Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti believed his side lacked penetration as they left themselves with a mountain to climb if they are to progress to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey after a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Ancelotti’s men have now suffered back-to-back defeats after a run of 22 consecutive wins to end 2014 and three of their five losses this season have come at the hands of the Spanish champions.
Both sides meet again for the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on January 15.
“I think to call it a crisis is a bit exaggerated,” said the Italian.
“We controlled the game well until the penalty and then we didn’t play well in the final part of the game.
“We needed a bit more efficiency in the final pass in the first-half. We played a lot of square balls, but Atletico also defended well. They always defend together and compact so it is difficult to find a solution.”
Ancelotti had left Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, but otherwise named a strong side including Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema.
The World Player of the Year was summoned after Raul Garcia had put Atletico in front from the penalty spot just before the hour mark, but made little impact as the hosts went onto double their lead through Jose Gimenez's powerful header 13 minutes from time.
“Ronaldo was a bit tired, so it was a risk to play him for the full 90 minutes,” Ancelotti explained.
“We have a chance. It is clear that Atletico have the advantage, but at home anything can happen. The odds aren’t in our favour but we will try our best.”
Fernando Torres’ return to Atletico ensured there was a buoyant atmosphere at the Vicente Calderon throughout.
And he was delighted to register his first win over Real as an Atletico player despite a far from perfect performance on his part which saw him replaced after an hour.
“I am happy for many reasons,” said the former Liverpool and Chelsea striker.
“For the result, the atmosphere we experienced, the fans, for everything.”
“The result gives us a great chance, but 2-0 is never definitive at the Bernabeu. There 90 minutes can seem like a very long time.”
Atletico manager Diego Simeone insisted Torres will improve with more time to adjust to his new teammates and the Argentine reserved special praise for the fringe members of his squad after making seven changes from the side that beat Levante at the weekend.
“Fernando transmits excitement and energy to the fans. He is fast, strong, but he needs time to bed into our style of play.
“To compete with other teams you have to compete inside the squad. Thanks to the work of the coaches those who don’t always play are always alert and ready.
"To compete in the competitions you have to use the whole group. It doesn't matter if it is a friendly, the Champions League, Copa del Rey or La Liga we will try to compete."
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Scotland v Ireland:
Scotland (15-1): Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Huw Jones, Sam Johnson, Sean Maitland; Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Josh Strauss, James Ritchie, Ryan Wilson; Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Simon Berghan, Stuart McInally, Allan Dell
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, D'arcy Rae, Ben Toolis, Rob Harley, Ali Price, Pete Horne, Blair Kinghorn
Coach: Gregor Townsend (SCO)
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
Need to know
When: October 17 until November 10
Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration
Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center
What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.
For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
