BARCELONA: Real Madrid will look to take care of business against a struggling Valencia and maintain their La Liga lead this weekend before turning to their demanding match at Liverpool.
Xabi Alonso’s team visit Anfield in a clash of European title hopefuls next Tuesday in the Champions League.
Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 last weekend to end a run of four clasico victories for the Catalan club from last season. The victory allowed Madrid to open a five-point gap at the top of the league standings over second-placed Barcelona.
Key matches
Madrid are on a five-game winning streak that includes a 1-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League.
Kylian Mbappé struck his 11th goal in the domestic league to help defeat Barcelona. The France striker is also joint top of the Champions League with Harry Kane on five goals each.
On Saturday, Madrid will host a Valencia that were jeered by home fans during a 2-0 loss against regional rival Villarreal in the last round. Valencia are winless in five games and have sunk into the relegation zone.
An injury-hit Barcelona will look to lick their wounds from their clasico defeat when they host Elche on Sunday.
Elche have been the surprise package in the first months. The small southern club were promoted at the end of last season and have so far defied expectations. Coach Eder Sarabia has his team in eighth place after just two losses through Round 10.
Third-placed Villarreal can provisionally move ahead of Barcelona on Saturday if they beat Rayo Vallecano.
Players to watch
All eyes in the Santiago Bernabeu will be on Vinícius Júnior and Alonso.
Vinícius was visibly upset when his coach substituted him with around 20 minutes left in the clasico. He went straight to the changing room before rejoining the bench minutes later.
The Brazil forward later apologized on social media saying that “sometimes my passion gets the better of me.”
Alonso, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti this summer, has given Vinícius less playing time than his predecessor.
Out of action
Midfield leader Pedri González has joined a longlist of injured Barcelona players that already included Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, the team’s top scorers from last season’s championship side.
Pedri, who tore a muscle in his left thigh, played 72 of 73 games since coach Hansi Flick took over Barcelona last season. The Spain playmaker’s vision, control and passing skills are unmatched by his teammates.
Lewandowski and midfielder Dani Olmo rejoined team practice this week but as of Thursday they had not been cleared by team doctors to play.
Barcelona midfielder Gavi Páez and goalkeepers Joan García and Marc-André ter Stegen were also out injured.
Madrid right back Dani Carvajal has been ruled out for several weeks after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this week. Fellow defender Antonio Rudiger remains sidelined.
Off the field
Flick will be back in Barcelona’s dugout for the Elche game. He was suspended for the Madrid match after being sent off for protesting in a 2-1 win over Girona two rounds ago.
Real Madrid play struggling Valencia in La Liga ahead of Liverpool trip
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Real Madrid play struggling Valencia in La Liga ahead of Liverpool trip
- Xabi Alonso’s team visit Anfield in a clash of European title hopefuls next Tuesday in the Champions League
- Madrid are on a five-game winning streak that includes a 1-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League
FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign welcomes Palestinian student
- Ghada Ashour, 24, who grew up in Gaza, becomes fifth scholar selected for FIA’s flagship scholarship initiative
DUBAI: The FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign has welcomed Ghada Ashour, a 24-year-old student from Palestine, to its flagship scholarship program, created to empower the next generation of researchers in the fight against online abuse in sport.
Ashour grew up in Gaza where she had been studying remotely until gaining a place on the UAOA scholarship, which brought her to Dublin City University, Ireland.
Becoming the fifth scholar to join the program, she was selected based on her interests in social media, and passion for advancing insights in this area for the benefit of sportspeople.
Launched in 2023, the program offers talented students and young professionals from diverse backgrounds the chance to engage in research on the impact, prevalence, and prevention of online abuse in sport.
Funded by the FIA Foundation, the UAOA scholars have been selected to undertake research dedicated to positive social change.
Ashour’s thesis, which will be printed in English and Arabic, will focus specifically on the relationship between athlete activism and online abuse.
Athletes increasingly speak out on war, conflict, and social and environmental issues. Although the attention such athletes bring can be positive, research indicates it can lead to significant abuse.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, founder of the UAOA campaign, said: “The FIA is committed to extending opportunities across the world while inspiring and developing the next generation.
“Education lies at the core of this mission, and I am pleased to welcome Ghada as the latest student in the UAOA Scholarship Programme.
“Her experience and research will help broaden the international perspective on this critical issue. This pioneering research program will help ensure we safeguard the future of sport for generations to come.”
Ashour said she was “truly grateful” to the FIA leader: “It is a dream come true to study the subject I am passionate about at a leading institution in this field.
“I am so excited to advance the field of research in online abuse in sport and to contribute to this prevalent topic which is impacting so many people’s lives on a daily basis.”
The UAOA’s 2025 Barometer Report found that 75 percent of sports federations report continued threats against competitors and their families, and that 90 percent believe abuse could force athletes to leave their sport.
Dublin City University is a leading academic institution in the study of online abuse.
Each scholar is fully funded and mentored by leading experts in the field. They are able to attend UAOA events, where they can share their findings with a global audience of policymakers, sports federations, and digital platforms.
The inaugural cohort of four UAOA scholars included participants from Italy, South Africa, the UK, and Mexico.
