Rafa Benitez on the sidelines during Real Madrid's Primera Liga clash with Barcelona. Javier Soriano / AFP
Rafa Benitez on the sidelines during Real Madrid's Primera Liga clash with Barcelona. Javier Soriano / AFP

Real Madrid ‘paid for our mistakes’ in thrashing by Barcelona, laments Rafa Benitez



Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez struggled to find explanations after watching his side humiliated 4-0 at home by arch rivals Barcelona in Saturday’s Primera Liga clasico.

Taking charge of the biggest fixture in club football for the first time, Benitez suffered a baptism of fire that leaves him in a precarious position only three months into his debut season.

In an ominous sign for the former Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Napoli manager, angry fans at the Bernabeu roundly whistled their own players and chanted for president Florentino Perez to step down as champions Barca surged six points clear of second-placed Real after 12 matches.

Barca were utterly dominant and already three goals to the good when Barca coach Luis Enrique brought on a fit-again Lionel Messi after an hour and the Argentina captain promptly sent Luis Suarez clear to score his second and Barca’s fourth.

[Andy Mitten: Sergi Roberto: Barcelona's big game player again proves his worth in Real Madrid destruction]

Neymar and Andres Iniesta — with a stunning strike into the top corner — were also on target for the Spanish and European champions and they could easily have added to their tally in the closing stages.

A chastened Benitez, who took over from Carlo Ancelotti at the end of last season, said he was focusing on picking the players up for Tuesday’s Uefa Champions League Group A game at Shakhtar Donetsk, with Madrid already assured of a place in the knockout round.

“Of course it hurts, it hurts a lot to lose like this,” Benitez said.

“What we have to do now is stay united.

“It wasn’t a question of attitude. We were up against a very good side and we paid for our mistakes.”

Benitez said his idea was for his players to try to pressure Barca and keep the ball.

A turning point in the game was a chance that fell to Marcelo at the start of the second half which could have made it 2-1 and put Madrid firmly back in the game.

The Brazil fullback skipped through on the left but his shot hit the side netting and Barca made it 3-0 moments later when Iniesta struck.

“Now’s not the time to assess individuals,” Benitez said.

“We have to reflect on what happened and stay united. We made mistakes and we paid for them against a very good team.”

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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.

Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.

Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.

Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.

Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.

Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.

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Director: Venkat Prabhu
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Director: Tim Burton

Rating: 3/5

The Buckingham Murders

Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu

Director: Hansal Mehta

Rating: 4 / 5

Her most famous song

Aghadan Alqak (Would I Ever Find You Again)?

Would I ever find you again
You, the heaven of my love, my yearning and madness;
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sadness?
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Lyrics: Al Hadi Adam; Composer: Mohammed Abdel Wahab

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4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Emblem Storm, Oisin Murphy (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).

4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Wafy, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Wildman Jack, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill.

5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Matterhorn, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.

7.30pm: Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Loxley, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.

Indoor Cricket World Cup

Venue Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23

UAE squad Saqib Nazir (captain), Aaqib Malik, Fahad Al Hashmi, Isuru Umesh, Nadir Hussain, Sachin Talwar, Nashwan Nasir, Prashath Kumara, Ramveer Rai, Sameer Nayyak, Umar Shah, Vikrant Shetty

RESULTS

Bantamweight title:
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) bt Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
(KO round 2)
Catchweight 68kg:
Sean Soriano (USA) bt Noad Lahat (ISR)
(TKO round 1)
Middleweight:
Denis Tiuliulin (RUS) bt Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
(TKO round 1)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) bt Joachim Tollefsen (DEN)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 68kg:
Austin Arnett (USA) bt Daniel Vega (MEX)
(TKO round 3)
Lightweight:
Carrington Banks (USA) bt Marcio Andrade (BRA)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 58kg:
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) bt Malin Hermansson (SWE)
(Submission round 2)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (CAN) bt Juares Dea (CMR)
(Split decision)
Middleweight:
Mohamad Osseili (LEB) bt Ivan Slynko (UKR)
(TKO round 1)
Featherweight:
Tarun Grigoryan (ARM) bt Islam Makhamadjanov (UZB)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 54kg:
Mariagiovanna Vai (ITA) bt Daniella Shutov (ISR)
(Submission round 1)
Middleweight:
Joan Arastey (ESP) bt Omran Chaaban (LEB)
(Unanimous decision)
Welterweight:
Bruno Carvalho (POR) bt Souhil Tahiri (ALG)
(TKO)

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Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

Barbie
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