Barcelona 4 Granada 0
BARCELONA // Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick and Neymar got a goal, while Arda Turan, Luis Suarez and Neymar provided assists as Barcelona beat struggling Granada 4-0 to go back top of the Primera Liga.
The visitors, who were beaten 4-0 by Valencia in the Copa del Rey midweek, are fighting to stay up, the Catalans are top of the world.
They will send what has become an annual delegation to Zurich for Monday’s Ballon d’Or awards, with Messi and Neymar finalists alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
Daniel Alves and Andres Iniesta will also travel to Switzerland by private plane for a ceremony that will be televised for seven laborious hours by Barca TV.
They are expected to be named in the FIFPro world XI of the world’s best players in their position for 2015.
Barca frontmen tend to make the headlines, but Gerard Pique has dominated Spanish headlines after a series of social media spats – which to his mind he has every right to be involved in. Barca fans also support his stance, be it by asking pertinent questions of Real Madrid or Espanyol.
When Barca took to the field against Granada, they did so to a backdrop of pro Pique chants and a “We are all Pique” flag behind one goal.
Pique has become a leading protagonist in Barca’s proxy wars against Madrid and Espanyol. An intelligent man and one of football’s most cerebral thinkers, he is confident enough in his own opinions to express them.
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If someone abuses his girlfriend Shakira, or their son Milan, as Espanyol fans did in 2014, then he stands up for himself. He did that again this week after another ill-tempered Catalan derby.
A third meeting between the two teams in 10 games will take place at Cornella on Wednesday, but after Barca’s 4-1 drubbing of Espanyol on Wednesday, Pique said of his side’s neighbours: “They brand themselves a wonderful minority, but I hope they’re not such a minority as they were [on Saturday] that they can’t fill their stadium. We’ll see if they can fill it [for the second leg].”
Outraged Espanyol fans are now buying tickets for the game and hope to have their first 30,000-plus crowd at their 40,000 home this season.
Pique is acting as their greatest marketing tool, though Espanyol spokesman Rafael Entrena felt Pique had gone “over the line too many times”.
If footballers are not supposed to hold similar opinions to the fans who pay their wages, opinions based on hard facts, then Entrena is right.
But if we want footballers to communicate intelligently and not via cliches, then he is wrong.
It is ludicrous that some think that Pique’s comments incite violence. He is defending himself against attackers.
In pictures
All the action from Barcelona’s 4-0 drubbing of Granada
When Pique gently chides Madrid on social media, he does so because he is a Barcelona fan and a proud Catalan, but too many people think footballers should keep their mouths shut.
Pique is feeling the heat, but remains unrepentant.
Against Granada, there was the added twist of him playing in a game where referee Velasco Carballo had sent him off twice in recent years, the most recent in the 2015 Spanish Super Cup which led to Pique missing four matches. Carballo also sent the defender off in 2012, with the Pique saying the decision was premeditated.
There were no such problems against Granada, with Pique enjoying one of his easier games. His side were ahead after seven minutes through Turan, who has settled well into the team after his midweek debut.
The Turk crossed towards Messi and, after Suarez had dummied around the ball, the Argentine, who had been played onside by Cristiano Biraghi, side-footed past goalkeeper Andres Fernandez.
Barca were 2-0 up seven minutes later, again from a cross from the left, this time from Neymar towards Suarez. The Uruguayan played the ball across the goal towards Messi, who had an easy finish.
Messi made it three 12 minutes into the second half, converting a Neymar shot which had bounced back off the post.
The Brazilian did get on the scoresheet for his 15th league goal of the season seven minuets from time, finishing a cross from Suarez as Barcelona again dominated play in their opponents’ box.
They will be hoping to dominate the awards in Zurich on Monday evening.
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Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Big%20Ape%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20LucasArts%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PC%2C%20PlayStation%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Background: Chemical Weapons
MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 0 Southampton 3 (Ings 49', Armstrong 54', Redmond 79')
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
more from Janine di Giovanni
Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
Results
2pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: AF Sahwa, Nathan Crosse, Mohamed Ramadan.
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: AF Thobor, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mezmar, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
4pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup presented by Longines (TB) Dh 200,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Galvanize, Nathan Cross, Doug Watson.
4.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Ajaj, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mohamed Daggash.
The biog
Year of birth: 1988
Place of birth: Baghdad
Education: PhD student and co-researcher at Greifswald University, Germany
Hobbies: Ping Pong, swimming, reading
Race card
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Saeed Ahmed, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Muhammed Jumah, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
