Barcelona manager Xavi said Tuesday's emphatic 5-0 win over Royal Antwerp in the Champions League was the best he had seen his team play during his time in charge.
In a 22-minute opening blitz, Barca were 3-0 up following goals from new on-loan forward Joao Fliex, Robert Lewandowski, and an own goal from Jelle Bataille. Gavi then struck the fourth in the second half before Joao Felix scored his second to complete the rout.
After successive group-stage eliminations, Barcelona gave debutants Antwerp a football masterclass to start their Group H campaign in the perfect fashion.
"This is the best football we've played since I've been Barca manager," Xavi said. “We have to keep up this amazing form. Everything was positive and the crowd was right behind us. They went home happy knowing that we gave everything we had.
"But we need to be prudent and keep working hard. However, we're on the right track. We applied deep pressure throughout and played great positional football too."
Joao Felix, once the world's most expensive teenager when he joined Barca's La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid, moved to Barcelona on loan this summer as the Portuguese forward aims to reignite his career, following a frustrating loan spell at Chelsea for the second half of last season.
He has started brightly at Barca with three goals and an assist in his opening three games, and Xavi believes he has the talent to keep getting better.
"I have told Joao Felix that the simpler he plays, the easier he'll find it to score," Xavi said. "He has top individual qualities and is a very smart player. He's enjoying himself here."
Another new arrival who has impressed is former Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan, who moved to Barca on a free transfer in the summer, and Xavi was effusive in his praise for the German midfielder.
"Gundogan makes everything better, It's like he's landed from heaven," the Barcelona manager said. "We play better with that kind of footballer in the team. He's a superb player."
Porto defeated Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 away in the other Group H game. Shakhtar are playing their home games in Hamburg, Germany because of the Russian invasion of their country.
While Joao Felix was starring for Barca, his former club was involved in the most dramatic Champions League match of the evening in Rome, where Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel headed in the team’s equaliser in the fifth minute of injury time to earn a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid with the last action of the game.
Atletico midfielder Pablo Barrios put the visitors ahead in what was a heated game, but the biggest drama came at the end, when Provedel left his area to add support in attack and managed to score with a header from Luis Alberto’s cross.
Also in Group E, Feyenoord had two goals ruled out by VAR for offside and saw a penalty saved in their 2-0 win over Celtic.
Calvin Stengs broke the deadlock in first-half injury time but the home team had to wait till the 76th minute for Iran midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh to get the second goal.
Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke was sent off with his second yellow card as he conceded the penalty, and substitute Odin Thiago Holm followed him off with a straight red for a dangerous lunge at Mats Wieffer.
Elsewhere, Kylian Mbappe scored a penalty to break the deadlock as Paris Saint-Germain earned a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund. Achraf Hakimi scored against his former team to seal what was a deserved win.
Dortmund midfielders Marcel Sabitzer and Marius Wolf both left the field with injuries.
AC Milan was held to a goalless draw by Newcastle in the other Group F game.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Match info
Huddersfield Town 0
Chelsea 3
Kante (34'), Jorginho (45' pen), Pedro (80')
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
The specs
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Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
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