Barcelona // Eighty-five minutes showed on Camp Nou’s scoreboards when the home fans began to sing for the injured Lionel Messi.
They had seen their team go into half time goalless against Villarreal, before Neymar and Luis Suarez put them 2-0 ahead.
The pair had scored 19 of Barcelona's 22 goals since Messi limped out of a game against Las Palmas in September.
The injured Argentine will miss the Catalan club’s next game, the clasico against Real Madrid on November 21, but Neymar and Suarez help keep Barcelona a winning machine without their best player.
As well as their goals, they had assisted a further seven since Messi’s injury as Barca won eight, drew one and lost one.
The win against Villarreal extended that run to nine wins, with the best moment of La Liga season so far coming five minutes from time.
MORE PRIMERA LIGA NEWS
Preview: Rafa Benitez backs scandal-hit Karim Benzema ahead of Real Madrid's visit to Sevilla
Andy Mitten: Real Madrid and Barcelona are La Liga teams in transition ahead of el clasico
Neymar headed the ball towards Suarez, with Barca’s No 9 wide on the left. The Uruguayan then spun a ball beyond two outstretched defenders into the path of Neymar.
The Brazilian flicked the airborne ball over the head of a third defender, the experienced Jaume Costa, then pirouetted 180 degrees before volleying it past Villarreal’s French Under 21 international goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.
Neymar claimed afterwards he had thought about the move in advance and it came off.
It was Neymar’s finest goal in Spain so far, and how the crowd loved it as they saw Neymar and Suarez embrace for the third time in 25 minutes.
Villarreal are tough opponents and clashes between the pair are high scoring, 32 in the previous 10 games. They had also taken 20 points from Barcelona in their past 20 league encounters.
The goals did not flow in the late November sun, but the yellow cards did.
Referee Carlos Gomez had officiated 18 previous Barca games and only produced 21 yellow cards; yesterday, he brandished five for the Catalans alone. Had Suarez, Neymar, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique or Jeremy Mathieu picked up a second yellow, they would have been out of el clasico.
How Real Madrid’s Rafa Benitez would have watched with interest. Barca will find it hard enough without Messi, but to be without another star, especially as Ivan Rakitic and Rafinha are injured, would have hurt.
While the crowd was indignant, coach Luis Enrique held his nerve, not substituting any of the booked players until replacing Pique in the 82nd minute. His decision was vindicated as his best players provided the magic.
Neymar had put his side 1-0 ahead on the hour, slotting home from close range.
It took an hour of pressing to tire Villarreal, then Barca were awarded a penalty 10 minutes later, won for the second game in succession by Munir El Haddadi.
Suarez stepped up, scored, then pointed to Neymar.
The pair hugged. They get on well; better still, they form part of the best forward line in football when Messi is fit, but two in-form world-class strikers more than suffice.
At the other end, it was the fourth clean sheet in succession for Barca.
Messi aside, they are going into el clasico in formidable form. Asked by reporters if Neymar is now the second best striker in the world behind Messi — a loaded question which would have irked many in Madrid — Enrique, avoiding the trap, replied: “That’s up to others, I’m delighted to have this squad.”
Not one to be drawn into hyperbole, Enrique was equally deflective when asked if Neymar’s goal was the best moment of the season.
“I don’t know, but it’s clear we’re getting better,” he said. “But I hope we’re still far away from our best this season.”
With Neymar and Suarez in such form, Madrid should beware.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
West Indies v England ODI series:
West Indies squad: Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas.
Fixtures:
1st ODI - February 20, Bridgetown
2nd ODI - February 22, Bridgetown
3rd ODI - February 25, St George's
4th ODI - February 27, St George's
5th ODI - March 2, Gros Islet
THE SPECS
Engine: AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with EQ Boost and electric auxiliary compressor
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 429hp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh360,200 (starting)
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWafeq%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJanuary%202019%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadim%20Alameddine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Esoftware%20as%20a%20service%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERaed%20Ventures%20and%20Wamda%2C%20among%20others%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
