It was back on January 12, 2022, in Saudi Arabia when Barcelona fans first saw promise in a Xavi side.
The Catalans lost the game, a Clasico against Real Madrid, but the performance was Barcelona’s best of what had been a troubled season.
Lionel Messi had departed at its start, Antoine Griezmann, too. Sergio Aguero had to retire after barely playing. After a trio of 3-0 defeats, Barcelona failed to progress from their Champions League group for the first time since 2003, and had been as low as ninth in the league by October, prompting the dismissal of Ronald Koeman and the arrival of Xavi.
In Riyadh, a Barcelona side featuring a youthful forward line twice came from behind to make it 2-2 after 90 minutes, before Fede Valverde grabbed Madrid’s winner.
It barely mattered. Barca had been the better side and proved they could go toe-to toe with the runaway La Liga winners Madrid again.
Midfielder Gavi, 17, could match Casemiro, Luca Modric and Toni Kroos. Two months later, Barcelona went to the Bernabeu and won 4-0. A season later, they were Spanish champions once more.
However, the path has been far from smooth since, at a time when financial problems and stadium redevelopment have combined for one of the most turbulent periods in Barcelona’s history.
This season hasn't been a great one. They trail Real Madrid and Catalan neighbours Girona by seven points at the halfway stage of La Liga. They are also playing in front of lower than expected crowds at their temporary Olympic Stadium home.
True, they qualified from their Champions League group for the first time in three years, something about which Xavi pointedly asked why no journalist had congratulated him on last month. After all, Manchester United and Newcastle United, with far higher wage bills, had failed to get out of theirs. But Barcelona fans have been spoiled by success for 18 years.
This version is far from vintage. They’ve not won a game by more than one goal for 20 matches, the latest a 3-2 triumph over fourth-tier Barbastro on Sunday in the Copa del Rey. A stat went viral in Spain last week that showed if La Liga games were over at half time, Barcelona would be 14th in the league. The point is Barcelona take their time to get going and then struggle to control games when they do. They were leading 1-0 against Real Madrid in the October Clasico and lost 2-1 thanks to two Jude Bellingham goals.
Xavi talks up his side publicly, even if most fans have a lower opinion of what they’re seeing. Finally, he was critical of his players after the hard-fought 3-2 win against Almeria in December, when only 34,471 were present at the Olympic Stadium. The average crowd at Camp Nou last season was 82,000. The club optimistically hope their usual home will be partially ready to use by the end of this year.
A much-changed defence has struggled. Barcelona have conceded 22 goals in 19 games – against 20 in 38 last season. Jules Kounde, who played right-back last season, has not been as effective as a central defender – the position he wanted to play. Another defender struggling to reach the levels of last season is left back Alejandro Balde.
Up front, no player beyond Robert Lewandowski, who has been average by his own high standards, has scored more than three goals. The Pole is the only Barcelona player in the top 40 scorers in La Liga with seven. By comparison, Jude Bellingham has 13.
Barcelona continue to be in transition. This is the first full season without Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba – all mainstays of their numerous doubles and treble-winning teams.
The replacements have hardly inspired. Catalan midfielder Oriol Romeo, an honest, physical footballer, pales when compared to Busquets. On loan Joao Felix started well but has tailed off, though fellow new signing Ilkay Gundogan has impressed and Joao Cancelo has been their best defender.
Injuries have been a major issue. Gavi, a world-class central midfielder despite being only 19, tore his cruciate ligament in November. His fantastic foil Pedri, 21, has been restricted to eight starts from 19 league games with ongoing hamstring and muscle injuries.
Ronald Araujo, 24, the Catalans' best centre-back, has been hit by three injuries in the past year. Frenkie de Jong, perhaps the only player to have improved on last season, has missed two months of the campaign with a damaged ankle. Defender Inigo Martinez is also out injured, while goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been out with a back injury since November.
There have been positives – the emergence of Lamine Yamal, 16, and Fermin Lopez, 20, from a youth system that keeps on producing top-class players. They’ve played 25 and 19 games, respectively, so far this term in all competitions.
Barcelona play Osasuna, last season’s beaten Copa del Rey finalists, in Riyadh in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final on Thursday night.
Osasuna – which means "health" in Basque – have never won a trophy in their 103-year history. The team hail from Pamplona, a wealthy, expanding city of 200,000 best known for the San Fermin 'Running of the Bulls' festival every July.
Osasuna, who are 12th in La Liga, will earn €2 million in prize money if they win the four-team tournament – a quarter of what any of the other three teams would receive. That has been criticised as not being fair – and with good reason – though Osasuna are the outsiders. They were defeated 2-1 at home by Barcelona in the league in September, and lost 4-0 to Real Madrid and 2-0 at home against Atletico.
The winners face Real Madrid, who beat City rivals Atletico 5-3 after extra time on Wednesday, in Sunday's final. Barcelona are the holders and how they could do with another lift from this tournament, played a long way from home.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Brief scores:
Newcastle United 1
Perez 23'
Wolverhampton Rovers 2
Jota 17', Doherty 90' 4
Red cards: Yedlin 57'
Man of the Match: Diogo Jota (Wolves)
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FIVE%20TRENDS%20THAT%20WILL%20SHAPE%20UAE%20BANKING
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Where to Find Me by Alba Arikha
Alma Books
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
Results
2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Maqam, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Mamia Al Reef, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
3.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner: Jaahiz, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner: Qanoon, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Cup Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Philosopher, Tadhg O’Shea, Salem bin Ghadayer.
54.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner: Jap Al Yassoob, Fernando Jara, Irfan Ellahi.
Results
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m, Winner Bandar, Fernando Jara (jockey), Majed Al Jahouri (trainer).
7.05pm Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner Well Of Wisdom, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Star Safari, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
8.15pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner Moqarrar, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.
8.50pm Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m, Winner Secret Advisor, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
9.25pm Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner Parsimony, William Buick, Doug O’Neill.
10pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Simsir, Ronan Whelan, Michael Halford.
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner Velorum, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
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
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m
Winner: Equilateral, Andrea Atzeni, Charles Hills
7.40pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (D) 2,200m
Winner: New Trails, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Mnasek, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: D’bai, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Summer Romance, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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South Korea
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
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THREE
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Company profile
Name: Tharb
Started: December 2016
Founder: Eisa Alsubousi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Luxury leather goods
Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings
RESULT
Leeds United 1 Manchester City 1
Leeds: Rodrigo (59')
Man City: Sterling (17')
Man of the Match: Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds)