Barcelona 6 Getafe 0
Barcelona Rodriguez 8' (og), El Haddadi 19', Neymar 32', 51', Messi 40', Turan 57'
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique says his side could not be in better form heading into the second-leg of their Uefa Champions League last-16 tie with Arsenal after sweeping aside Getafe 6-0 on Saturday.
The European champions already hold a 2-0 lead from the first-leg and look destined to make the quarter-finals for the ninth straight year as they have not been beaten in 37 games in all competitions stretching back to October.
“This is a unique team, different to the rest and which does things that make it seem like there is nothing the opponent can do,” Enrique said. “It is a great pleasure to be in this position.”
Five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi produced another masterclass, despite missing a penalty for the third time this season, as he scored his 36th goal of the season and provided three assists.
Read more: Andy Mitten writes Cristiano Ronaldo is right about deficient rest of Real Madrid
Also see: Neymar double, Leo Messi brilliance and Arda Turan bicycle fire up Barcelona
Juan Rodriguez’s own goal opened the scoring before Barca missed from the spot for the ninth time in 20 penalties this season when Vicente Guaita parried Messi’s effort.
Messi quickly set about making amends as he teed up Munir El Haddadi and Neymar before smashing home a fourth before half time.
And Neymar and Arda Turan rounded off a 12th consecutive Primera Liga win after the break.
“The ideas and the tempo with which we started made it very difficult for Getafe because we were so precise and quick when we moved the ball,” Enrique said.
“At half time the game was already sewn up and that isn’t due to the fault of the opponents, but because at this part of the season we are in fantastic form and the whole team has a lot of confidence.”
Read more: Brazil coach prefers Barcelona star Neymar plays Olympics over Copa America if forced to choose
Enrique even had the luxury of leaving out top goalscorer Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets ahead of Arsenal’s visit on Wednesday.
“They are all incredible. The forwards, the midfielders, the defenders, those that don’t play or have fewer minutes.
“It is a perfect situation to know that whoever you pick will compete in their own way, with their own characteristics, but all of them wanting to take part and make the most of their minutes on the field.
“The only problem we have is that there aren’t enough minutes for everyone.”
Barca are on the brink of a sixth league title in eight years and defender Gerard Pique put their sustained success down to the stability in the squad over the past number of years.
“Many players have spent many years here together and we understand each other very well,” the Spanish international said.
“We can play quickly and at times without even looking at one another.
“We can still improve and for the rest of the season we need to continue winning titles.”
Zidane happy with Real Madird as they target fourth straight win
Zinedine Zidane said Real Madrid’s troubles are behind them as they go to Las Palmas on Sunday in search of a fourth straight win. When a draw at Malaga was followed by a home defeat to Atletico Madrid in late February, the issues were mounting up for Zidane as Cristiano Ronaldo publicly criticised his teammates, while fans and the media questioned the commitment of several players.
But Madrid have responded with wins over Levante, Celta Vigo and Roma, scoring 12 goals in three outings, to change the atmosphere completely.
“After three wins, everything is better – in practice, in the dressing room,” the Madrid manager said. “But we have to keep working because the games are coming and are increasingly difficult.”
With a 12-point deficit to Barcelona, Madrid’s title hopes appear to be over.
“We are in a good period, but that does not mean anything,” Zidane said. “We have to go well in all our games, prepare well and be ready to compete.”
A full squad prepared for the game, with Gareth Bale hoping to start after managing an hour against Roma on his return from injury.
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Factfile on Garbine Muguruza:
Name: Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
World ranking: 15 (will rise to 5 on Monday)
Date of birth: October 8, 1993
Place of birth: Caracas, Venezuela
Place of residence: Geneva, Switzerland
Height: 6ft (1.82m)
Career singles titles: 4
Grand Slam titles: 2 (French Open 2016, Wimbledon 2017)
Career prize money: $13,928,719
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
What should do investors do now?
What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor?
Should I be euphoric?
No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.
So what happened?
It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.
"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."
Should I buy? Should I sell?
Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.
"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.
All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.
Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.
Will the rally last?
No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.
"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."
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The Equaliser 2
Director Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Ashton Sanders
Three stars
Apple product price list
iPad Pro
11" - $799 (64GB)
12.9" - $999 (64GB)
MacBook Air
$1,199
Mac Mini
$799
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
