Al Shabab's first football team will be a formidable guest against Oman's Al Nahda in a crucial match tomorrow evening, Tuesday, at Al Seeb Sports Stadium in Muscat, the Omani capital. This highly anticipated match is part of the fifth and penultimate round of the group stage (Group B) of the Gulf Champions League, a tournament witnessing fierce competition for qualification to the semi-finals.

Al-Shabab enters the match in a precarious position, currently sitting in last place in their group with only three points. Their tally comes from three draws and one loss, and they are still searching for their first win in the tournament. In contrast, Oman's Al-Nahda enjoys a period of stability, occupying second place in the group with six points, level on points with leaders Al-Rayyan of Qatar but trailing on goal difference. They have secured one win and three draws, maintaining their unbeaten record.

This match is of paramount importance to the Saudi side, representing their last chance to keep their qualification hopes alive. The coaching staff and players understand that a victory is the only option to remain in contention before their final match against Yemen's Al-Tadhamon Hadramout in Riyadh. Any result other than a win could significantly complicate matters or even lead to their official elimination from the tournament, something the team is determined to avoid in order to make amends to their fans and compete for a regional title that would enhance the club's standing.

The Gulf Champions League is one of the prestigious tournaments that has returned to prominence with a highly competitive format, prompting participating clubs to give their all to win the title. For Al Shabab, winning an international title is a strategic objective for the current management, especially after the significant reinforcements the team has recently received.

Al-Shabab are placing great hopes on the new signings they made during the winter transfer window, having bolstered their squad with seven quality acquisitions to lift the team out of its slump and provide the necessary technical boost. All eyes are on the stars capable of making a difference, most notably Belgian star Yannick Carrasco, Brazilian Carlos Junior, and experienced goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe, who represents the team's safety net. The squad also includes Englishman Josh Brownhill, international defender Ali Al-Bulaihi, as well as Mohammed Al-Shuwairikh, Ali Al-Asmari, and Hammam Al-Hamami.

On the other hand, Oman's Al-Nahda will not be an easy opponent. The team is bolstered by home advantage and a supportive crowd, and will strive to secure the three points necessary to officially qualify, especially if the result of the Al-Rayyan vs. Al-Tadhamon match goes in their favor. The Omani team boasts a cohesive group of talented players, including international goalkeeper Faiz Al-Rushaidi, midfield maestro Harib Al-Saadi, along with Ahmed Al-Kaabi, Thani Al-Rushaidi, Hussein Al-Shahri, Ghanem Al-Habshi, and Mohammed Al-Rawahi – all players with the experience to handle such crucial matches.

In a dramatic night of football that perfectly captured the spirit of Italian Serie A, Juventus staged a remarkable comeback to avoid defeat against their stubborn visitors, Lazio, with the thrilling encounter ending in a 2-2 draw. This result keeps the Bianconeri in contention for European qualification, as they now sit in fourth place with 46 points, while Lazio continue their climb up the table, reaching 33 points in eighth place.

The match witnessed many tactical and technical twists, as the excitement began early when the home team thought they had opened the scoring through Dutchman Ton Koopmeiners in the 28th minute, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology had a different opinion by canceling the goal due to offside, which kept the result negative and gave a morale boost to the visitors.

Lazio capitalized on this momentum just before halftime, with veteran Spaniard Pedro opening the scoring in the second minute of added time (45+2) with a deceptive left-footed shot that deflected off Brazilian defender Gleison Bremer and wrong-footed goalkeeper Michele De Gregorio. This goal capped a superb team effort, highlighted by Daniel Maldini's decisive pass after a brilliant dispossession of Manuel Locatelli, marking his first attacking contribution for the "Eagles of the Capital" since joining from Atalanta.

At the start of the second half, Lazio compounded Juventus's misery by scoring their second goal in the 47th minute through Danish striker Gustav Isaksen, who unleashed a powerful shot from a tight angle that nestled into the roof of the net, capitalizing on a perfectly weighted through ball from Danilo Cataldi. It seemed the match was over for the visitors at that moment, but Juventus's legendary character shone through.

The comeback began in the 59th minute when American Weston McKennie narrowed the gap with a well-placed header from close range, capitalizing on a precise cross from the outstanding full-back Andrea Cambiasso. This goal breathed new life into the Allianz Stadium crowd, and Juventus pressed forward with all their might in search of an equalizer.

As the match drew to a close, specifically in the sixth minute of stoppage time (90+6), Juventus applied their famous motto “until the end,” as French defender Pierre Kalulu snatched the killer equalizer with a header from inside the six-yard box, capitalizing on a golden cross from substitute Ivorian Jeremy Boga, to save his team from the trap of defeat and confirm the difficulty of defeating Juve in their stronghold.

This draw is crucial in the race for Champions League qualification, as the competition for the top four in Serie A is fierce. Despite dropping two points, Juventus' comeback demonstrates their mental fortitude, while Lazio will be left with the bitter taste of a missed opportunity, putting even more pressure on them to improve their results in the upcoming matches to secure a European qualification spot.

Real Madrid overcame difficult circumstances and significant absences to secure a valuable 2-0 victory against Valencia on Sunday in the 23rd round of the Spanish La Liga. This win reignited the title race for Los Blancos, reducing the gap with league leaders Barcelona to just one point.

Overcoming the "Mestalla" obstacle and Mbappe shines

This match held special significance not only because of the three points, but also because it took place at Valencia's historically difficult home ground, and amidst key absences in coach Álvaro Arbeloa's squad, most notably Jude Bellingham, Rodrigo, Éder Militão, and Vinicius Junior. Despite these challenges, the team displayed the character of champions and managed to impose their control at crucial moments of the game.

Real Madrid owes this victory to Álvaro Carreras, who unlocked the defense in the 65th minute with a brilliant individual effort, and to French star Kylian Mbappé, who secured the win with a second goal in the 90+1 minute, capitalizing on a pass from substitute Brahim Díaz. Mbappé increased his goal tally to 23, maintaining his lead in the La Liga top scorers' chart, and to 38 goals across all competitions, confirming his strong return from injury by scoring for the fifth consecutive match.

With this result, Real Madrid raised its tally to 57 points in second place, behind leaders Barcelona with 58 points, while Valencia's situation worsened as its tally remained frozen at 23 points in seventeenth place, very close to the relegation zone.

Atletico Madrid's defeat and other results

In a shocking upset in the same round, Atletico Madrid fell to their guest Real Betis by a single goal scored by Brazilian Antonetti, so that coach Diego Simeone’s team suffered their fourth loss this season, freezing their tally at 45 points in third place, and they are now threatened with losing their position to Villarreal.

In other matches, Athletic Bilbao returned to winning ways with a resounding 4-2 victory over Levante, capitalizing on their opponents being a man down, to bring their points tally to 28. A dramatic 1-1 draw was the outcome of the Sevilla-Girona match, which saw the visitors miss a penalty in stoppage time, while Getafe secured a valuable 2-0 win away at Alavés.