Albania v Spain Euro 2024 player ratings: Olmo 8, Torres 7; Ajeti 8, Manaj 5


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Spain's second XI swaggered through their final game in Euro 2024 Group B with a 1-0 win against Albania thanks to a goal from Barcelona forward Ferran Torres on Monday.

Manager Luis de la Fuente made 10 changes to his starting line-up from the team that beat Italy 1-0 as they had already clinched top spot in the group. They had earlier beaten Croatia 3-0 in their opening game.

The three-time European champions enter the last 16 with a 100 per cent record and without conceding a goal.

Former Manchester City forward Torres gave Spain the lead in the 13th minute, striking a precise low finish after being put into space by a superb pass by Dani Olmo.

The result means that Albania finished bottom of the group and were eliminated and England, France and the Netherlands are all guaranteed to go through to the knockout phase.

Gareth Southgate’s team are now assured of being one of the best-placed third teams even if they don't finish in the top two of Group C. They currently lead the group by two points and face Slovenia in Cologne on Tuesday.

Spain's second string showed the strength in depth available to De la Fuente as they dominated possession in the first half in Dusseldorf.

But Albania's Kristjan Asllani did force a good save from Spain keeper David Raya with a powerful 25-yard strike in the first half.

Spain had won all eight of their previous encounters with Albania and looked far too strong in the first 45 minutes but their opponents stepped up their game in the second half, especially after substitutes Armando Broja, Medon Berisha and Arber Hoxha were introduced.

Broja forced another fine save from Raya with a stinging shot on the turn.

Albania's Brazilian coach Sylvinho said afterwards: "I am proud of the players. We competed against three great sides.

"The experience for us and for the country was amazing. The players gave everything and will remember this for the rest of their lives."

Spain scorer Torres, who has 20 goals in 44 games for his country, said: "We are forging our own path.

"We are working very well together. We are like a big family. Now we are through to the last 16 and we are just going one game at a time, but why shouldn't we have big dreams."

In the group's other game, Italy grabbed an equaliser in the eighth minute of stoppage time to draw 1-1 with Croatia and reach the knockout stages.

Luka Modric put Croatia ahead in the 55th minute but Mattia Zaccagni levelled the scores in the 98th minute with a composed finish.

The goal put Italy through as they clinched second place in the group – and sent heart-broken Croatia, the 2018 World Cup finalists, home.

Six large-scale objects on show
  • Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
  • The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
  • A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
  • Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
  • A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
  • Torrijos Palace dome
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

HIJRA

Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy

Director: Shahad Ameen

Rating: 3/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
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
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

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh960,000
Engine 3.9L twin-turbo V8 
Transmission Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Power 661hp @8,000rpm
Torque 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.4L / 100k

While you're here
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Company profile

Name: Thndr

Started: October 2020

Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: FinTech

Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000

Funding stage: series A; $20 million

Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC,  Rabacap and MSA Capital

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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

The%20specs
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While you're here
Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.

Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.

"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."

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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA

Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600

Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder

Transmission Seven-speed automatic

Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm

Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km

The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press

Maestro
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Updated: June 25, 2024, 2:40 AM`