Aubameyang, Dembele and Traore train with Barcelona ahead of Napoli game - in pictures


  • English
  • Arabic

Mighty Barcelona will be given a humbling reality check on Thursday when they begin their bid to win the second-tier Europa League.

The five-time European champions crashed out of the Champions League in the group stage with just two goals scored in six matches as they finished third behind Bayern Munich and Benfica.

At least their opponents in a competition Barca are taking part in for the first time in 18 years offer a bit of Euro glamour, as they take on Serie A title challengers Napoli at Camp Nou. The two teams met in the last 16 of the Champions League only two years ago.

It will be a sign of some progress under manager Xavi Hernandez if Barca can emerge victorious in the two-legged play-off to reach the last-16 stage.

Barca were busy in the last transfer window bringing in the likes of Ferran Torres, Adama Traore and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - and the attacking trio were all training on Wednesday ahead of the play-off first leg.

And Xavi has backed former Arsenal striker Aubameyang to make his mark. "He's good, and he trains really well. He's 100 per cent ready. He's a player who can make a difference, he works well in spaces and makes good runs into the area," Xavi said.

"He's put in performances in recent years that have been very good. I'm very happy with him, he's working positively in our group, and he's very professional."

They currently sit fourth in La Liga, a whopping 15 points behind leaders Real Madrid, and drew 2-2 at neighbours Espanyol on Sunday after Luuk de Jong's injury-time goal rescued a point.

Napoli, managed by Luciano Spalletti, finished second but joint top of their Europa League group level on points with Spartak Moscow. They are third in Serie A - two points behind leaders AC Milan - and drew 1-1 with second-placed Inter Milan at the weekend.

You can see images from Barcelona's training session in Spain ahead of the Napoli game in the gallery above. To view the next image, click on the arrows or swipe if on a mobile device.

Barcelona player ratings in 2-2 draw with Espanyol

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HyveGeo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abdulaziz%20bin%20Redha%2C%20Dr%20Samsurin%20Welch%2C%20Eva%20Morales%20and%20Dr%20Harjit%20Singh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECambridge%20and%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESustainability%20%26amp%3B%20Environment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%20plus%20undisclosed%20grant%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVenture%20capital%20and%20government%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Youth YouTuber Programme

The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:

- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots

- Master on-camera presence and advanced script writing

- Beating the algorithm and reaching your core audience

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Updated: February 17, 2022, 4:00 AM`