Xavi Hernandez hailed his “dynamic” new signing Raphinha after the Brazilian made it two goals in two matches as Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in the Las Vegas clasico.
Raphinha, who moved to Spain from Premier League side Leeds United earlier this month, followed up his debut strike in the 6-0 thrashing of Inter Miami with the only goal of the game against old rivals Real at the Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders.
The 25-year-old picked up a dreadful cross-field pass across his own box by Real's Eder Militao and cracked a left-footed finish past Thibaut Courtois in the 27th minute. “He made the difference, he is dynamic and he can play on both wings,” said Xavi after the match.
Barca were also able to give Robert Lewandowski his first game for the club and the signing from Bayern Munich was only denied a debut goal by a good Courtois stop.
“Robert is a world-class star, he adapted very quickly,” added Xavi. “I’m happy, the new players will give competition up front and everyone will have to wake up quickly.
“At Barcelona there are no friendlies, there are opportunities, and even more so against Madrid. We want to win, to compete, and we could have killed off the game, but I saw a lot of positive things.
“We can improve, although in terms of our physical level we’re still in pre-season. I am more than happy with the win.”
The fourth time the clasico has been played outside of Spain – and the second in the United States – featured all the intensity of the long rivalry.
Real, who were without star striker Karim Benzema, nearly opened the scoring in the 18th minute but Federico Valverde was denied by the post. The midfielder seized on a poor clearance by Jordi Alba and struck a shot from outside the box that beat Marc-Andre Ter Stegen in the Barca goal, only for the upright to intervene.
Two minutes later it was Barcelona who saw a chance get away when Eduardo Camavinga lost possession to Pedri in front of Real's goal. Pedri found Ansu Fati, who pulled Courtois off his line but put his shot just wide.
Overall it was Barcelona – energised by Lewandowski – who controlled the tempo in the first half against the reigning Champions League and La Liga title holders.
Tempers flared late in the half following Jordi Alba's sliding tackle on Militao that earned a yellow card and resulted in some pushing and shoving, with Madrid newcomer Antonio Rudiger and Barcelona's Ronald Araujo having to be separated.
Lewandowski's night ended without a goal as he was replaced at half-time by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as Xavi made wholesale changes to his team.
And former Arsenal attacker Aubameyang had a chance to score just two minutes into the second half but could only head a cross by Raphinha wide of the target.
Substitute Marco Asensio had chance to level for Real just before the hour mark but pulled his shot wide after being set-up by Lucas Vazquez.
Real, though, failed to register a single shot on target in the 90 minutes and can have little complaint about the result in what was their first pre-season friendly.
“We were better on the ball in the second half, said Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti. “In the first half, we defended well and set up with a low block, but we lacked that little bit of quality that we managed to produce in the second half.
“Benzema is the best player in the world and when he's not playing, we obviously miss him,” the Italian added.
Ancelotti's side continue their US tour on Tuesday against Mexico's Cub America at San Francisco's Oracle Park while Barcelona take on Italian giants Juventus in Dallas on the same night.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com
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Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
French Touch
Carla Bruni
(Verve)
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The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
'Project Power'
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback
Director: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman
Rating: 3.5/5
