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].”
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
The five pillars of Islam
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
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Read more about the coronavirus
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on animal trafficking
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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About Seez
Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017
Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer
Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon
Sector: Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing
Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed
Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A
Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds
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
