A peculiar atmosphere awaits Camp Nou in the lead-up to what ought to be the glamour fixture on Wednesday's Champions League menu.
By the time the line-ups are known for Barcelona against Bayern Munich, the home team’s prospects of progress in the competition may have dwindled beneath even the “minimal hope” Barca head coach Xavi is retaining.
By the time his players greet the tens of thousands of loyalists in the stadium at kick-off, they could already have bid goodbye to Europe’s main club competition for the season, regardless of what they achieve against Bayern.
The scheduling of the two fixtures, Barca-Bayern in the later time slot, and Inter Milan versus Viktoria Plzen with the earlier start has potentially drained suspense from the decisive match day in Group C, where, with its three so-called superclubs pitched in together, there was always going to be one heavyweight casualty.
Speeding headlong into the casualty ward are Barca, who, having lost to Inter in San Siro and to Bayern in Munich, put themselves in real danger. When they then failed to hold a 1-0 lead over Inter at home two weeks ago, eventually scraping a 3-3 draw with the Italians, the odds on progressing were stacked against them.
To join Bayern in the last 16, Barcelona depend on Inter dropping points against Plzen and again in the final match day against Bayern, while Barca at the same time make up a gap that currently stands at three points behind Inter.
Uefa, organisers of the Champions League, might have foreseen match day five in this group would be ripe with jeopardy and that the decisive matches in the so-called Group of Death would offer higher drama by being played simultaneously. After all, neither Barcelona nor Inter have immaculate recent records chasing European points under pressure.
Last year, Barca also slipped up in the group stage, having finished behind Bayern and Benfica, and were relegated to the Europa League. Inter, meanwhile, will be taking on not just Plzen but their own past phantoms.
Four years ago, they fluffed their lines on the last match day, requiring a victory at home against PSV Eindhoven to finish second in the group. PSV had nothing at stake in the game besides bonus fees. Inter could only draw 1-1.
Twelve months later, their last group match was against a Barcelona who already had the group won and fielded a weakened team. Inter needed only to match the result of Borussia Dortmund against Slavia Prague. Inter lost and were again eliminated.
They messed up for a third season on the trot in 2020/21. They needed to beat Shakhtar Donetsk on match day six to reach the knockouts and could only draw 0-0.
At the weekend, Inter hardly looked like a side ready to exert command through this evening’s potentially nervous 90 minutes. A 2-0 lead was sacrificed in their wild Serie A meeting with Fiorentina, who equalised again after going 3-2 behind, Inter winning 4-3 only with a Henrikh Mkhitaryan goal five minutes into stoppage time.
Plzen, though, have yet to claim a point in the group, so Barcelona are relying on a dubious ally. Whatever the earlier result, Barca’s head coach Xavi insists he will not alter his line-up or tactical plan. “It is going to be intense, whatever has happened in Milan,” Xavi said of the confrontation with Bayern. “We need to match Bayern and show we are at the level of these top teams.”
There is an element of “revenge”, Xavi acknowledged. Barca’s decline over the past three years is framed by humiliations against Bayern: an 8-2 loss in the Champions League in 2020; a pair of 3-0 defeats last autumn; beaten 2-0 in Munich last month after they had taken the first half to Bayern but failed to convert a string of chances.
Barcelona, as Xavi is reminded daily, invested heavily in the summer to arm themselves with a squad designed to avoid last season’s group-stage elimination. For nobody do the failings of the European campaign hurt as much as for Robert Lewandowski.
He left Bayern, where he won a European Cup and eight Bundesliga titles, for Barca for €45m, to see out his mid-30s as the lodestar for a club urgently seeking to restore its status. Lewandowski has watched his former employers breeze to the Champions League knockouts, and his new ones flounder in Europe even as he racks up the goals in La Liga.
“He’s a winner, with huge quality and lots of goals,” said Xavi of the Pole. “This game is an opportunity for him, and for the team.”
GREATEST ROYAL RUMBLE CARD
The line-up as it stands for the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia on April 27
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship
Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns
Casket match
The Undertaker v Rusev
Intercontinental Championship
Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship
The Bludgeon Brothers v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship
Sheamus and Cesaro v Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy
United States Championship
Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
Singles match
Triple H v John Cena
To be confirmed
AJ Styles will defend his WWE World Heavyweight title and Cedric Alexander his Cruiserweight Championship, but matches have yet to be announced
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
RESULTS
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'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
More on animal trafficking
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
New schools in Dubai
The Specs:
The Specs:
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 444bhp
Torque: 600Nm
Price: AED 356,580 incl VAT
On sale: now.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m
Winner: Ekhtiyaar, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m
Winner: Spotify, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: UAE Oakes | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
Winner: Divine Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Mythical Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Major Partnership, Kevin Stott, Saeed bin Suroor
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
