Real Madrid recovered from an awful start to move four points clear at the top of La Liga with a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday.
With World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo missing through suspension, Madrid were stunned in the first minute when Aritz Elustondo headed the visitors into a shock lead, but they were level almost instantly when James Rodriguez nodded home.
Sergio Ramos handed the hosts a deserved 2-1 lead at half-time before Karim Benzema scored twice after the break.
Champions Atletico Madrid overcame horrific conditions on a mud stained pitch to beat Eibar 3-1 away and move level with Barcelona in second. The Catalans aren’t in action until Sunday when they host Villarreal.
“It was a very quick goal but we knew how to react and turn the scoreline around. We need to keep improving but it was a deserved result,” said Ramos.
“After the start of the year we haven’t had a good run, but I would prefer it to happen now than at the end of the season. There is still a long way to go and we remain at the top.”
Sociedad manager David Moyes, meanwhile, admitted he was powerless in his attempts to narrow the gulf between the two sides.
“I think we came and tried to be brave on the ball,” said the Scotsman.
“We had a great start to the game, but you have to look at the difference in the quality in the two teams and squads.”
Moyes hadn’t lost to Real coach Carlo Ancelotti in six previous meetings when they were in charge of Everton and Chelsea respectively, and Sociedad had already shown their ability to upset the odds with victory over Madrid and Barcelona at home this season.
Moyes’ men couldn’t have hoped for a better start when youngster Elustondo bulleted Ruben Pardo’s corner past Iker Casillas with barely a minute gone.
However, the Basques have yet to win away from home this season and their fragility was exposed just two minutes later when Rodriguez sneaked ahead of his marker to head Marcelo’s cross into the top corner.
The visitors then suffered a huge blow when top scorer Carlos Vela limped off after just 17 minutes and the Mexican’s absence sapped Sociedad of any attacking threat thereafter as the European champions piled on the pressure.
Benzema and Rodriguez fired straight at Geronimo Rulli when well-placed inside the area, while Gareth Bale saw a header flash just wide.
Rulli denied Benzema again from a narrow angle eight minutes before the break, but the ball fell kindly for Ramos to rifle home his sixth goal of the season.
Bale missed a huge opportunity to make it three before the break as he took Benzema’s pass off the toes of Rodriguez, but somehow managed to fire wide of an open goal.
The Welshman didn’t take long to make amends, though, when he teed up Benzema for a simple tap in to put the game beyond Sociedad six minutes into the second period.
Bale was then denied by a goal-line clearance from Inigo Martinez with Rulli out of position.
However, there was no stopping Benzema 14 minutes from time as he exchanged passes with Isco before thrashing the ball high into the far corner for his 17th goal of the season.
There was some doubt whether the game at Ipurua between Eibar and Atletico would go ahead as heavy rain left the pitch at the 5,000-capacity ground in a terrible state.
However, Atletico adjusted the better and went in front after just seven minutes when the on-form Antoine Griezmann slotted home Raul Garcia’s pass.
Griezmann then teed up Mario Mandzukic to double Atletico’s lead before the Croatian slammed his second of the night two minutes later.
Federico Piovacarri registered a consolation for the hosts a minute from time.
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VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENetflix%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKris%20Fade%2C%20Ebraheem%20Al%20Samadi%2C%20Zeina%20Khoury%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
Winner: Superior, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap Dh 185,000 2,000m
Winner: Tried And True, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
Winner: Roy Orbison, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.15pm
Handicap Dh 190,000 1,400m
Winner: Taamol, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.50pm
Handicap Dh 175,000 1,600m
Winner: Welford, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm: Handicap Dh 175,000 1,200m
Winner: Lavaspin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap Dh 165,000 1,600m
Winner: Untold Secret, Xavier Ziani, Sandeep Jadhav
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
Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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
MATCH INFO
Crawley Town 3 (Tsaroulla 50', Nadesan 53', Tunnicliffe 70')
Leeds United 0
Saturday's results
Brighton 1-1 Leicester City
Everton 1-0 Cardiff City
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Watford 0-3 Liverpool
West Ham United 0-4 Manchester City
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.
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
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WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
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
