Real Madrid ended a three-match winless run in La Liga by beating Girona 2-0 at the Bernabeu to move back into second place on a weekend where the top three all won.
Los Blancos – who beat Manchester City 3-1 on Wednesday night to secure their spot in the last 16 of the Champions League – went ahead just before half-time through Luka Modric’s strike.
After Carlo Ancelotti’s side had dominated the second half but without adding to their lead, Vinicius Junior eventually clinched the three points with a low strike in the 83rd minute.
Real now sit level on points at the top of the table with leaders Barcelona, who were 2-0 winners at Las Palmas on Saturday, with Atletico Madrid one point back in third.
“To score a goal like that, you have to keep shooting,” Modric said. “I was by myself, controlled the ball, I struck it well and thank God it went in. It was a nice goal and it’s always special to score at home in front of the fans at the Bernabeu.”
Modric received a huge reception from the crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
“I’m very grateful and proud of the affection that Madrid fans show me every day,” he said. “Today they’ve done it again and I can only say thank you.”
Modric made his ninth start in 25 league matches for Madrid in a season in which the 39-year-old's minutes have decreased. The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner scored his fourth goal the campaign.
“Modric is a gift for football,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “We've had the luck of having a legend with us.”
Barcelona remain top after beating Las Palmas 2-0 on Saturday. Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres were on target for the Catalans to beat relegation-threatened Las Palmas, who remain one point above the drop zone.
“We don't feel pressure, we want to be at the top, we know [winning the league] is up to us,” Olmo told Movistar.
“Today we took three important points, so we're going home happy.”
Olmo has not featured regularly since the club's financial problems left him unregistered at the start of the year, until Spain's national sports council granted a temporary measure which allowed him to play.
The former RB Leipzig midfielder missed some games with a calf strain in January.
“I am in shape, I'm 100 per cent, with a lot of desire to play and get back in the team,” he added. “I'm glad to be able to play, helping the team with goals. In the end I want to score as many as I can to help the team and keep winning, which is the important thing.”
Earlier on Saturday, Julian Alvarez bagged a brace as Atletico were able to climb to the top of the pile for a couple of hours by winning 3-0 at struggling Valencia.
The Argentina international reached nine league goals for the season with his first half double before Angel Correa steered home the third late on.
“I'm very happy, it was important to win here to stay in the title fight,” Alvarez said. “It wasn't an easy game, we knew it, they'd been doing well at home, so we had to go for it and getting three points is very good.
“We're still in the fight … there are still a lot of games to go and we have to go slowly, with humility and hard work like always.”
Valencia had won three in a row at home but defeat leaves them locked in a fierce relegation battle.
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
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5.
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The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
The burning issue
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Tomorrow 2021
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
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6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
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if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
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Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
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Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
MATCH INFO
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May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
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Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
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Starfield
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AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports
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Bio
Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind.
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.
Champion%20v%20Champion%20(PFL%20v%20Bellator)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Henrik Stenson's finishes at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship:
2006 - 2
2007 - 8
2008 - 2
2009 - MC
2010 - 21
2011 - 42
2012 - MC
2013 - 23
2014 - MC
2015 - MC
2016 - 3
2017 - 8
Company%20Profile
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
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