Barcelona enjoy breathing space again at the top of the Primera Liga and Ernesto Valverde can afford to keep one eye on Chelsea when his side visit bottom club Malaga on Saturday.
While the Catalans´ 1-0 win against Atletico Madrid last weekend extended the gap at the summit to eight points, their advantage over Chelsea in the Champions League is more precarious.
Barca take a 1-1 draw, and an away goal, to the Camp Nou on Wednesday but Chelsea controlled much of the first leg in London and will fancy their chances of an upset.
With Andres Iniesta already nursing a hamstring injury and Denis Suarez out with a groin strain, Valverde will be wary of further damage against a Malaga side without a victory in 15 attempts.
It means key players are likely to be rested and others given the opportunity to stake a claim, particularly in attack, where the third spot next to Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez is yet to be established.
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Ousmane Dembele has endured a difficult debut season, plagued by problems with fitness and form, but the forward has shown signs of improvement and played in the Catalan Super Cup win over Espanyol on Wednesday.
"He tried to get involved in play and has worked on individual moves," Valverde said. "This is useful, little by little, we hope he translates it into La Liga games."
Dembele is jostling for position with the creative Philippe Coutinho, preferred against Atletico, and Paulinho, who offers the most defensive resilience from the front.
Anything but a comfortable win at La Rosaleda Stadium would represent a major shock.
Malaga were, in fact, the last team to beat Barcelona in the Primera Liga, with a 2-0 victory in April, but few players from that triumph are still at the club while the coach, Michel, was sacked in January. His replacement, Jose Gonzalez, has overseen six defeats in a row.
It means Atletico will hold little hope of their deficit being cut this weekend but the challenge for Diego Simeone's men is to stay in touch by beating ninth-placed Celta Vigo on Sunday.
A 3-0 thrashing of Lokomotiv Moscow in the Europa League on Thursday has already recovered the winning feeling, with Atletico registering eight victories on the bounce before they were halted by Messi´s 25-yard free-kick.
After the win over Lokomotiv, Simeone was asked about taking charge at Paris Saint-Germain next season and he indicated his focus by replying: "Celta."
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Results:
Women:
1. Rhiannan Iffland (AUS) 322.95 points
2. Lysanne Richard (CAN) 285.75
3. Ellie Smart (USA) 277.70
Men:
1. Gary Hunt (GBR) 431.55
2. Constantin Popovici (ROU) 424.65
3. Oleksiy Prygorov (UKR) 392.30
Anti-semitic attacks
The annual report by the Community Security Trust, which advises the Jewish community on security , warned on Thursday that anti-Semitic incidents in Britain had reached a record high.
It found there had been 2,255 anti-Semitic incidents reported in 2021, a rise of 34 per cent from the previous year.
The report detailed the convictions of a number of people for anti-Semitic crimes, including one man who was jailed for setting up a neo-Nazi group which had encouraged “the eradication of Jewish people” and another who had posted anti-Semitic homemade videos on social media.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
