Anguish for Messi and Koeman as Barcelona title challenge collapses at Levante - in pictures


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Coach Ronald Koeman said he expected his future at Barcelona to be under the microscope after a horrendous second-half display saw his side slide to a 3-3 draw at Levante and severely dent their hopes of winning La Liga.

"Coaches are always being scrutinised but after a second half like that I'll understand if there are questions about me," the Dutchman said.

"We're very disappointed and asking ourselves what happened in the second half. But we have to move on and try to prepare for next season."

Barca would have provisionally gone above Atletico Madrid at the top of the table had they beaten Levante but instead are one point behind Diego Simeone's side, who have a game in hand against Real Sociedad on Wednesday.

Real Madrid, in third, will go two points ahead of Barca with two games left in the season if they beat Granada on Thursday.

The Catalans looked to be coasting towards victory after taking a 2-0 lead in the first half through goals from Lionel Messi and Pedri.

But they conceded twice in the space of three minutes after the break and although Ousmane Dembele put them back in front, some poor defending allowed Sergio Leon to equalise for Levante late on.

"We were good in the first half, we played with pace and intensity and got ahead but we lost a lot of balls in dangerous positions in the second half and made lots of errors in defence," Koeman said.

"We reacted after it was 2-2 and got the goal but we made it too easy for them to score. Conceding three times in 45 minutes is not the level you expect from Barca."

Koeman was one of Barca's best-loved players for his role in securing their first ever European Cup in 1992 and he left his job as Netherlands head coach to take charge of the Catalans last August after Quique Setien was sacked.

Barca made a dismal start to the season and Koeman admitted in January that his side were practically out of the title race.

They hauled themselves back into contention by winning 16 games out of 19 but have undone their hard work by taking five points from their last four matches, losing 2-1 to Granada last month while drawing 0-0 with Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

"Our objective was to win our final three games and see if the others dropped points but now it's very difficult," added the coach.

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 three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Results

5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Reem Baynounah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Mohamed Daggash (trainer)

5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Afham, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout

6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi

7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle

7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Haqeeqy, Dane O’Neill, John Hyde.

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5

War and the virus
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

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

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MATCH INFO

Burnley 0

Man City 3

Raheem Sterling 35', 49'

Ferran Torres 65'

 

 

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
HIJRA

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

Director: Shahad Ameen

Rating: 3/5

Cricket World Cup League Two

Teams

Oman, UAE, Namibia

Al Amerat, Muscat

 

Results

Oman beat UAE by five wickets

UAE beat Namibia by eight runs

Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs

UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets

 

Fixtures

Saturday January 11 - UAE v Oman

Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law