For better or worse, Real Madrid dominate the media agenda.
After two tough away games in the space of four days on Spain’s eastern Mediterranean coast, Madrid will be glad about on Wednesday’s home match against a Las Palmas side who have lost their last four matches – though they were unfortunate to lose against Real Sociedad on Sunday.
Madrid lost at Valencia last Wednesday, a defeat which made the title race far more interesting and made those Barcelona fans who have been jeering their manager during games recently realise that all is not lost this season.
Madrid are a point clear at the top of the Primera Liga and have a game in hand over Barcelona and Sevilla, who are three points behind. All three were top of the table at different stages over the weekend. It is a three-way title race.
Barcelona’s victory at Atletico Madrid on Sunday has all but ended the title hopes of Diego Simeone’s side. Having played a game more, they are now seven points behind their neighbours Real with 14 games remaining.
Atletico’s attention is likely to focus on retaining that top four place ahead of Real Sociedad, who are only a point behind, and winning the Uefa Champions League.
Madrid will be glad about on Wednesday’s game for more than just the opportunity to record a home win after a controversial couple of days following their trip to fifth-place Villarreal on Sunday.
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Read more
■ Francis Kone: Footballer turned hero after saving player's life
■ Ian Hawkey: On the ramifications of the latest Rome derby
■ Gallery: Real Madrid stage comeback to beat Villarreal — in pictures
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They were 2-0 down after an hour before Gareth Bale scored. Cristiano Ronaldo was then awarded a controversial 73rd-minute penalty which he converted – a record 57th penalty for Madrid which saw him surpass Hugo Sanchez’s total – to draw them level. An 82nd-minute goal from substitute Alvaro Morata secured what could be a crucial win in the long run.
Substitute Isco was a key performer for Madrid, but Ronaldo’s penalty caused the biggest stink.
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique took to social media to infer there was bias in Madrid’s favour. The Catalan media were also indignant, for the ball had ricocheted off the arm of Villarreal’s Bruno Soriano without him having any time to avoid it.
“You will see clearly on TV that I couldn’t do anything,” the aggrieved Villarreal midfielder said. “I said to the referee that I couldn’t cut off my arm. He told me that it [the penalty] was clear.”
“Barca won at the Calderon but the referee assists Madrid to regain top spot,” the cover of Mundo Deportivo declared.
“Against everyone,” the Catalan language L’Esportiu added, reinforcing the feeling that Barcelona have to do more than win themselves.
Villarreal’s president, the billionaire businessman Fernando Roig, added to the intrigue by claiming that the referee Gil Manzano left the stadium with “Real Madrid bags”.
This has not been denied, but some Spanish clubs regularly present officials with team mementos. Barcelona claim that they do not, but Real Madrid prepare personalised shirts, with the name of the referee on the back and the date of the match beneath.
It all seems a little unethical, but while Spain was outraged at the favour shown towards Madrid, the capital club hit back with a counter allegation that television coverage is biased against them and took their complaint to the league and its chairman Javier Tebas.
They claim that controversial events involving other teams are not given the same emphasis. Of course not, they are Real Madrid and they receive more praise and criticism than any club.
But facing a barrage of criticism will unite their own fans behind them and give the story a new direction until matters calm down with a full midweek calendar of matches.
The Madrid-supporting media have rallied firmly behind their team, with Marca stating: “Nothing is for sale for the price of a pen.”
Madrid also have the three points and went back to the top of the table. And while their penalty was controversial, referees do make mistakes.
It was also not the most controversial penalty in Spain this weekend, but then the others did not involve Real Madrid.
Nothing quiet about Sevilla
While the exploits of Madrid and Barcelona continued to dominate, Sevilla went about their business of winning football matches. You couldn’t say that they did it quietly because the Sevilla derby which they won on Saturday could never be described as such.
It’s the most passionate cross-city derby in Spain and even the absence of fans behind the goal where Betis’s most vocal fans usually congregate because of a stadium redevelopment couldn’t detract, especially when the home team went into a 1-0 lead with a 35th minute goal from Riza Durmisi.
Betis looked positive as they went for their opponents, pushing them back with the roar of their packed stands behind them — and no away fans to distract. Sevilla were sluggish after their midweek Champions League victory against Leicester City.
Great teams know how to dig deep and great managers know when to make changes. Jorge Sampaoli made two at the start of the second half, bringing on forward Wissam Ben Yedder and Iborra. Both would have an impact, with the latter setting up an equaliser for defender Gabriel Mercado in the 56th minute.
Despite being in hostile territory, Sevilla pushed for a winner which came in the 76th minute and involved three of their best players. Samir Nasri took a free-kick which Steven N’Zoni headed towards Vicente Iborra to score.
Iborra slid on his knees to celebrate Sevilla’s fourth straight win, with 41,000 Beticos cursing him. As well as a fine manager and a squad packed with talent which has integrated surprisingly quickly together, Sevilla know how to win.
They have the cocksure swagger of winners too, which quickly infects new arrivals. Stevan Jovetic, who only arrived on loan in January and has immediately impressed, responded to abuse from Betis fans by signalling that his side were leading 2-1 when he was taken off the field after 82 minutes.
Sampaoli and his Sevilla team returned to their Nervion home to huge celebrations from fans delighted at the continued excellence of their greatest ever period which has now lasted over a decade.
Betis are 15th and while they boast a marginally higher average home attendance than their neighbours — 34,649 against Sevilla’s 34,633 — their exploits on the field are far less impressive.
Betis are huge and could be the subject of a €160 million (Dh623.7m) takeover from a Chinese conglomerate which the club have been in talks with after chief executive Ramon Alarcon recently went to China to try and find sponsors.
Betis are still 30 per cent owned by Farusa, a company owned by the club’s former chairman which is currently under judicial embargo. Betis will continue to search for investment and improvement, Sevilla just need to keep continuing as they are.
Player of the week
Sevilla captain Vicente Iborra did what mattered in a huge game as he came off the bench to set one up and then score the winner in a febrile Sevilla derby. The defensive midfielder, 29, is in his fourth season at the club — three seasons more than most of his teammates. He’s the heartbeat of the side.
Game of the week
Barcelona v Celta Vigo on Saturday will see if the Galicians can repeat their victory earlier in the season against a side who aren’t convincing at home. Real Madrid face a tough match at Eibar, while Atletico Madrid vs Valencia is a game between Spain’s third and fourth biggest clubs.
What else?
■ Spare a thought for Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo, who picked up another serious knee injury — his fourth cruciate injury of his career. He had been enjoying a superb season, too, with Villarreal boasting the best defence in Spain.
■ Deportivo are now just two points above the relegation zone and in serious danger of going down if their last match is anything to go by. They lost 4-0 to an out of form Leganes who’d only scored nine goals in their previous 23 matches. The win lifted the promoted side above Deportivo.
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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
Results
6.30pm Madjani Stakes Rated Conditions (PA) I Dh160,000 I 1,900m I Winner: Mawahib, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm Maiden Dh150,000 I 1,400m I Winner One Season, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Maiden Dh150,000 I 2,000m I Winner Street Of Dreams, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.15pm Dubai Creek Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,600m I Winner Heavy Metal, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm The Entisar Listed I Dh250,000 I 2,000m I Winner Etijaah, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
9.25pm The Garhoud Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,200m I Winner Muarrab, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
10pm Handicap I Dh160,000 I 1,600m I Winner Sea Skimmer, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
Result
Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2
Man City: Jesus (39), David Silva (41)
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
