
Al Wasl defeats Dibba Al Hisn 3-2 in ADNOC Professional League
This win marked Al Wasl's first away victory in the ADNOC League this season, moving them to 21 points and seventh place in the standings. Dibba Al Hisn remains in second-to-last place with 9 points.
Key players and goals
Joao Pedro scored twice for Al Wasl (41st and 64th minutes), while Ali Saleh added another in the 66th minute. Dibba Al Hisn responded with goals from Midana Bigna (33rd minute) and Haitham Al Juwaili (83rd minute).

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Dubai Eye
14-07-2025
- Dubai Eye
Palmer double fires Chelsea past PSG to Club World Cup glory
Cole Palmer produced a scintillating first-half masterclass as Chelsea demolished a flat Paris St Germain 3-0 to win a one-sided Club World Cup final at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on Sunday. The English attacking midfielder scored twice and provided an assist for Joao Pedro in a devastating display in the revamped tournament's decider that left the European and French champions, who finished with 10 men, shell-shocked. US President Donald Trump paid homage to football great Pele after being met with boos and cheers from the crowd. He was on his feet in the same VIP suite, pumping his fist as congratulatory music blared. After a stunning season, PSG were heavy favourites, while Chelsea arrived in the US after winning Europe's third-tier Conference League and on the back of a domestic campaign in which they just managed a top-four Premier League finish. Prior to the match, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said he was expecting a "game of chess" against PSG coach Luis Enrique, but what transpired was a quick checkmate for the Italian who gave a tactical masterclass. Chelsea, who won the 2021 Club World Cup in its previous format, struck first in the 22nd minute when PSG fullback Nuno Mendes gifted possession to Malo Gusto. While his initial effort was blocked by Mendes, Gusto collected the rebound and found Palmer unmarked in the middle and the midfielder made no mistake, slotting a tidy finish just inside the left post. Palmer doubled the lead after the 30th-minute cooling break with a goal of sublime quality. Latching onto a precise through ball from Levi Colwill, he cut inside before faking a pass to dummy a defender and firing into the bottom-left corner. Palmer then turned provider, running up the channel before finding Joao Pedro, who took the ball in his stride and beat the offside trap before chipping his finish beautifully over keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. PSG's misery was completed when Joao Neves was sent off for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair in the 83rd minute, as PSG's players grew in frustration as the match progressed. The encounter turned ill-tempered at the end, with players going at each other after the final whistle, but the flare-ups quickly dissipated as Chelsea's players went to celebrate with their fans. "It's a great feeling. Even better because everyone doubted us before the game, we knew that. To put a fight on like we did, it's good," Palmer said. Maresca's team employed a relentless high press and emulated the tactics used by Brazilian outfit Botafogo, who had beaten PSG 1-0 in the group stage and were the only team to score against Luis Enrique's side in the previous eight games. Their press caused PSG all sorts of trouble and when Maresca's side couldn't regain possession, they sat deep, frustrating the European champions, who were unable to play their usual game. The direct and pacey football we had become used to seeing from PSG was Chelsea's game on Sunday, with Palmer, Gusto and Joao Pedro picking apart the PSG defence, especially on the left side. Other than an early golden opportunity for PSG's Desire Doue that was wasted, the first half was all Chelsea's and, after they opened their three-goal lead, the French side could never recover. "Chelsea were more effective than us, they worked well on our slight weakness," PSG captain Marquinhos said. "Tactically, they caused us problems in the first half and we took a while to react. These are things we'll need to change going forward. I think all teams will now study us closely to see what we do well and what we do badly. It's up to us now to always be at the top of our game."


Khaleej Times
13-07-2025
- Khaleej Times
With Trump in attendance, Chelsea stun PSG in Club World Cup final
Cole Palmer scored two goals and made another as Chelsea stunned Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the Club World Cup on Sunday, beating the European champions 3-0 at the MetLife Stadium to win the first edition of Fifa's new competition. PSG were the favourites for a game attended by Donald Trump after coming to the United States fresh from winning the UEFA Champions League and having destroyed Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals. But having been three goals ahead midway through the first half in the semis, this time the roles were reversed as PSG found themselves 3-0 down by the break. Palmer opened the scoring midway through the first half and struck again to make it two on the half-hour mark, before taking advantage of passive defending to set up Joao Pedro for the third on 43 minutes. A bad day for PSG was summed up when Joao Neves was shown red following a VAR review four minutes from the end for pulling Marc Cucurella by the hair off the ball. It was a scoreline that few could have predicted as Chelsea capped what has been a long but memorable season — they are the first ever winners of the 32-team Club World Cup having also won the Uefa Conference League and finished fourth in the Premier League. They will also take away around $125 million in prize money, meaning the prospect of a drastically curtailed summer break before returning for next season will surely feel worth it. For PSG, meanwhile, the financial rewards are similar but there will be genuine disappointment at falling short of adding this title to their Champions League triumph and French league and cup double. Nevertheless, conquering Europe was always the main aim this season for Luis Enrique's team, who now have exactly a month to digest this and take a holiday before returning to action in the Uefa Super Cup against Tottenham Hotspur. Trump in attendance There was a real sense of occasion at the MetLife Stadium, with the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline and with President Trump in attendance along with First Lady Melania Trump in a crowd of 81,118. There was even the first-ever half-time show at a FIFA tournament, adding a Super Bowl feel to a final played at the home of NFL sides the New York Giants and New York Jets. As for the football, for the second time in six weeks PSG found themselves involved in a final that quickly turned into a one-sided affair. The club claimed a historic 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final, but here they were ripped apart by Chelsea on another hot afternoon. Palmer almost put Chelsea ahead inside the opening 10 minutes, before PSG should have scored at the other end only for Desire Doue to try to pass to Achraf Hakimi rather than shoot inside the box, allowing Cucurella to block. It was Chelsea who struck in the 22nd minute as Malo Gusto got the better of Nuno Mendes down the right before seeing his shot blocked by Lucas Beraldo. The ball came back to Gusto and he teed up Palmer to finish into the bottom-left corner. Palmer has been the face of Chelsea on billboards in the United States during the tournament and he lived up to his star billing by scoring again on the half-hour. Released on the right with PSG left-back Mendes out of position, Palmer advanced towards the box before stroking a low shot into the same corner. Joao Pedro played a part in the build-up to that goal and the Brazilian, signed during the tournament from Brighton, then got his name on the scoresheet to make it 3-0. Scorer of both goals against Fluminense in the semifinals, he clipped a shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma after being supplied by Palmer. PSG had conceded a single goal in their previous eight matches and they never really looked like producing a comeback, even if Neves headed just wide in first-half stoppage time. Substitute Liam Delap almost got a fourth for Chelsea midway through the second half, before Neves was shown red to complete a bad day for PSG.


Gulf Today
10-07-2025
- Gulf Today
Maresca hails Pedro after Chelsea seal spot in Club World Cup final
East Rutherford: Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca hailed Joao Pedro and expressed his delight at reaching the Club World Cup final after the new signing's double strike secured a 2-0 win over Fluminense in the last four on Tuesday. "We are very happy and very proud to be in the final on Sunday because this is the first edition of the Club World Cup and the best clubs in the world are here," said Maresca. Joao Pedro was starting for the first time since arriving from Brighton and Hove Albion for a reported £60 million ($79 million) last week, fresh from an off-season break. The Brazilian made an immediate impact in the game at the MetLife Stadium just outside New York. He produced two superb finishes, either side of half-time, to take Chelsea through to Sunday's final against Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid. "I am very happy for Joao. He has the quality to decide games like today, but also he was on holiday so is probably a bit more fresh compared to the rest," Maresca said of the 23-year-old. "We knew what Joao was like. We brought him in because this season we faced many teams with low blocks and his quality is very good against these kinds of teams." The striker did not celebrate his goals out of respect for the club from Rio de Janeiro, with whom he started his career before moving to England with Watford in 2020. "When I was young they gave everything to me, they showed me to the world," he said after collecting his award for player of the match. "If I am here now it is because they believed in me so I am very grateful but this is football, I have to be professional. I feel sorry for them but I have to do my job." Chelsea's run to the final of the lucrative competition comes at the end of a season in which Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League to secure a return to the UEFA Champions League. They also won the Conference League. "The last few years have not been what this club deserves, but this year luckily things went pretty well and now we are in the final," said the Italian. "We are very proud to help the team be back where they deserve to be." One possible issue for Chelsea ahead of the final is the fitness of midfield lynchpin Moises Caicedo, who came off injured deep in stoppage time at the end of the match. "'Moi' twisted his ankle. When it happened I told him that we could play with 10 players and hope it doesn't get worse," Maresca said. "He felt he could try (to play on) which he did and he felt pain. Hopefully he can be fit for Sunday." Meanwhile, Fluminense coach Renato Portaluppi was disappointed with his team's exit as South American hopes of winning the competition came to an end. However, he said they had "regained credibility" for Brazilian football with their run to the semi-finals. "Fluminense's campaign was wonderful, I think we all felt that. We overcame some major opponents," said the 62-year-old. "Chelsea deserved the win but I am very proud of everything we did. We go out with our heads held high." Agence France-Presse