, but we’ve got to aim high.”
Napoli’s title defense is all but over as they trail Inter by 14 points after an injury-ravaged season.
Napoli were missing key midfielders Scott McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre-Frank Anguissa on Saturday, as well as captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
Verona, under interim coach Paolo Sammarco following the sacking of Paolo Zanetti earlier this month, are 10 points from safety after a 12th straight match without a win.
Como, who face Inter in the first leg of the Italian Cup semifinals on Tuesday, strolled to 3-1 victory over strugglers Lecce to continue their push for a first-ever qualification for European football.
Cesc Fabregas’s team are two points behind Roma, in fourth and Juventus’ opponents on Sunday, and five behind Napoli.
Como are also two points ahead of sixth-placed Juve who face Roma trying to stay in touch with the Champions League places after being eliminated from Europe’s elite club competition by Galatasaray on Wednesday.
