Carlo Ancelotti has taken criticism for Real Madrid's perceived underperformance at times. Gerard Julien / AFP
Carlo Ancelotti has taken criticism for Real Madrid's perceived underperformance at times. Gerard Julien / AFP

Uncertainty at Madrid will come into focus after Saturday’s Clasico



So much for a club in crisis: Real Madrid can move above Barcelona in the league if they beat the Catalans in el clasico on Saturday. Barcelona could stretch their lead to six points or Madrid could draw level. It is a classic six-pointer.

Madrid have endured a mixed season. They have been exceptionally fortunate with refereeing decisions and critics have been numerous among their usually devoted media and fans. Yet criticism will be subdued if they go ahead of their eternal rivals tonight.

The sniping aimed at Madrid has not merely been in general for their as-yet-undefined style under Carlo Ancelotti, their new manager. Gareth Bale, 24, their €91 million (Dh461.8m) footballer, has yet to play 90 minutes for his new club since joining in early September, though Ancelotti claims the Welshman is ready to start against Barca.

The Catalan media have gleefully compared Bale’s fortunes to the rise of Neymar, 21, Barcelona’s big summer signing who cost far less than the former Tottenham star, at €57m, with only €17m paid to his former club, Santos, the rest going to a company owned by Neymar’s father. Neymar has played 13 games to Bale’s four.

The Brazilian hopes to emulate Barcelona’s former Brazilian strikers like Romario, Rivaldo and Ronaldino. Romario scored a hat-trick on his clasico debut, Rivaldo netted in a 3-2 win at the Bernabeu, and Ronaldinho was also on the winning side in Madrid.

Bale has been injured, first with a thigh problem and then an aching back, with elements of the Spanish media claiming the latter is more serious than suggested. Madrid’s dressing room is a calmer place after the departure of Jose Mourinho, but criticism is growing of the manner in which the club president, Florentino Perez, handles affairs. Dissenting voices come chiefly from potential replacements angling for future votes, but Perez needs Bale to excel after sanctioning his signing and the release of the hugely popular Mesut Ozil for half the price.

Bale was fit enough to be introduced as a 66th-minute substitute for Karim Benzema in the midweek win against Juventus, though he struggled to get into the game as the 10-man Italians defended from the edge of their box in the hope of hitting Madrid on a counterattack to equalize. They did not, but, devoid of space to exploit, Bale had no chance to shine, either, though Madrid have won all three Champions League games, scoring 12 and conceding only two.

It has not been an easy adjustment for Bale, who is learning Spanish, but he has found an ally in Cristiano Ronaldo, who has experience in moving from England to Spain for a huge fee and has been very supportive of his new teammate.

“Be patient with him,” Ronaldo said. “Give him time and you will see what a great player he is.” Ronaldo, with six goals in his past four games, and Angel Di Maria have been Madrid’s best players this season.

If he starts, Bale will find more space against a Barcelona team who will attack. Their defence plays high and their 100 per cent record ended with a draw at Osasuna last weekend. Barca drew again at AC Milan midweek.

Bale hopes to follow Britons like David Beckham, and Steve McManaman, who were on the winning side in their clasico debut. Beckham’s victory in 2003 was Madrid’s first victory at Camp Nou in 20 years.

More than 98,000 will attend tonight and Barcelona’s injury worries centre on whether the defender Gerard Pique will play after picking up a hamstring strain. Carles Puyol, 35, is ready to take his place after making a return against Osasuna following a seven-month absence with a knee injury.

“I feel very good,” said Puyol. “The clasico is coming and it is a game which all footballers want to play.”

Despite the high number of meetings between the pair, it’s still also the game which fans around the world most want to see.

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Army of the Dead

Director: Zack Snyder

Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera

Three stars

If you go...

Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.

Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Europe’s rearming plan
  • Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
  • Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
  • Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
  • Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
  • Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia

What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix

When Saturday

Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia

What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.

Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

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The Brutalist

Director: Brady Corbet

Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

The five stages of early child’s play

From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:

1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.

2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.

3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.

4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.

5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.