DOHA: Musab Al-Battat has led Palestine on the pitch with his all-action performances and off it as the voice of a team who have battled the odds to reach the Asian Cup knockout rounds for the first time.
The 30-year-old captain will be the man his team look to once again for inspiration when Palestine face hosts and reigning champions Qatar in a daunting last-16 tie on Monday.
Palestine’s first time in the knockout rounds of the regional championship was sealed with their first ever victory in the tournament, 3-0 over Hong Kong.
The attacking defender set up two of the goals and was named man of the match.
“He is the kind of captain who leads by example,” said Bassil Mikdadi, founder of the Football Palestine website.
“The story or the journey of Palestinian football over the last 10 years can be told through Musab Al-Battat,” added Mikdadi.
The right-back made his international debut in 2013 and is at his, and the team’s, third Asian Cup.
The side ranked 99 in the world have progressed into the next round despite a deeply troubled build-up overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war in the Palestinian territory of Gaza.
Some of the players have lost loved ones and have family trapped in Gaza. The team trained and played matches abroad in the build-up to their third Asian Cup.
As skipper and a highly respected senior player, Battat has been the public voice and face of the team in Qatar.
Wearing the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh headscarf along with his team tracksuit, he emerged at the opening ceremony to deliver the players’ oath in front of more than 80,000 spectators.
Normally it would be the host nation’s skipper who does it.
On the eve of Palestine’s first game, which ended in a 4-1 defeat to Iran, Battat described what being at the Asian Cup meant to him and his team-mates.
“We as players are part of the Palestinian people and live through the same suffering as the people,” said Battat.
Battat plays for his hometown club of Shabab Al-Dhahiriya SC in the West Bank Premier League and, except for a period in Egypt, has spent his whole career in Palestinian football.
He has won 61 caps, scoring once and making six assists, since his debut over a decade ago.
He has played every minute of the Asian Cup campaign and won more tackles than any other play at the tournament with 12, according to stats experts Opta.
He has also created seven chances — second only to Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in, with eight for South Korea.
Battat set up two of the goals against Hong Kong, flying down the right to deliver pinpoint crosses on both occasions which ended in headed goals.
Added to a 1-1 draw against the UAE, it was enough to advance to the next stage as one of the four best third-placed teams in the group phase.
“He’s softly spoken but there’s a ton of respect for him because of the work he puts in,” Mikdadi told AFP in Doha.
“He’s the toughest trainer on the pitch, super professional, takes care of his body, gets the right amount of sleep, eats right.
“He’s the type of personality that people gravitate to because when they know it’s time to get serious and get down to work, they look toward what he is doing and they follow his lead.”
Battat was named man of the match against Hong Kong but, after delivering another captain’s performance, said that it was not about personal accolades.
“We believed in our group (of players) and team spirit,” he said.
“Reaching the last 16 showcased the spirit of the Palestinian players and we aim to maintain this spirit for future success.”
Skipper Battat leads Palestine on and off pitch at Asian Cup
https://arab.news/mwtdp
Skipper Battat leads Palestine on and off pitch at Asian Cup
- Palestine’s first time in the knockout rounds of the regional championship was sealed with their first ever victory in the tournament, 3-0 over Hong Kong
- The attacking defender set up two of the goals and was named man of the match
Last-gasp goal stretches Leverkusen unbeaten streak
- The strike keeps Leverkusen’s remarkable streak of late goals alive
- Alonso’s side have now won or equalized in stoppage time 10 times this season in all competitions
LEVERKUSEN, Germany: Robert Andrich scored with the last kick of the match to extend Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten run to 46 games this season with a 2-2 home draw against Stuttgart on Saturday.
With Bundesliga champions Leverkusen facing their first loss of the season in any competition trailing 2-1 late in stoppage time, Andrich hammered in a loose ball to equalize in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
The strike keeps Leverkusen’s remarkable streak of late goals alive, with Xabi Alonso’s side doing the same at Borussia Dortmund in the seventh minute of injury time for a 1-1 draw last week.
Two goals in the space of nine minutes to start the second half from Chris Fuehrich and Deniz Undav put Stuttgart on course, with Amine Adli pulling one back after 61 minutes.
Leverkusen built pressure but could not break through, putting their hopes of becoming the first team to go a full Bundesliga season without defeat in doubt.
However, with time running out, they won a free kick and Florian Wirtz curled the ball into the box, Andrich snapping up a rebound to score.
Alonso’s side have now won or equalized in stoppage time 10 times this season in all competitions.
Kane hits double in Bayern win as Leipzig tighten grip on fourth
- Kane scored in each half, finishing off a tearing Konrad Laimer run and converting a penalty, to raise his league tally to 35 goals in 31 games
- Kane is now six goals shy of Robert Lewandowski’s all-time single-season Bundesliga goals record
LEVERKUSEN, Germany: Harry Kane scored twice in Bayern Munich’s 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday to set a new personal record for goals in a season as RB Leipzig tightened their grip on fourth spot with a home victory over Borussia Dortmund.
Kane scored in each half, finishing off a tearing Konrad Laimer run and converting a penalty, to raise his league tally to 35 goals in 31 games.
Kane is now six goals shy of Robert Lewandowski’s all-time single-season Bundesliga goals record and has hit a personal best of 42 goals in all competitions this campaign.
The England captain’s goals came either side of a Hugo Ekitike stunner, a day after the Frenchman became a permanent Frankfurt player.
Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller said his side was “in a good flow,” saying since getting past Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals “we’ve been getting better, we’ve got a grip on things.”
Before the match, Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel hit back at claims from the club’s honorary president Uli Hoeness that the manager wanted to buy rather than develop players, saying the “absolutely baseless” allegation “could not be further from reality.”
Despite the victory, which solidified Bayern’s chances of a second-placed finish, both Laimer and defender Matthijs de Ligt were subbed off with injury just days before Tuesday’s home Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid.
Dortmund, Germany’s other Champions League semifinalist, had a setback ahead of hosting Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, being thoroughly outclassed in a 4-1 defeat at Leipzig.
The undermanned visitors, missing captain Emre Can, Donyell Malen, Ian Maatsen and Sebastien Haller, dominated early, hitting the lead after 20 minutes through Jadon Sancho.
The England winger curled an excellent shot from the edge of the box into the top right corner to give Dortmund the lead.
Jolted to life, Leipzig equalized almost immediately, Lois Openda turning in a superb Xavi Simons cross for his 24th goal of the season.
Originally called offside, the goal was awarded after a VAR review and the video referee intervened again shortly after, overturning a penalty for Leipzig.
Leipzig then scored two quick-fire goals either side of half-time. Benjamin Sesko pounced on a rebound just before the break and Openda found Mohamed Simakan early in the second.
Christoph Baumgartner added a fourth with 10 minutes remaining to send Leipzig five points clear of Dortmund in fourth, the final guaranteed Champions League spot.
Dortmund goalie Gregor Kobel said “like so often this season, we gifted the opponent too many goals.”
With three teams in the semifinals of the top two European competitions, Germany may however snare a fifth Champions League spot.
Werder Bremen guaranteed first division football next season, winning 3-0 away at Augsburg to go 10 points clear of the drop with three games to play.
Goals from Romano Schmid and Olivier Deman and a Marvin Ducksch penalty took Bremen to a second-straight win for the first time since February.
Wolfsburg also took a major step toward securing top-flight football, scoring two goals in the final minutes to come from behind and beat a 10-man Freiburg 2-1.
In Saturday’s late game, Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen will try and keep their unbeaten record alive this season when they host third-placed Stuttgart.
No team in Bundesliga history has ever gone through a season unbeaten.
Sheffield United become first team relegated from EPL after heavy loss at Newcastle
- The Blades were 10 points from safety with three games remaining, ensuring an immediate return to the Championship
- Alexander Isak scored two of Newcastle’s goals, taking his season tally to 23 in all competitions
NEWCASTLE, England: Sheffield United became the first team to be relegated from the English Premier League after losing at Newcastle 5-1 on Saturday.
The Blades were 10 points from safety with three games remaining, ensuring an immediate return to the Championship.
They took the lead in the fifth minute at St. James’ Park through Anel Ahmedhodzic, only to be overwhelmed by a home team on the charge for European qualification.
Alexander Isak scored two of Newcastle’s goals, taking his season tally to 23 in all competitions — 19 in the league. That’s one behind joint leaders Cole Palmer of Chelsea and Erling Haaland of Manchester City.
Bruno Guimaraes and Callum Wilson also netted for Newcastle, while Ben Osborn scored an own-goal. That meant Sheffield United conceded 13 goals to Newcastle this season, following September’s 8-0 loss at Bramall Lane.
The visitors took the lead when they worked a short corner move for Ahmedhodzic to head Gustavo Hamer’s cross past Martin Dubravka.
Isak’s first goal came in the 26th after Jacob Murphy played the perfect ball into the Sweden striker, Isak, who ran in behind Auston Trusty and finished with aplomb.
Mason Holgate headed against the crossbar and Andre Brooks blazed wide from the resulting corner as Sheffield United threatened.
The second half was all Newcastle, which netted four goals in 18 minutes — starting in the 54th when Anthony Gordon curled a free kick to the far post where the unmarked Guimaraes dived to head home.
Isak coolly converted a 61st-minute penalty after Holgate bundled Gordon to the ground, and it was 4-1 within four minutes when Osborn back-heeled the ball into his own net as he tried to clear.
Foderingham denied Wilson within five minutes of his arrival but could not prevent him from making it 5-1 with a powerful finish after fellow substitute Harvey Barnes played him in.
Newcastle were in seventh place, one point Manchester United in sixth.
Klopp and Salah involved in touchline spat during Liverpool’s draw at West Ham
- Klopp went over to speak to the Egypt winger
- Salah answered back with his arms outstretched then started to point at Klopp, who was nodding while looking out onto the field
LONDON: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and star forward Mohamed Salah were involved in a touchline confrontation during the team’s 2-2 draw with West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.
Salah was a substitute for the game and was preparing to come on shortly after Michail Antonio’s 77th-minute equalizer when Klopp went over to speak to the Egypt winger.
Salah answered back with his arms outstretched then started to point at Klopp, who was nodding while looking out onto the field. Darwin Nunez, who was also about to enter as a sub, got in between Salah and Klopp and pushed away his teammate.
Klopp refused to divulge the reason behind the spat.
“No, we already spoke in the dressing room,” Klopp said. “For me, that’s done.”
When Salah was asked for a comment after the game, video footage on social media showed him saying: “There’s going to be fire today if I speak.”
The 31-year-old Salah has scored in just one of his last six games and has started on the bench for two of Liverpool’s last three matches.
Klopp is leaving at the end of the season after nearly nine years in charge.
Ahly, Esperance book CAF Champions League final places
- Ahly are seeking a record-extending 12th victory in the premier African club competition
- Both clubs have booked final places after 11 clean sheets in 12 qualifying, group and knockout matches
JOHANNESBURG: Title-holders Al Ahly of Egypt and long-time rivals Esperance of Tunisia will meet in the two-leg CAF Champions League final during May.
Ahly overpowered TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo 3-0 in Cairo to win a semifinal by the same score on aggregate after a goalless first leg last Saturday.
Esperance soaked up constant pressure from Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in Pretoria before snatching a 1-0 win to advance 2-0 overall after also winning 1-0 at home.
Mohamed Abdelmonem, Wessam Abou Ali and Akram Tawfik scored in the second half for Ahly, who are seeking a record-extending 12th victory in the premier African club competition.
Raed Bouchniba came off the bench to score 12 minutes into the second half against Sundowns in a match that lasted 190 minutes after a storm halted play midway through the opening half.
It will be the third time Ahly and Esperance face each other in the final of the Champions League with the Egyptians winning in 2012 and the Tunisians succeeding in 2018.
They also clashed in the semifinals last season with Ahly winning home and away for a 4-0 aggregate triumph.
Both clubs have booked final places after 11 clean sheets in 12 qualifying, group and knockout matches.
Esperance, seeking a fifth Champions League title, will host the first leg in Rades on the outskirts of Tunis on May 18 with the return match in Cairo seven days later.
Sundowns had their chances against Esperance with Peter Shalulile and Aubrey Modiba hitting the woodwork and Namibia captain Shalulile coming close several times.
But the first time Esperance threatened to score they did so as a counterattack ended with Bouchniba racing into the area and firing across goalkeeper Ronwen Williams into the far corner.
Since their lone Champions League title in 2016, Sundowns have reached the semifinals three times and lost on each occasion to north African opponents.
In Cairo, Joel Beya had a goal for Mazembe early in the second half disallowed before a powerful header from Abdelmonem off a corner broke the deadlock on 68 minutes.
A superb cross from veteran Tunisia defender Ali Maaloul was fired into the net by Abou Ali on 83 minutes for his first goal of the African campaign.
Tawfik struck 12 minutes into added time by racing through and slamming the ball across Senegalese goalkeeper Alioune Faty into the far corner.
