Steve Luckings highlights five events to watch and attend this week.
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FOOTBALL: Uefa Champions League final, Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid, Saturday, beIN Sports, 10.45pm
In a repeat of the 2014 final, the city of Madrid will be represented in this season’s Uefa Champions League final as Atletico face bitter rivals Real. Zinedine Zidane’s Real and Diego Simeone’s Atletico finished second and third respectively in Spain’s Primera Liga, with the former losing out on the title to Barcelona on the final day. Atletico will be looking to avenge their defeat in the Lisbon final two years ago when they were seconds away from a famous victory before Sergio Ramos’s late equaliser forced the game to extra time and then Real’s superior quality told as they run out 4-1 victors. A triumph in Milan on Saturday would cement Simeone’s legacy as one of the game’s outstanding manager’s, but guiding Real to a record-extending 11th European Cup only five months into the job would also bolster Zidane’s credentials as an elite-level manager.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS: Abu Dhabi Warriors 4, Ipic Arena, Tuesday, 7pm
The Middle East's premier MMA Fighting Championship returns to Abu Dhabi for an action packed, 10-fight card. The event will be held at the Ipic Arena, Zayed Sports City, in partnership with the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation. The event will be broadcasted live on Abu Dhabi Sports TV in the UAE and Mena region, and streamed live worldwide on www.abudhabi-warriors.com.
SQUASH: PSA World Series Finals, Wednesday to Saturday, Burj Park in Downtown Dubai, from 2pm
The World Series Final is the end of season championship of the Professional Squash Association's World Tour and the top eight players in the men's and women's World Series qualify for the event. The eight players, in both the men's and women's sections, have divided into two groups of four each and they will be competing in a round-robin format on the first three days to decide the semi-final spots. There will be eight matches on each of the first three days – four in the men's section and four women's – with the first match scheduled for a 2pm start. There will be an equal prize purse of Dh587,700. Visit worldseriesfinals.com for additional information.
DARTS: Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters, Thursday and Friday, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Dubai
Eight of the world's top darts players are heading back to Dubai for the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters, the tournament's fourth edition, which is the first leg of the PDC's World Series of Darts 2016. Michael van Gerwen, the reigning Dubai Champion, will head the field of eight players, as he attempts to win an unprecedented fourth straight title. Van Gerwen will be joined by seven world-class rivals in competing in the two-day event at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. Tickets start at Dh150. Visit www.dubai-darts.com for more information.
FOOTBALL: President’s Cup final, Al Ain v Al Jazira, Zayed Sports City, Saturday
Al Ain arranged a date with Al Jazira in the President’s Cup final on Saturday, fending off a furious Baniyas fightback for a 3-2 win in extra time at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Al Jazira advanced to the final 24 hours earlier courtesy of an Ali Mabkhout hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Al Ahli, denying the Dubai club a third-straight appearance in the final. The match offers both Al Ain and Al Jazira the chance to clinch silverware to end otherwise disappointing seasons, in which Al Ahli were crowned Arabian Gulf League champions.
