Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta says ‘It will be difficult to overcome Manchester City’ in Champions League

Barcelona // Andres Iniesta shook his head when he was asked if his team would be satisfied with two draws in their home games against Manchester City on Wednesday night and on Sunday to Real Madrid.

The journalist asking the question in a packed media auditorium was making the point that two draws would be enough to see Barcelona progress to the Uefa Champions League quarter-final and maintain their lead at the top of the Primera Liga.

– Ivan Rakitic has emerged as the workhorse in Barcelona’s midfield

“We play to win,” said the Barcelona midfielder. “Tonight and on Sunday. We will have to go out there and play in a very comprehensive manner.

“We need to have lots of ball possession so they suffer, so they have to follow the ball.

“Last year we were more or less in this situation” he said referring to his team beating City in Manchester before the return leg at Camp Nou. “We need to find those moments to be dangerous, we need to find our superior skills whenever possible. It is about minimising their potential.

“If we do not achieve these objectives, Manchester City can achieve their own objectives. We have to control what is going on at every different moment.”

A combination of flu, a calf injury and tactical decisions has meant that Iniesta, 30, has started just 13 of Barca’s 27 league games this season.

He has also been on the bench for four of the last eight matches, but he is a big-game player who is expected to start in a midfield trio which will be missing the injured Sergio Busquets. Javier Mascherano is likely to fill in for Busquets, with Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic or Xavi ahead of him.

Barca were excellent in the 2-1 victory in the first leg in Manchester two weeks ago, but Iniesta is not getting carried away.

“We had a good result in the first leg but this is the Champions League,” he said. “Manchester City have great players that are capable of turning the situation upside down.

“We have to focus on the match and do what we did in the first leg. Manchester City are a team that wants to be in the next round. We need to keep that clear in our minds.”

Asked why City have underachieved in the Champions League, Iniesta was diplomatic. “I’m not inside the camp to know exactly what is going on,” he said, “but it seems that they have a very good team, playing at a high level with top players in all positions.

“It will be difficult to overcome Manchester City. They are a very sound team.”

Barca knocked City out at the same stage last season and go into the match, which is expected to attract a crowd of over 80,000, as favourites.

Barca also have reached the Copa del Rey final, but Iniesta played down talk of a treble. “We don’t meet and talk about winning the treble. We know individually how we feel and what chances we have.

“We know we have a good chance to fight for every title until the end, but that’s no guarantee and we can’t get distracted thinking about that.”

But he knows his side are in their best form of the season at exactly the right time.

sports@thenational.ae

War

Director: Siddharth Anand

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor

Rating: Two out of five stars

Why your domicile status is important

Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.

Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.

UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.

A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.

SERIE A FIXTURES

Saturday Spezia v Lazio (6pm), Juventus v Torino (9pm), Inter Milan v Bologna (7.45pm)

Sunday Verona v Cagliari (3.30pm), Parma v Benevento, AS Roma v Sassuolo, Udinese v Atalanta (all 6pm), Crotone v Napoli (9pm), Sampdoria v AC Milan (11.45pm)

Monday Fiorentina v Genoa (11.45pm)

About Krews

Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Founded: January 2019

Number of employees: 10

Sector: Technology/Social media

Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES

All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated

Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid

Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona

Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows

Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.

Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.

The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.

After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.

The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.

The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.

But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.

It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.

Keep it fun and engaging

Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.

“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.

His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.

He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.

Trolls World Tour

Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake

Rating: 4 stars

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