Barcelona and Real Madrid face off for the first major title of the Spanish season in the Copa del Rey final at the Mestalla in Valencia on Wednesday.
However, the build up to the game for both sides has been disrupted by injuries to key players.
World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo is out for Real due to a hamstring injury suffered in his side's 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund two weeks ago.
The Portuguese hasn’t played in three games and will not be risked with Real’s Uefa Champions League semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich just seven days away.
Brazilian full-back Marcelo is also expected to miss out due to a similar injury, but Sergio Ramos should be fit despite missing Saturday’s 4-0 win against Almeria due to a neck problem.
Madrid remain in the hunt for titles on three fronts and coach Carlo Ancelotti believes claiming the first trophy of the season will boost their chances in the Liga title race and the Champions League.
“This game is important for many reasons,” he told the club’s website.
“Firstly, because it is the first title of the season we can win and, secondly, because we are facing a great team in Barcelona. All of that lends this game a lot of importance. To win the first trophy of the season motivates us a lot.
“In the mental aspect, this game will have a lot of importance for what remains of the season. After the game, the team that wins will have more motivation, hope and desire for the rest of the campaign. I think psychologically it will be very important.”
Barcelona have enjoyed the upper hand in the two meetings between the sides this season in La Liga as they followed up a 2-1 win at the Camp Nou in October with a stunning 4-3 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu just over three weeks ago.
However, the Catalans have endured a difficult week as they were firstly dumped out of the Champions League before the semi-final stage for the first time in seven years by Atletico Madrid and then relinquished their hold on their league title by losing 1-0 to Granada on Saturday to fall four points behind leaders Atletico with just five games remaining.
Barca boss Gerardo Martino has a selection headache in central defence as Gerard Pique, Marc Bartra and Carles Puyol are all set to miss the game so Sergio Busquets or Alex Song may once again be paired with Javier Mascherano.
“I am working hard to make it, just like Marc and Gerard, “ Barca captain Puyol said on Monday.
“There are two days to go and we will give everything we have to be there. On Tuesday we will evaluate the chances each of us have.”
Puyol has barely featured in what will be his farewell season at the club due to knee injuries, but he still maintains a huge influence over his teammates and insisted they must make amends to the fans for their defeats of late.
“We are aware that we have failed in some things, but all I can say is that we will fight tooth and nail for the final and the remaining five games in La Liga, in which a lot can happen.
“There are moments in which we haven’t been consistent enough, but now we have to look forward. We have a very important final and we need to give some joy to the fans.”
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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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
England Test squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.
Straightforward ways to reduce sugar in your family's diet
- Ban fruit juice and sodas
- Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
- Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
- Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
- Don’t eat dessert every day
- Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
- Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
- Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
- Eat everything in moderation
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
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Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
MATCH INFO
Azerbaijan 0
Wales 2 (Moore 10', Wilson 34')
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
