Lionel Messi scored twice for Barcelona in their 3-0 win over Alaves. AFP
Lionel Messi scored twice for Barcelona in their 3-0 win over Alaves. AFP
Lionel Messi scored twice for Barcelona in their 3-0 win over Alaves. AFP
Lionel Messi scored twice for Barcelona in their 3-0 win over Alaves. AFP

Lionel Messi's form thrills Valverde as Barcelona start season in style


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Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde paid tribute to Lionel Messi as his side got their Primera Liga title defence off to a winning start on Saturday.

Messi scored twice in the 3-0 victory over Alaves 3-0 at the Camp Nou and the forward's form thrilled his manager.

"We are so fortunate to be living in the time when Leo Messi is playing," he said. "It's a pleasure to have him playing for us, he never fails to surprise."

Messi, who saw his Argentina side fail to make an impact at the World Cup in Russia, returned to club action in a determined mood and rattled the crossbar with a first-half free-kick.

The Barcelona captain, taking the armband following the departure of Andres Iniesta, eventually broke the deadlock when his clever low free-kick flew under the wall on 64 minutes.

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Read more

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Barcelona and Spain's Gerard Pique announces international retirement

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Substitute Philippe Coutinho added a well-taken late third before another fine bit of individual skill from Messi wrapped things up in stoppage time.

Quoted on Barcelona's official website, Valverde applauded his squad for their improvements throughout the match.

"Although we were close to scoring, we could sense how difficult it was getting. They defended very well out there, they were very compact. We were lacking a bit of rhythm early on but then we started getting more chances and finally opened the scoring," he said.

"When Alaves started opening up more, we were able to kill off the game.

"All the same, the second goal was hard to get too. But as the minutes went by, we got better and better."

RESULT

Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1 
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’

The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder

Transmission: seven-speed auto

Power: 400hp

Torque: 500Nm

Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)

On sale: 2022 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

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
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Key developments

All times UTC 4

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)

Saturday 

Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)

Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)

Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)

Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)

Fortuna Dusseldof v  Bayern Munich (6.30pm)

RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)

Sunday

Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)

Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)

 

 

 

 

 

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.”

MATCH INFO

Euro 2020 qualifier

Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')

Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5