With hopes of a fourth consecutive Spanish league title fading, Barcelona are turning their full attention to defending their European crown - which is bad news for Bayer Leverkusen.
Both sides are having domestic troubles going into their meeting in tonight's Champions League last 16 first-leg match, but it is arguably Barcelona who have more to prove.
Saturday's 3-2 loss at Osasuna, coupled with Real Madrid's 4-2 win over Levante on Sunday, left the Spanish champions 10 points behind their rivals.
Leverkusen have problems of their own, having claimed only one win in their last seven games to lie sixth in the Bundesliga, while the club is at odds with Michael Ballack. The former Germany captain has not played for Leverkusen since Wolfgang Holzhaeuser, the managing director, described his transfer back to the club as a "failure".
Leverkusen failed to win any of the three games in which Ballack remained an unused substitute, but any thoughts that Robin Dutt, the Leverkusen coach, may have had of giving the 35 year old a final hurrah on the big stage were dashed on Sunday, when Ballack tore a calf muscle in training.
Ballack's injury is just the latest to hit Dutt's side. The winger Sidney Sam and the Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok were both ruled out with foot injuries, the latter after stepping on broken glass in his bathroom last week.
Leverkusen missed their attacking presence in the 1-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
"On Tuesday, it could be a tick more difficult," Dutt said.
"We're not dreamers but realists," Rudi Voeller, Leverkusen's sporting director, said.
"We want to make sure of the Europa League place and secure international football that way."
Carles Puyol, the Barcelona captain, warned on Sunday: "We'll fight to the end in all three competitions, whoever thinks the opposite is wrong."
He added: "We have to give everything every game, and we'll do this until the end of the season."
Guardiola spared key midfielders Andres Iniesta and Xavi from Osasuna's frozen pitch with tonight's game in mind.
"We've been looking forward to this game for weeks, for the fans and for our young players to play against the world's best team," Voeller said.
"Of course it's a dream. You look at them sometimes and say, 'Ah, how lovely they play'. For the players it's great to see at first hand how they do it and why they are so good."
Lyon v APOEL Nicosia
Lyon’s frail defence may need to take a leaf out of APOEL Nicosia’s book when the two sides meet in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Lyon have not kept a clean sheet in their last five matches, losing 2-1 at home to lowly Caen in the French league on Saturday.
By contrast, APOEL’s strength at the back helped them become the first Cypriot team to reach the knockout phase after finishing ahead of Zenit St Petersburg, Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk in the group stage.
“Everyone expects us to go through, but let’s not put the cart before the horse,” Remi Garde, the Lyon coach, said. “It’s a team which is tough to outmanoeuvre and defends well.”
But experience is on Lyon’s side as they have reached this stage for the ninth successive season.
Lyon will be without the Croatia defender Dejan Lovren, who is recovering from an Achilles injury.
The teenager Samuel Umtiti, 18, and the Brazilian veteran Cris, 34, have deputised at centre-back, but their performances have not really helped a Lyon defence which is the 12th most porous in the French league.
Hamdan Al Kamali, the UAE defender recently signed from Al Wahda, is not part of Lyon's Champions League squad.
On top of a difficult team selection, Lyon have a congested schedule to deal with as they are still in contention in four competitions – the Champions League, the French league, the French Cup and the League Cup.
APOEL hope to capitalise on Lyon’s problems at the back to prove their spot in the last 16 is no fluke. “It’s a great opportunity for us to continue to show the whole world what we can do,” Ailton Almeida, the striker, said.
Ivan Jovanovic, the coach, added: “Scoring is one of our problems, but that depends on how the team plays.”
* Associated Press
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
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Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt
Company%20Profile
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Zombieland: Double Tap
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone
Four out of five stars
Results
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'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness'
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hoopla%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jacqueline%20Perrottet%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20required%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
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.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Leganes v Getafe (12am)
Levante v Alaves (4pm)
Real Madrid v Sevilla (7pm)
Osasuna v Valladolid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Eibar v Atletico Madrid (12am)
Mallorca v Valencia (3pm)
Real Betis v Real Sociedad (5pm)
Villarreal v Espanyol (7pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Barcelona v Granada (12am)
Scoreline
Arsenal 3
Aubameyang (28'), Welbeck (38', 81')
Red cards: El Neny (90' 3)
Southampton 2
Long (17'), Austin (73')
Red cards: Stephens (90' 2)
The biog
Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren
Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies
Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan
Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India
Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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