European champions Real Madrid may still lead La Liga, but an air of crisis has enveloped the club after they were torn apart by local rivals Atletico Madrid in a 4-0 defeat last weekend.
Negative press headlines followed not only due to the manner of the defeat, but the timing of a party held by Cristiano Ronaldo to celebrate his 30th birthday along with some of his teammates just hours after the match.
Ronaldo’s form on the field is also of concern for the Madrid hierarchy: the Portuguese has scored just three times in six matches since picking up the third Ballon d’Or of his career last month and was also sent-off for kick out at Cordoba defender Edimar during that run.
Indeed there are fears that the patella tendon injury in his left knee that affected his performances towards the end of last season and most notably at the World Cup could have flared up once more.
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Club president Florentino Perez held a meeting with the players and coach Carlo Ancelotti on Monday to tell them in no uncertain terms that their performance at the Vicente Calderon was unbefitting of the 10-time European champions.
However, defeat to Atletico could also prove a turning point in Madrid’s season just as it did at the start of the campaign.
After losing two of their first three league games, Madrid travelled to face Depor under a similar cloud only to romp to an 8-2 victory which helped spark a club record 22-game winning run.
Los Blancos are still blighted by injuries with Sami Khedira becoming the latest casualty to join Sergio Ramos, Pepe, James Rodriguez and Luka Modric on the sidelines with a hamstring problem.
However, left-back Marcelo will return from suspension and there could be a debut for Brazilian midfielder Lucas Silva, who joined from Cruzeiro last month.
Just as Real Madrid have faltered, Barcelona have hit their best form of the season so far with 10 consecutive wins to move to within a point of their eternal rivals at the top of the table and 90 minutes of reaching the Copa del Rey final.
The Catalans took their tally to 37 goals in that run with a 3-1 win over Villarreal in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday and will confident of more goals when Levante visit the Camp Nou on Sunday.
Barca won the corresponding fixture 7-0 on the opening day of last season and also stuck five past Levante when they met earlier in the season.
Atletico have had a week off to bask in their derby glory, but will need to keep their winning streak in the league going to maintain their title defence when they travel to Celta Vigo on Sunday.
Spanish international Koke will be sidelined for three weeks with a hamstring injury, but Diego Godin is set to play with a protective mask after breaking his nose early in the derby last weekend.
Elsewhere, Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal will be confident of picking up three points in their battle for fourth place against the struggling Cordoba, Getafe and Rayo Vallecano respectively.
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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Company%20Profile
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Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
