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.
sports@thenational.ae
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
The specs: 2018 Bentley Bentayga V8
Price, base: Dh853,226
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 550hp @ 6,000pm
Torque: 770Nm @ 1,960rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L / 100km
The team
Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
6 UNDERGROUND
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The bio:
Favourite holiday destination: I really enjoyed Sri Lanka and Vietnam but my dream destination is the Maldives.
Favourite food: My mum’s Chinese cooking.
Favourite film: Robocop, followed by The Terminator.
Hobbies: Off-roading, scuba diving, playing squash and going to the gym.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
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.
Fast%20X
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What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
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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
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Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
Match info:
Burnley 0
Manchester United 2
Lukaku (22', 44')
Red card: Marcus Rashford (Man United)
Man of the match: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)
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Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
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The biog
From: Ras Al Khaimah
Age: 50
Profession: Electronic engineer, worked with Etisalat for the past 20 years
Hobbies: 'Anything that involves exploration, hunting, fishing, mountaineering, the sea, hiking, scuba diving, and adventure sports'
Favourite quote: 'Life is so simple, enjoy it'
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
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Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
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Investment: approximately $80 million
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THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
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Other hobbies: football
Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
The%20specs
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