Imagine being one of the match analysts on the staff at Real Betis, collating and trying to make sense of information on future opponents during this crucial segment of the season.
Ahead of Real Madrid’s visit to Seville last weekend, they studied the Spanish champions’ preceding matches – and especially the ominous 46 minutes in late February when Madrid thumped five goals past Liverpool at Anfield.
Meanwhile, ahead of Betis’ trip to Manchester United for Thursday’s first leg of a Europa League last-16 tie, they scrutinise footage of United’s last fixture: Anfield, the same venue at which Madrid had run riot; a mere 12 days after Madrid routed Liverpool there, United shipped seven goals against the home team in the space of 45 minutes.
Trying to establish his bearings between these wildly fluctuating sets of data is Manuel Pellegrini, the vastly experienced Betis manager, whose team were solid enough to keep Madrid goalless on Sunday.
He sees United are well above Liverpool in the Premier League table. He is also wise enough to survey United’s dreadful thrashing at Anfield within the broader context of a run of form in which, since the new year, United have defeated Pellegrini’s old club Manchester City, eliminated Barcelona from Europe and lifted, with victory over Newcastle United in the League Cup final, their first trophy since 2017.
Pellegrini knows bad blips can sometimes just happen. He once oversaw a 7-0 defeat, managing Malaga, away at Real Madrid. His Malaga bounced back to win seven of their next 10 matches and within a year were qualifying for the Champions League.
When a thumping defeat interrupts a club’s momentum, it’s about how the players and the management react that counts.
Erik ten Hag, the United manager, may not be as worldly as Pellegrini but he has his own recovery stories. He was the Ajax manager, who, four winters back, lost 6-2 to arch-rivals Feyenoord. In three of the next four games, Ajax scored at least five times.
The rest of their season would feature winning the Dutch title and a run to the Champions League semi-finals in which Ajax eliminated Juventus and Real Madrid.
“We have to reset and bounce back,” said Ten Hag on Wednesday. “We made a mess on Sunday and we have to deal with that. We have seen the game again, talked about it and set out conclusions.”
Some of those conclusions are that, having gone a goal behind just before half time at Anfield, United became too impatient.
Liverpool 7 Man United 0: Player ratings
Striker Marcus Rashford, whose form going into last weekend had been excellent, suggested: “It comes down to the fact, I believe, everyone was trying to get back into the game so much that we came away from our principles, in and out of possession.
“I felt the forwards were trying to press, just the forward unit, and were disconnected from the midfield.
“We were unorganised and communication was bad. The only thing we can do is learn from it and move on.”
Rashford reacted firmly against any notion that as Liverpool racked up second-half goals, United capitulated. “We didn’t give up,” he insisted, “that’s nonsense.”
He and Ten Hag spoke as one in their support for Bruno Fernandes, the captain against Liverpool and the United player who most clearly displayed his frustrations during the rout.
“He’s playing a brilliant season, he’s played an important role in [putting us] in the position we are, giving energy to the team, intensity in the right way,” said his coach. “He’s an inspiration.
“No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes but I’m really happy to have Bruno in my team and I’m happy with him as our captain with Harry [Maguire, the official club captain] not on the pitch.”
Betis 0-0 Real Madrid
Maguire is among the options to come into the United defence should Ten Hag feel the need for significant changes of personnel after the agony of Anfield.
They are up against savvy opponents. Although Betis are without the injured Nabil Fekir, a significant absence, they have plenty of European know-how to call on, from the veteran former City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, 39, to the remarkably durable winger Joaquin Sanchez, a club icon who is now 41.
Betis arrive in Manchester on the back of three Liga wins before the weekend’s gutsy draw with Madrid and sit three points off fourth place – Champions League qualifying – in the Spanish table.
“We have to focus,” said Ten Hag. “In a season, setbacks will always be there, and Liverpool was a huge setback, clearly, but we had a run with 23 games and one loss, before this second one.
“We were really below average, especially our mentality. We got a big lesson. We’ll take it and move on, look forward.”
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Results
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The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
Q&A with Dash Berlin
Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.
You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit
As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.
Rajasthan Royals 153-5 (17.5 ov)
Delhi Daredevils 60-4 (6 ov)
Rajasthan won by 10 runs (D/L method)
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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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
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
HOW TO WATCH
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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.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
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
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
