When Barcelona's Andres Iniesta was serenaded off the pitch on Tuesday following a vintage display in a 3-0 win over Juventus that was only rivalled by Lionel Messi, it was easy to forget the gloom that had gripped Camp Nou two weeks ago.
The club had been left red-faced by the failure to sign top targets Philippe Coutinho and Angel Di Maria when the transfer window shut and the squad looked weakened following the world-record departure of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain.
A resounding 5-1 aggregate Spanish Super Cup defeat by arch rivals Real Madrid added to the sense of despondency.
Tuesday's stunning opening Group D display against last season's Uefa Champions League finalists, however, showed that Barca are still in safe hands as long as the old guard of Messi and Iniesta remain at the club and are fit and firing.
OPTA
Barca captain Iniesta, 33, struggled for large parts of last season as injuries took their toll but he rolled back the years against Juve with a seamless display that recalled the days when Pep Guardiola was manager and Barca dominated in midfield.
The veteran ran the usually solid Italian champions ragged throughout the game and capped the display with a pinpoint pass to Messi for the Argentine's second goal, Barca's third, earning him a warm reception when he was substituted late on.
"It's important to play a lot of minutes but the key is looking after yourself properly," said Iniesta, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
"When the team functions well we all play better. We struggled a bit at first as is normal in European games but we just needed a bit of patience and then we began to control the game."
The Juve clash, a repeat of last season's quarter-final tie won by the Italians and the 2015 Champions League final in which Barca triumphed, was one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures in Europe this week.
But the match began in a subdued atmosphere, while outside Camp Nou opponents of the board campaigned for a motion of no confidence in president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Once Iniesta and Messi had finished outclassing Juventus, however, there was a party mood inside the ground, with little signs of any rebellion.
Iniesta's display was only upstaged by Messi, who ended his hoodoo against Juve keeper Gianluigi Buffon with lethal strikes either side of halftime, scoring for the seventh time in three games.
He also had a shot cleared off the line which was turned in by Ivan Rakitic for the second goal and hammered the post in the second half. He was a constant threat and at times freely danced past the visiting defence, torturing a helpless Juve rearguard.
"I have the feeling that whenever Leo picks the ball up something is going to happen, anything can happen, and it's always good for us," said Barca manager Ernesto Valverde.
"Leo scored an extraordinary goal and blew the game open. He is one of the best players in the history of the game.
"I've had to suffer a lot against him in the past but now I'm lucky enough to be able to enjoy him," added Valverde, who came from Athletic Bilbao and has managed several Spanish clubs.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
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Bareilly Ki Barfi
Directed by: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring: Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao
Three and a half stars
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
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UAE - India ties
The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner after the US and China
Annual bilateral trade between India and the UAE has crossed US$ 60 billion
The UAE is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India
Indians comprise the largest community with 3.3 million residents in the UAE
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015
His visit on August 23-24 will be the third in four years
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited India in February 2016
Sheikh Mohamed was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January 2017
Modi will visit Bahrain on August 24-25
More coverage from the Future Forum
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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Christopher Celenza,
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5