Valencia 0 // Barcelona 1
VALENCIA // Lionel Messi's 27th Primera Liga goal of the season gave Barcelona a valuable victory over third-placed Valencia at Mestalla and saw the Catalans stretch their lead at the top to 10 points.
Messi had seen three shots kept out in one incredible move early on and missed two other good opportunities after that, but the Argentina forward was not to be denied and popped up to settle matters with 14 minutes remaining.
Barca had arguably the better chances but Valencia matched the leaders for long periods and could perhaps feel aggrieved that Jordi Alba's first-half effort was ruled out for offside.
David Villa was returning to Mestalla for the first time since his big-money summer move from Valencia, although the Spain striker arrived later than his teammates after giving evidence in a trial against his former agent in Asturias earlier in the day.
Guardiola's presence in Valencia had also been in doubt, but the Barca coach was given the all-clear to travel by club doctors, despite a lower-back problem.
Guardiola, in his third year in charge at Barca, had won at all of the other current Primera Division grounds — but never at Mestalla.
Xavi returned from injury for the match, but with Carles Puyol and Victor Valdes sidelined, the coach was forced to field an unusual line-up.
Sergio Busquets was moved into central defence to replace Puyol, while Jose Manuel Pinto took over in goal and there were also starts for Javier Mascherano and Adriano.
Messi was, as expected, heavily involved early on and missed a triple opportunity to give Barca the lead after nine minutes.
Valencia keeper Vicente Guaita somehow repelled his first two efforts with fine reaction saves, while a third was hacked clear by a teammate.
Messi also clipped a lob onto the roof of the net when he had looked certain to score after half an hour, but Barca could have been behind by then following a controversial call from the officials.
That saw Valencia's Alba ruled offside as he went clean through, took the ball past Pinto and slid into the empty net from an angle.
Replays proved inconclusive, but Valencia felt hard done by.
The home side, who had won eight of their last 10 Primera Division games, were matching Barca and substitute Roberto Soldado missed a good chance to give them the lead early in the second half, when he dragged an angled shot wide of the target.
Pablo Hernandez then fired just past the post following a quick Valencia counter-attack. The midfielder opted to shoot, but appeared to be caught in two minds and perhaps would have been better off squaring for the unmarked Soldado at the far post.
Messi then missed another great chance for Barca as he slid just wide, but the forward netted what proved to be the winner with 14 minutes remaining.
Iniesta fed Adriano on the left flank and the Brazilian sidestepped his marker before sending in an inviting low cross for Messi, who beat Guaita - who got a touch - with a low finish just inside the keeper's right-hand post.
Real can trim the gap at the top to seven with a win at Malaga tonight, when the Andalusian club's coach Manuel Pellegrini returns to the Bernabeu to face the man who replaced him at Real at the end of last season, Jose Mourinho.
Another of Pellegrini's former clubs, Villarreal, breathed life into their bid for a place in next season's Champions League when Giuseppe Rossi struck to give them a 1-0 home win over promoted Hercules earlier last night.
The Italy forward sped on to Cani's through ball in the 21st minute at the Madrigal and finished past Juan Calatayud to lift Villarreal to 50 points from 26 matches, one behind Valencia.
Juan Carlos Garrido's Villarreal side, who are still alive in the Europa League, had lost two and drawn two of their last four league matches.
Europa League champions Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao stumbled in their campaigns for a European berth.
Atletico, who have won only two and lost five of their 10 league matches this year, were held to a 1-1 draw at city rivals Getafe and Bilbao squandered the lead to lose 2-1 at Real Zaragoza.
Atletico are eighth on 35 points, three behind Bilbao and Seville, who beat visiting Sporting Gijón 3-0 on Tuesday.
Espanyol lost 2-1 at home to Real Mallorca on Tuesday and remain fifth on 40 points.
In other matches last night, Osasuna drew 0-0 with visiting Deportivo Coruna and Real Sociedad and Levante drew 1-1 in San Sebastian.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
The%20specs
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
SOUTH%20KOREA%20SQUAD
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at the Gabba
Australia 312-1
Warner 151 not out, Burns 97, Labuschagne 55 not out
Pakistan 240
Shafiq 76, Starc 4-52
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
FIXTURES
December 28
Stan Wawrinka v Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Milos Raonic v Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 29 - semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Stan Wawrinka / Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Milos Raonic / Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 30
3rd/4th place play-off, 5pm
Final, 7pm
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 611bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Price: upon application
On sale: now
