Athletic Bilbao knock Barcelona out of Copa del Rey despite first goal for Ferran Torres


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Barcelona's miserable season continued on Thursday after they lost 3-2 to Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey last 16, despite Ferran Torres scoring his first goal for the club.

Disappointment of the extra-time defeat for Barca was compounded when Ansu Fati was forced off the pitch in tears after suffering another injury blow in the second half at San Mames.

Fati only returned earlier this month after two months out with a hamstring problem, having also come back in September following 10 months out with a knee injury.

Another spell on the sidelines for Fati would be a huge blow to Barca's hopes of making La Liga's top four. Pedri also limped off in extra-time.

Barcelona had defeated Bilbao 4-0 in last season's final, Lionel Messi scoring twice and lifting his final trophy for the club.

“This has been hard. But we have to keep working and move on,” Torres said. "We will overcome this bad streak. I think we played well but made individual mistakes. We are on the right track and we have to congratulate Athletic.

“We have to keep working and the results will come. The season is complicated, but we have players to get it through and we’ll get it through.

“We are recovering people who had been injured for a long time. Ansu has relapsed again. We have to keep working and the results will come.”

Only 102 seconds had gone when Iker Muniain sent San Mames wild by collecting Nico Williams' cross at the back post, before turning curling home into the far corner.

But Barcelona were level in the 20th minute as Torres - signed from Manchester City for an initial fee of around €55 million in December - scored in similar fashion, shifting inside Oscar De Marcos and bending a shot into the top corner.

Inaki Williams hit the bar with a long-range effort late on but the real drama was still to come. Athletic thought they had won it in the 86th minute when Inigo Martinez prodded in at the back post ahead of the sliding Gerard Pique, with the goal given after a VAR check for offside.

Barcelona, though, found a way back three minutes into injury time, as Dani Alves bicycle-kicked Jordi Alba's cross back into the area and Pedri's hit on the stretch was too powerful for Julen Agirrezabala in the Bilbao goal.

Barca celebrated like it was the winner but there was extra-time to come — and the injuries to Fati and Pedri.

Then in the 103rd minute, a sliding Alba stopped Nico Williams' cross with his right arm and after consulting the replay, Jose Munuera pointed to the spot. Ter Stegen dived right, Muniain shot left.

“They have beaten us on intensity,” said manager Xavi Hernandez. “We have to change the dynamic because when it's heads or tails we always get tails. You have to work and be brave.”

Xavi's side trail leaders Real Madrid in La liga by 17 points and were recently beaten in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals by their arch rivals.

Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage and have suffered the ignomy of dropping down to the Europa League — which is now their only realistic hope of silverware this season.

The club is also strangled by a mountain of debts that resulted in Barca legend Messi being forced to leave pre-season and join Paris Saint-Germain.

McLaren GT specs

Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

Power: 620bhp

Torque: 630Nm

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Toilet cleaner

1 cup baking soda 

1 cup castile soap

10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice) 

Method:

1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.

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Air Freshener

100ml water 

5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this) 

Method:

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Brief scores:

Day 1

Toss: South Africa, field first

Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48

South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Continental champions

Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)

Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)

Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)

Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)

Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)

Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)

Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation

THE SPECS

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Transmission: 6-speed manual

Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km

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Disposing of non-recycleable masks
    Use your ‘black bag’ bin at home Do not put them in a recycling bin Take them home with you if there is no litter bin
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LEAGUE CUP QUARTER-FINAL DRAW

Stoke City v Tottenham

Brentford v Newcastle United

Arsenal v Manchester City

Everton v Manchester United

All ties are to be played the week commencing December 21.

Volunteers offer workers a lifeline

Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.

When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.

Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.

Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.

“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.

Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.

“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Did you know?

Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.

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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

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Mica

Director: Ismael Ferroukhi

Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani

3 stars

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Director: Jon Favreau

Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

MATCH INFO

Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')

Leicester City 2 (Maddison 55', Tielemans 72')

Man of the match James Maddison (Leicester)

Updated: January 21, 2022, 7:35 AM