Crisis? What crisis? That's what people are asking in Barcelona today. On Saturday night, in front of a huge and nervous Camp Nou crowd, Pep Guardiola's side returned to winning ways by beating fellow King's Cup finalists Athletic Bilbao 2-0.
With Real Madrid failing to register an 11th consecutive victory by drawing 1-1 against neighbours Atletico, Barca increased their lead at the top of the Primera Liga to six points. The relief was tangible.
Two defeats and a draw in their last three league games, combined with Madrid's unrelenting winning form, saw Barca's lead cut from 12 to four points.
Yet such was the anxiety and media speculation that Barca had lost their nerve, it felt like the Catalans were four points behind Real and not four ahead.
In a trait of Spanish football, too many teams have capitulated from the moment their dominance seemed assured.
Barca fell apart in 2007 to allow Real to win the league, while Real lost the league on the final day of the season twice in the 1990s. Like a pelaton swallowing up a leader in a cycle race, teams caught in sight of a chasing pack seem helpless.
Guardiola was delighted with a vital home win, as much for the oints as for reassurance. Barca have been Spain's team this season and did not deserve to implode.
After their first win in six matches thanks to a 32nd-minute Lionel Messi penalty and Sergio Busquets's header, the coach said: "To play well and win like this should give the fans a little more faith in the team."
Guardiola was right to mention the fans. At other clubs, fans support their team in the hope of entertainment and victory. At Barca, fans expect to entertained before they truly get behind the team. It creates a pressure cooker atmosphere at the Camp Nou. With 12 league games left, and more in the Champions League starting with Wednesday's home game against Lyon, the fans have to become the proverbial 12th man rather than the burden they had been.
No such criticism could ever be levelled at Atletico's die-hards. Spain's noisiest, their away following hardly needed encouragement to holler in the Bernabeu. Sergio Aguero set Diego Forlan up to put a dominant Atletico ahead before the break, but Klaas-Jan Huntelaar levelled for Juande Ramos's side in the 57th minute. Forlan, Aguero and substitute Florent Sinama Pongolle missed second-half chances to prevent Atletico winning their first derby in a decade, with coach Abel Resino lamenting: "I'm pleased with the effort from the team, but it is a draw that feels like a defeat because of the chances we have missed."
With Barca winning, it felt like a defeat for Real too.
amitten@thenational.ae
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
De De Pyaar De
Produced: Luv Films, YRF Films
Directed: Akiv Ali
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rakul Preet Singh, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jaaved Jaffrey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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Scorline
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
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