A place in the Copa del Rey semi-final was already safely secured for Atletico Madrid when two second-half substitutes combined to complete a five-star performance at the Metropolitano Stadium.
Diego Simeone's side were 4-0 up against city rivals Getafe in the 86th minute when giant striker Alexander Sorloth exchanged passes with Andre Correa before slotting home his 11th goal of the campaign.
It had been a convincing if not exactly surprising victory for Atletico who went into the game having lost just once in all competitions since the start of November, winning 19 out of 21 matches along the way.
The run had lifted Los Rojiblancos up to second in La Liga, through to the Uefa Champions League knockout stage and now into the last four of the Copa del Rey.
This latest win had capped a memorable few days for the Simeone family. On Saturday, manager Diego took charge of his 500th La Liga game as Atletico eased to a 2-0 win over Mallorca that lifted them to within a point of table-toppers Real Madrid – who they face on Saturday.
“We look at the present, but I’m very happy with this journey,” said the Argentine, who has won two La Liga titles, two Europa Leagues, plus one Uefa Super Cup, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup during a remarkable 14-year reign.
“Many people in the coaching staff who are no longer here helped us get to this point, players who shared an idea, leaders who are also not here and accompanied us. It makes me very happy.
“I'll make a special section for my family … Without their support and company, this would be impossible. It has been many years giving all the love and responsibility to a club that I love very much, but we take a lot of time away from the family.”
Three days later, it was his son, Giuliano, hogging the headlines when the winger scored twice in the first 17 minutes against Getafe, only being denied a hat-trick by the linesman's flag just after half-time.
“I'm very happy to have a night like that in the stadium, it was crazy, but first of all I have to thank the whole team because we made a huge effort,” man of the match Giuliano told Teledeporte.
“I'm happy for the goals, I think about the things I have to improve day by day, I still have many flaws and details that I want to improve to keep growing.”
“He's in a very good moment, the fans recognise it, they will demand a lot more from him and he has to maintain this level,” Simeone Senior said of his 22-year-old offspring who is enjoying a breakthrough campaign at the club.
As well as his in-form son, the attacking options at Simeone's disposal this season are impressive as they look to lift their first major trophy since securing the La Liga title in 2021.
Last summer saw the arrival of 1.94 metre-tall Sorloth for €32 million after a prolific year at Villarreal when the Norwegian striker scored 23 goals in 34 La Liga games.
Argentina's World Cup winning attacker Julian Alvarez completed a move from English Premier League champions Manchester City that was reported to be worth up to €95m.
They joined veteran striker and all-time club top scorer Antoine Griezmann in the Spanish capital and the trio have combined for 42 goals between them so far.
In midfield, England international Conor Gallagher arrived from Chelsea for €40m, while the defence was boosted by the €35m signing of classy Real Sociedad centre-back Robin Le Normand.
The French-born Spain international missed two months of the campaign following a clash of heads with Aurelien Tchouameni in the September draw with Real that left him with a brain trauma injury.
But he is back in the team and making a key contribution to Atletico's impressive defensive record that has seen them concede a miserly and Liga-best 14 goals, keeping a clean sheet in 10 of their 22 matches.
The bad news for Atletico – as they head into the game against a Real attack at the Bernabeu Stadium potentially consisting of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Kylian Mbappe, is that their key centre-half will be missing through suspension.
“I'd give a lot [to play], but that's life, it is what it is, five yellow cards for defenders are few,” said Le Normand. “Bad luck, I would have liked to play, but now I trust my teammates, we'll get through it.”
Real, meanwhile, go into the derby in the middle of a full-blown injury crisis that resulted in them fielding a second-string line-up in their Copa del Rey win over Leganes.
They needed an injury-time winner from 20-year-old academy forward Gonzalo Garcia – making his first appearance of the season – to secure a 3-2 victory, despite taking a 2-0 first-half lead.
Real were forced to play youngsters Jacobo Ramon (20) and Raul Asencio (21) at centre-back, with Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba joining long-term defensive casualties Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal on the injured list.
In attack, 18-year-old Brazilian Endrick and 19-year-old Turk Arda Guler both started, with Bellingham and Mbappe nursing minor knocks.
It is a far from ideal situation ahead of what is a crucial few days for the reigning Spanish and European champions that sees them face Atletico and then Manchester City in the Champions League play-off first leg at the Etihad Stadium.
“At the back we struggled a bit, Jacobo felt the weight of playing his first game with us a bit, he was a little nervous but then he was more clinical as the game progressed,” boss Carlo Ancelotti said after beating Leganes.“We avoided extra time that would have cost more to recover. We've left players out to be ready on Saturday, so we'll be ready [for Atletico].”
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
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UAE-based players
Goodlands Riders: Jamshaid Butt, Ali Abid, JD Mahesh, Vibhor Shahi, Faizan Asif, Nadeem Rahim
Rose Hill Warriors: Faraz Sheikh, Ashok Kumar, Thabreez Ali, Janaka Chathuranga, Muzammil Afridi, Ameer Hamza
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
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
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Major honours
ARSENAL
BARCELONA
- La Liga - 2013
- Copa del Rey - 2012
- Fifa Club World Cup - 2011
CHELSEA
- Premier League - 2015, 2017
- FA Cup - 2018
- League Cup - 2015
SPAIN
- World Cup - 2010
- European Championship - 2008, 2012
