Palestinians uncertain as FIFA, UEFA step in to save soccer pitch from Israeli demolition    House panel votes to hold Clintons in contempt in Epstein probe    Trump backs off tariffs threat, says Greenland deal framework reached    Saudi Arabia signs agreement with World Economic Forum to accelerate industrial transformation    Over 78 million faithful visit Two Holy Mosques in a month    Saudi FM meets British, French counterparts in Davos    Northern Saudi cities record coldest temperatures of winter as mercury drops to –3°C    Arab coalition condemns deadly attack on Giants Brigades commander in Yemen    Sha'ban crescent sighted Tuesday    Saudi POS transactions reach 236 million, SR4bn in one week    Al-Khateeb highlights Saudi-UN partnership to shape quality of life in future cities    122 million tourists spend SR300 billion in Saudi Arabia in 2025    Italian fashion legend Valentino dies at 93    Saudi orchestra brings 'Marvels of Saudi Orchestra' to AlUla with 107 musicians    Katy Perry makes Saudi debut at Joy Awards, praises Saudi design and hospitality    Hail wins Guinness World Record with largest off-road production cars convoy    SFDA approves registration of 'Anktiva' for treatment of bladder and lung cancer    Saudi Darts Masters 2026 to offer record $200,000 prize for nine-dart finish    Al Taawoun condemn "repeated refereeing injustice" after late penalty defeat    British boxer Anthony Joshua discharged from hospital after Nigeria car crash    The key to happiness    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Bruges, Atletico among six advancing at Europa
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 02 - 12 - 2011

Bruges scored four times in the last 17 minutes to beat Maribor 4-3 in the Europa League Wednesday, while Atletico Madrid and PAOK Salonika were among six teams to qualify for the knockout stage.
Braga, Metalist Kharkiv, Standard Liege and Hanover 96 were the other teams to go through to February's last 32.
Atletico Madrid, winner in 2010, won 1-0 at Celtic to qualify from Group I with one match to spare thanks to a powerful Arda Turan drive on the half hour.
Ten-man PAOK qualified with a 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur, the Greeks all but eliminating last season's Champions League quarter-finalists with two early strikes.
Dimitris Salpingidis was gifted the opener after five minutes and Stefanos Athanasiadis added another eight minutes later after a sweeping move.
Luka Modric pulled one back for Tottenham in the 38th minute from a penalty harshly awarded for handball by Kostas Stafylidis, who was sent off, but PAOK held out after surviving a disallowed Jermain Defoe goal.
Rubin Kazan's 4-1 win over Shamrock Rovers, helped by two goals from Paraguay striker Nelson Haedo, sent the Russians three points clear of Tottenham with one match each to play and the pair level on their head-to-head record. However, Kazan have scored five more goals in Group A.
Metalist thrashed Austria Vienna 4-1 with Marko Devic, Edmar, Papa Gueye and Jose Ernesto Sosa sharing the goals for the Ukrainians who guaranteed top spot in Group G.
Braga's 1-0 win at home to English second tier side Birmingham City was enough for the 2011 runners-up in Group H, Hugo Viana scoring with a deflected shot after Nikola Zigic had missed an early penalty for the visitors.
Braga went through despite lying second behind group leader Bruges, which is not yet certain of progression after its heroics in Slovenia where Ryan Donk scored at both ends in the Belgian team's extraordinary win.
Dalibor Volas gave Maribor an early lead which they doubled after halftime when Donk slid Dejan Trajkovski's low center into his own net. Volas then stabbed home the third from close range in the 68th minute.
Moroccan Nabil Dirar scored twice in three minutes to start the fightback, Joseph Akpala equalized with eight minutes left and Donk headed the winner in the last minute.
There was still time for Volas to hit the post and miss out on a hat-trick in stoppage time.
Standard Liege's 2-0 win over Hanover 96 in Group B sent both teams through after FC Copenhagen could only draw 1-1 at Vorskla Poltava.
Sporting, Anderlecht, PSV Eindhoven, Legia Warsaw, Twente Enschede and Athletic Bilbao had already qualified for the next round, where the third-placed teams from the Champions League groups enter Europe's second club competition.
Barca, Real dominate
Players from Barcelona and Real Madrid made up almost half of the 55-man shortlist revealed by FIFA Thursday for the FIFA FIFPro World XI 2011, which will be announced on January 9.
Barcelona has 11 players in the list and Real 10.
World champion Spain is the most well-represented country with 12 players, ahead of Brazil, which has eight. Brazil star Neymar, of Santos, is the only player on the list who plays his club football outside Europe.


Clic here to read the story from its source.