MADRID: Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez praised rivals Real Madrid ahead of their Clasico showdown in La Liga on Sunday.
Los Blancos lead the Spanish top flight by eight points with champions Barcelona needing a victory at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday to stand any chance of retaining the trophy.
After Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain and Madrid beat holders Manchester City in midweek, Xavi acknowledged the record 14-time winners’ quality.
“When you have won so many times you play with more calm, less desperation, more confidence, they are a very good team,” Xavi told a news conference Saturday.
“In the end people say it’s luck, I don’t believe much in luck — I think it’s effort, defensive work, the solidarity they showed, everyone working so hard.
“The three up front worked harder than ever, Man City missed some clear chances but that’s football, it’s not luck that Madrid have knocked out the best team in the world twice in three years.”
Xavi said he was not throwing in the towel in La Liga despite Madrid’s significant advantage.
“For us it’s the most important game of the season, we have to win to put pressure on the leader,” he added.
“We have enormous respect for Real Madrid, they’ve lost just one game out of 31, their numbers are extraordinary.
“We don’t have bad numbers in La Liga, we’ve got four points less than when we were leaders last season (at this stage).”
Xavi’s counterpart at Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, said his team could strike a killer blow in the title race.
“It’s a great chance for us to get closer to winning La Liga, but we know it’s hard because Barcelona are a very competitive side,” said the Italian.
“We are very close if we are capable of winning ... it will be the usual Clasico, a hard-fought, equal game.”
Ancelotti said defender Ferland Mendy was tired after the win over City and was given an extra day of rest, but the rest of his squad was fit, beyond the long-term absentees.
Madrid are aiming to win a league and Champions League double for the fifth time in their history.
“The cake is prepared and we have to put the cherry on top this month,” said Ancelotti. “We’re very well positioned.”
Barca coach Xavi hails rivals Madrid ahead of Clasico
https://arab.news/vdhrz
Barca coach Xavi hails rivals Madrid ahead of Clasico
- “When you have won so many times you play with more calm, less desperation, more confidence, they are a very good team,” Xavi said
- “In the end people say it’s luck, I don’t believe much in luck — I think it’s effort, defensive work, the solidarity they showed, everyone working so hard”
Messi, Vinicius have frustrating nights as Argentina lose and Brazil draw in World Cup qualifying
- Argentina will remain on the top of the 10-team round robin competition with a 22 points in 11 matches, Brazil are provisionally in third place in the standings with 17 points
- Argentina played at Paraguay with the hosts having banned local fans from wearing any Messi shirts in the home crowd
ASUNCION: Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Vinicius Junior had frustrating nights in South American World Cup qualifying.
While Messi could not help his team avoid a 2-1 defeat at Paraguay, Vinicius Junior missed a second-half penalty as Brazil was held to a 1-1 draw at Venezuela on Thursday.
Argentina will remain on the top of the 10-team round robin competition with a 22 points in 11 matches, Brazil are provisionally in third place in the standings with 17 points.
The 11th round of South American World Cup qualifying will continue on Friday with second-place Colombia visiting Uruguay and the bottom two teams in the standings, Peru and Chile, facing off in Lima.
An anti-Messi message
Argentina played at Paraguay with the hosts having banned local fans from wearing any Messi shirts in the home crowd. TV footage of the match in Asuncion showed that the vast majority of the local crowd was wearing Paraguay’s red and white colors, with no Messi shirts visible in the local broadcasts.
Messi had few opportunities to touch the ball during the first half, but saw Lautaro Martinez open the scoring in the 11th minute with a crossed shot. The goal was allowed after a video review.
Paraguay scored the equalizer with a bicycle kick by Antonio Sanabria in the 19th minute, shortly after defender Gustavo Gomez hit the bar with a header.
The hosts continued to apply pressure, and gave the Argentine star some heavy marking. Messi showed he was upset with Brazilian referee Anderson Daronco for not sending off Paraguay’s Omar Alderete for his aggressive tackles.
It was Alderete who scored Paraguay’s winner with a header in the 47th minute, which puts Paraguay back in contention for a spot in the next World Cup.
“We came to a hard place where the national team always struggled,” said Martínez. “We have to correct a lot of things we did wrong in this match, but generally speaking we are playing well. We are still in the lead, and we have to look forward.”
A disappointing night for Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior is still without a goal in six matches of World Cup qualifying.
He had the chance to score a potential winner after he earned the penalty in the 67th minute but his low spot kick was saved by goalkeeper Rafael Romo and the Brazil forward then shot wide from the rebound.
Brazil had the best chances in the first half, with Vinicius hitting the post once after dribbling three Venezuelans and shooting from the edge of the box. But it was Raphinha who opened the scoring from a free kick in the 43rd minute.
Venezuela brought on 21-year-old Telasco Segovia at halftime and the substitution had an immediate effect as he equalized in the 46th minute with a powerful shot from the edge of the box.
Venezuela went down to 10 men in the 89th minute after Alexander Gonzalez was sent off for hitting both Gabriel Martinelli and Vinicius Júnior in the face.
The irrigation system then came on two minutes before the final whistle at the Monumental Stadium in the city of Maturin, 500 kilometers (310 miles) west of the capital Caracas, which angered Brazil players.
“When we don’t win I leave the pitch a bit disappointed, we deserved to win this one,” Raphinha said after the match. “But it is an important point playing away, we are working hard to win the next one at home.”
Israeli anthem booed, scuffles seen at France game
- Some 100 Israeli fans come to game despite warning
- * Police seek to avoid violence seen in Amsterdam
PARIS: Some French fans booed the Israeli national anthem and there were minor scuffles inside a sparsely-attended Stade de France on Thursday for a Nations League game overshadowed by frictions around the Gaza war.
Seeking to prevent a repeat of violence in Amsterdam last week around a Europa League game involving Maccabi Tel Aviv, 4,000 French security personnel were deployed in and around the stadium and on public transport.
Some 100 Israel fans defied a warning from their government against traveling for sports events, sitting in a corner of the 80,000-capacity stadium which was barely a fifth full.
With many staying away due to security fears, the 16,611 attendance was the lowest for Les Bleus at the Stade de France since it opened in 1998. The match ended 0-0.
Some boos and whistles were heard during the playing of the Israeli national anthem, which was then turned up on loudspeakers. Israeli fans waved yellow balloons and chanted “Free the Hostages” in reference to compatriots held by Hamas militants.
As the match got underway, there was a melee near the Israel fans’ section for several minutes, with people seen running and punches thrown. Stewards quickly formed a barrier.
It was unclear what had triggered the trouble.
Leading up to the game, several hundred anti-Israeli demonstrators had gathered at a square in Paris’ Saint-Denis district, perimeter, waving Palestinian flags, as well as a few Lebanese and Algerian ones, to protest against the match.
“We don’t play with genocide,” one banner read, in reference to the Gaza war.
At the end of the match, two Palestinian flags were displayed at the south end of the stadium.
Israel denies allegations of genocide in its more than year-long offensive against Hamas.
Macron attends
Going into the ground, some Israel fans wore both Israeli and French colors. Two wore a t-shirt with Israeli club side Maccabi Tel Aviv’s logo on the front and the words “Ni Oubli Ni Pardon” (Never Forgive Never Forget) on the back.
One person held a paper with “f*** Hamas” written on it.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said this week there was never any doubt the match would go ahead, following the unrest in Amsterdam which saw both Maccabi fans and local groups engage in violence, according to Dutch police.
He said there were no specific threats identified ahead of the game, but that zero risk did not exist.
French President Emmanuel Macron was at the game in a show of solidarity. “We will not give into anti-Semitism anywhere and violence, including in France, will never prevail, nor will intimidation,” he told BFM TV hours before kickoff.
The match came a day after the ninth anniversary of coordinated Islamist attacks on entertainment venues across the French capital, including the national stadium.
Racism and intolerance are rising in France, fueled in part by the war in Gaza after the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023. Similar trends have been witnessed elsewhere in Europe.
Nearly 70 suspects have been arrested and at least five people were injured in last week’s clashes between Maccabi fans and gangs in Amsterdam.
Son scores 50th international goal as South Korea beat Kuwait in World Cup qualifying
- Jordan and Iraq stayed in second and third place on eight points after drawing 0-0 in Basra
- Oman are now two points behind after defeating the Palestinian team 1-0
MELBOURNE: Son Heung-min scored his 50th international goal on Thursday as South Korea beat Kuwait 3-1 to take a big step toward an 11th successive World Cup appearance.
The Tottenham forward converted a penalty to make it 2-0 in the 19th minute and help South Korea earn a fourth successive win in Group B of Asia’s World Cup qualifiers to move five points clear at the top with five games to go.
Oh Se-hun headed in South Korea’s opener in the 10th minute and Son, who had just returned from a hamstring injury, extended the advantage after being fouled in the area. Mohammed Daham pulled a goal back with a spectacular strike with 30 minutes remaining but Bae Jun-ho sealed the win for the visitors.
“(Son is) such an important part of our team,” South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo said. “He just came back after being hobbled by injury.”
Jordan and Iraq stayed in second and third place on eight points after drawing 0-0 in Basra while Oman are now two points behind after defeating the Palestinian team 1-0.
In Group A, Iran defeated North Korea 3-2 in Laos to move onto 13 points, three clear of Uzbekistan which lost 3-2 at Qatar. The 2022 World Cup host stayed in fourth with seven points, level with the United Arab Emirates which defeated Kyrgyzstan 2-0.
In Group C, Australia and Saudi Arabia drew 0-0 in Melbourne and remained level on six points from five games and are joined by China, which defeated Bahrain 1-0 with an injury-time goal from Zhang Yuning. Leader Japan will move seven points clear if they can defeat Indonesia in Jakarta on Friday.
Only the top two of six in each group will qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup. The third- and fourth-place finishers will advance to the next stage.
UEFA investigates English ref Coote over footage of alleged drug use at Euro 2024
- “A UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector has been appointed to evaluate a potential violation of the UEFA disciplinary regulations by the referee, Mr. David Coote,” UEFA said
- The report said the incident was filmed one day after Coote’s last match duty, the quarterfinal between France and Portugal
NYON: UEFA started another investigation into English match official David Coote on Thursday after a video allegedly showed him using cocaine during the European Championship.
“A UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector has been appointed to evaluate a potential violation of the UEFA disciplinary regulations by the referee, Mr. David Coote,” UEFA said in a statement.
Coote worked as a video review specialist at Euro 2024, where match officials stayed at a hotel near Frankfurt. He was an assistant supporting the lead VAR official at eight games.
British daily The Sun published a video late Wednesday appearing to show Coote snorting the drug using an American banknote.
The report said the incident was filmed one day after Coote’s last match duty, the quarterfinal between France and Portugal. France won a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw.
Coote was suspended on Monday by the English match referees body after a different cellphone video circulated of him making offensive comments with friends about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. That body and the English FA started investigations.
UEFA already withdrew Coote from match duty for national team games this week after the first video was published.
The games he worked at Euro 2024 included host Germany’s 2-0 win over Denmark in the round of 16 that included a controversial penalty award for handball. The lead VAR official at that game, Stuart Attwell, was involved in some of the tournament’s most debated decisions.
Bento feeling the heat as UAE look to revisit former glories
ABU DHABI: A familiar crunch point awaits the UAE and their long-held — but stubbornly unfulfilled — dream of a World Cup return.
Hopes of repeating the heroics of 1990 in 2026, so high after the Whites opened the third round of qualifying with a resounding 3-1 victory over double Asian Cup holders Qatar in September, are receding following a dispiriting single point earned from three subsequent outings.
Their impending double-header in Abu Dhabi against Kyrgyzstan (Nov. 14) and Qatar (Nov. 19) will decide much for Group A’s third-placed outfit. With a team this mercurial, the UAE could just as easily pass the halfway stage, hot on the heels of automatic entry for the 2026 World Cup, as be cast aside.
Last month they were valiant in narrow defeat to second-placed Uzbekistan and insipid throughout a stultifying 1-1 home draw against bottom-placed North Korea.
Paulo Bento is the latest manager to feel the heat. His predecessors — Rodolfo Arruabarrena, Edgardo Bauza, Mahdi Ali and others — all came up short. What can the former Portugal and South Korea head coach do differently to ensure a different outcome?
“I am confident, because I saw the way that the guys approached the training sessions and their focus,” Bento told reporters at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium on Wednesday.
“This, for me, in this moment, is enough. We need to prove this on the pitch. I don’t hide my feelings and my thoughts, they (the players) know the way that we approached the game against North Korea and how we are doing now, it is different.”
The biggest challenge for the 55-year-old is to plot a course without star attacker Ali Saleh, the Al-Wasl talisman who cut Qatar to ribbons in September. Sadly, he is ruled out thanks to injury.
Instead, an engine room also lacking the dynamism of suspended Al-Wahda tyro Abdulla Hamad will be fueled by a recall for Al-Ain’s ceaseless AFC Champions League-holder, Mohammed Abbas, while Sharjah’s versatile Majid Rashid also returns to the fold.
This month’s Ligue 1 breakthrough for Montpellier forward Junior Ndiaye — Dubai-born son of prolific former Al-Nasr attacker Samba N’Diaye — has also been rewarded with a return.
Another naturalized addition is Fleetwood Town utility player Mackenzie Hunt, who provided an assist on his debut at Qatar. Asian football’s rapid improvement leaves question marks about the lasting impact of someone who was a regular on the bench for Premier League club Everton last season but who is yet to find the net in 14 League Two appearances during this one.
Fabio De Lima’s clean bill of health after an enforced absence in October is another welcome boost. With 12 international goals to his name he is three ahead of any other current squad member — namely Caio Canedo, on nine.
It is this lack of lethal players up top that will cause sleepless nights for Bento. Just two goals have been scored in three successive (winless) home qualifiers across the second and third rounds.
The UAE are also Group A’s joint-second lowest scorers, with four strikes in four matches. A cause for concern when just two points separate them, in third, from North Korea in sixth.
Baniyas loanee Fahad Bader, Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai winger Harib Abdalla and club-mate Yahya Al-Ghassani have all yet to find the net in the 2024/25 ADNOC Pro League. Last month’s naturalized debutant, Bruno, is experiencing his most productive start to a domestic campaign, with four goals in seven top-flight games, but he experienced a chastening opening to his international career.
Breakout Asian Cup hero Sultan Adil — with six goals from 11 caps — has not yet kicked a ball in the current campaign.
However, the current crisis has not prompted Bento to turn back the page.
A rapprochement with 85-goal record marksman Ali Mabkhout has stayed off the agenda, despite the 34-year-old’s revitalized vigor at new club Al-Nasr, where five strikes in seven league appearances leave him sitting comfortably as the season’s current lead Emirati goal scorer.
With the number of teams increasing to 48 for the 2026 World Cup, there are greater opportunities for the UAE. The team still feels the burn of 2022, when an agonizing near-miss by a single goal against Australia in the fourth round prevented them from progressing.
This time offers more chances in a new-look fourth round, with the third and fourth-placed finishers pitted against each other. There are also the dreaded inter-confederation play-offs, if required.
Bento’s mission is more than just assembling a winning XI on the pitch. It is to instill the belief that a less-heralded squad can tread where their predecessors could not.
Confidence, however, remains fragile. Wounds from January’s Asian Cup elimination by debutants Tajikistan in a penalty shootout remain fresh. The UAE was further unpicked by qualifying reversals to Iran and Uzbekistan, and an inability to defeat unfancied North Korea still stings.
Recent history, however, provides some encouragement that Bento will eventually prove his worth.
Scathing criticism following quarterfinal failure at the 2019 Asian Cup transformed into glowing tributes when he departed as South Korea’s longest-serving manager, coming on the back of an encouraging 2022 World Cup which included group-stage victory over his native Portugal.
Another redemption arc will secure Bento a cherished spot in UAE sporting lore.
