Barcelona can briefly extend their lead over fierce rivals Real Madrid to 14 points as they take on Osasuna in an early evening kick-off on Tuesday.
The Catalans currently have an 11-point lead over defending champions Madrid, who face a tricky trip away to Real Sociedad later on Tuesday, with just six games left to play.
If Barca beat Osasuna at Camp Nou and Los Blancos fail to win at Reale Arena, it would leave Xavi Hernandez’s side needing just one more victory to clinch the title.
On the threat of Osasuna, who face Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday, Barca manager Xavi said: “We analysed them, they are a very tough team.
“On Saturday, they will play a very important match, perhaps the most important match in their history, so I don’t know what Jagoba [Osasuna manager Jagoba Arrasate] will do.”
Osasuna beat Athletic Bilbao to reach their first Copa del Ray final since 2005 and Xavi was full of praise for Arrasate.
“To this point in the season, he’s done really good work,” said Xavi. “They’re a solid block of a team. They play really well in defence and will be difficult opposition but we're playing at home in front of our own fans.
“The last match [Saturday's 4-0 win over Real Betis], we did what we had to in an intense match. We pushed hard and got a vital three points. It's possible we'll put out a similar team against Osasuna.”
In that victory, 15-year-old winger Lamine Yamal became Barca's youngest ever player when he was brought on as an 84th-minute substitute to replace Gavi.
Lamine Yamal makes Barcelona debut
At 15 years and 290 days, he is the fifth youngest player ever to appear in La Liga. The youngest is Mallorca's Luka Romero, who came on against Real Madrid in 2020 aged 15 years and 219 days.
And Xavi was full of praise for the youngster. “We need to manage his minutes,” said Xavi. “He's a calm person and he's got his feet on the ground. He's smart, you see it when he plays.
“He's a very positive person and he gets on well with his teammates. He's very focused and we'll keep and eye on him always.
“But the important thing is, he's in our dynamic and he's able to participate because he's in condition to play for the first team.”
Barca's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski will lead the line against Osasuna. He will be looking to score for a third straight game after netting in the defeat at Vallecano and the win against Betis on Saturday.
Xavi said: “His last two games have been great and overall his season has been amazing.”
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
First-round leaderbaord
-5 C Conners (Can)
-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);
-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)
Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)
Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng)
1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)
3 R McIlroy (NI)
4 D Johnson (US)
