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Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona – LaLiga: Team news, start time, how to follow

Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona – LaLiga: Team news, start time, how to follow

Who: Atletico Madrid vs BarcelonaWhat: Spanish LaLigaWhere: Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, SpainWhen: Sunday at 9pm (20:00 GMT) Follow Al Jazeera Sport‘s live text and photo commentary stream. Atletico Madrid doesn’t have much time to linger on its painful Champions League exit against Real Madrid. Another crucial game awaits on Sunday, this time against Barcelona in the tight battle for the Spanish league title. Al Jazeera looks ahead to one of the biggest games in the Spanish football calendar: How are Atletico Madrid and Barcelona faring in LaLiga? Atletico are a point behind Barcelona in second and four points behind leaders Madrid in the three-way fight for the trophy. Real have played two more games than Barca and one more than Atletico. So Diego Simeone’s team can hardly afford to lose on Sunday but must quickly get over another excruciating defeat to their fierce crosstown rival in the Champions League on Wednesday. Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez scores a penalty during a penalty shootout that is later disallowed after a VAR review due to a double touch in the Champions League match against Real Madrid on March 12, 2025 [Susana Vera/Reuters] What happened in Atletico’s Champions League Madrid derby? Atletico lost in a penalty shootout to Real after Julian Alvarez’s spot kick was disallowed for a double touch. Only a video review spotted the first contact when Alvarez’s support foot slid and gently nudged the ball before he impacted it with his other foot and sent it into the net. Advertisement “Honestly, it isn’t easy to get over the way we lost this tie. We can’t lie to ourselves,” Simeone said after the match. Where could the match be won on Sunday? Simeone acknowledged that Barcelona could have an advantage both physically and emotionally after Hansi Flick’s side got an extra day’s rest after their victory against Benfica on Tuesday to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals. “We face a great rival on Sunday. I imagine the Barcelona players were wanting our game to go as long as it could, to reach penalties,” Simeone said. “We will arrive tired and beat up after having fought hard in a tie that demanded we give it our all, but we will throw everything we have left” at Barcelona. 🤩 Amazing memories from our last LaLiga game vs FC Barcelona pic.twitter.com/ztLACCN3bL — Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) March 15, 2025 How has the rivalry panned out recently? Atletico have confounded Barcelona twice this season. Late goals by Alexander Sorloth snatched a 2-1 win at Barcelona in the league and a 4-4 draw in the opening leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal. But Barcelona have gone unbeaten in 17 straight games across all competitions since that loss to Atletico in late December. Atletico will also host Barcelona next month to decide their Copa del Rey semifinal. What is Barcelona’s take on the match? Flick warned his Barcelona stars they need to focus to avoid crumbling against Atletico Madrid as they have in their previous two meetings this season. “We have had really two great matches, and of course, we have to be focused from the beginning to the end of the match,” Flick told reporters on Saturday. Advertisement “In the first match, at the end of the match, we were not so focused like we can be, and also the second match was [the same] in the beginning and also at the end, so we have to take care about that. “When you make mistakes, Atletico can hurt you, and this is what we have to defend against.” No days off 💪 #AtletiBarça pic.twitter.com/iuQRV2QRWk — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 15, 2025 How will Flick solve the Olmo-Gavi headache? Dani Olmo is seemingly ahead of Gavi in the pecking order for the attacking midfield spot for Barca. Gavi and Barca defender Alejandro Balde were not included in the Spain squad that will face the Netherlands in the Nations League quarterfinals next week, but the Barca coach hailed both players. “[Gavi] came from a huge injury, and he’s 20 years old, and now at the moment, he is, I think, not the first [choice] … a more difficult situation, but he’s doing great,” Flick said. “At the moment our midfield is doing really good. I’m happy he’s here, and I think he will play many, many years for this amazing club and be one of the superstars here. “He can improve a lot. He will do this. His attitude is unbelievably good. He’s really focused and really happy he is here. “I think for the World Cup 2026, he will be there and be able to play, 100 percent.” Happy Gavi. 🫶 pic.twitter.com/Eh0tos7Uhi — LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) March 14, 2025 Flick added that Balde was “one of the best” left backs in the world and also praised veteran centre back Inigo Martinez, who was called up for Spain by national team coach Luis de la Fuente. Advertisement “With his attitude and mentality, he’s unbelievably good for every team,” Flick said. Atletico Madrid form guide: W-D-W-L-L Barcelona form guide: W-D-W-W-W Atletico Madrid team news Angel Correa is suspended for the match after his red card in the 2-1 defeat to Getafe last weekend. Koke remains a doubt with a knock while Rodrigo De Paul is set to miss out. Barcelona team news Marc Bernal and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are still long-term absentees with knee injuries, but Andreas Christensen is back in training with the squad. Atletico Madrid’s probable starting lineup: Jan Oblak; Nahuel Molina, Jose Maria Gimenez, Clement Lenglet, Reinildo; Giuliano Simeone, Rodrigo De Paul, Pablo Barrios, Conor Gallagher; Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez Barcelona’s possible starting lineup: Wojciech Szczesny; Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde; Frenkie De Jong, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo,  Raphinha; Robert Lewandowski Adblock test (Why?)

Ailing Pope Francis works on signature reform from hospital as he recovers

Ailing Pope Francis works on signature reform from hospital as he recovers

Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital in February for double pneumonia. Pope Francis has entered his fifth week of hospital treatment for double pneumonia and is continuing the work of his papacy as signs of his recovery remain positive. Francis remains in stable condition, “confirming the progress” the 88-year-old pontiff has made in the past week, the Vatican said on Saturday. The pope, who was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli University Hospital on February 14, is also reducing his use of mechanical ventilation at night to help with his breathing, a statement added. Doctors this week said Francis was no longer in critical, life-threatening condition but have continued to emphasise that his condition remained complex due to his age, lack of mobility and the loss of part of a lung as a young man. The first three weeks of his hospitalisation were marked by a roller-coaster of setbacks, including respiratory crises, mild kidney failure and a severe coughing fit. But Francis has continued his work. He has approved a three-year implementation and evaluation process for a reform project that aims to make the Roman Catholic Church more welcoming and responsive. The Vatican office for the Synod of Bishops released a timetable through 2028 to implement the reforms and said Francis had approved the calendar last week. Advertisement This week, the pope also participated in Lenten spiritual exercises from the hospital, which Vatican officials have said implied a lighter workload. He received a cake and hundreds of messages wishing him well on the 12th anniversary of his papacy on Thursday. The only public sign of life from the pope since his hospitalisation was a recorded audio message thanking people for their prayers for his recovery, which he made in a weak, laboured voice. It was played in St Peter’s Square for the faithful gathered for a nightly recitation of the rosary. For the past four Sundays, the traditional blessing that the pope usually delivers from a window overlooking St Peter’s Square has been released as a text. Adblock test (Why?)

Trump invokes wartime Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target violent illegal immigrant street gangs

Trump invokes wartime Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target violent illegal immigrant street gangs

President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 Saturday to target the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) just hours after a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled the law could not be used to deport five Venezuelans.  The wartime law, which allows deportation of natives and citizens of an enemy nation without a hearing, has been invoked three times, during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II. All Venezuelan citizens 14 years or older who are members of TdA, are within the U.S. and are not naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the U.S. may be apprehended, restrained, secured and removed as “alien enemies,” according to a proclamation. ‘WEAPONIZED MIGRATION’: US FACES DEADLY CONSEQUENCES WITH MADURO IN POWER, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION WARNS Hours before the act was signed, a lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Democracy Forward and the ACLU of the District of Columbia, claiming the proclamation could be used to deport any Venezuelan in the country, regardless of whether they are a member of TdA. Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg of the D.C. Circuit granted a temporary restraining order preventing the deportation of five Venezuelans already in immigration custody for two weeks. The Trump administration appealed the restraining order, alleging it is improper to delay a presidential act before it is announced, affiliate FOX 32 Chicago reported. A second hearing is scheduled for Saturday afternoon to establish if the order should be broadened to everyone in danger of removal under the act.  “The United States is not at war, nor has it been invaded. The president’s anticipated invocation of wartime authority — which is not needed to conduct lawful immigration enforcement operations — is the latest step in an accelerating authoritarian playbook,” Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, wrote in a statement.  “From improperly apprehending American citizens to violating the ability of communities to peacefully worship to now improperly trying to invoke a law that is responsible for some of our nation’s most shameful actions, this administration’s immigration agenda is as lawless as it is harmful.” An in-person hearing on the lawsuit’s merits is scheduled for D.C. Monday. The move fulfills a campaign promise made during an October rally, when Trump announced he would use the law to combat Tren de Aragua (TdA) members in the U.S. Tren de Aragua (TdA), designated a foreign terrorist organization Feb. 20 by the Department of State, has thousands of members, many of whom the White House says have unlawfully infiltrated the United States and are “conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions against the United States.” Colorado officials confirmed TdA occupied entire apartment complexes in Aurora, noting a special task force had to be established to combat its activity. TRUMP TO INVOKE WARTIME ALIEN ENEMIES ACT OF 1798 TO FAST-TRACK DEPORTATIONS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS As of Sept. 11, 2024, the Aurora Police Department linked the gang to nearly a dozen people, resulting in eight arrests.  “Two of the eight individuals who were taken into custody were involved in a July shooting at one of the specific properties in the city that have experienced issues with TdA activity,” according to a statement. “In line with these arrests, we can also now confirm that criminal activity, including TdA issues, had significantly affected those properties.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The White House said the gang has continued to engage in mass illegal migration to the U.S. to “further its objectives of harming United States citizens,” undermining public safety. TdA operates in conjunction with Cártel de los Soles, the Nicolás Maduro regime-sponsored narco-terrorism enterprise based in Venezuela, and commits brutal crimes, including murders, kidnappings, extortion and human, drug, and weapons trafficking, according to the White House. It grew significantly while Tareck El Aissami served as governor of Aragua between 2012 and 2017. In 2017, El Aissami was appointed vice president of Venezuela.  Soon after, the Treasury Department designated El Aissami a specially designated narcotics trafficker under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, and he remains a U.S. fugitive. In 2020, Maduro and other regime members were charged with narcoterrorism and other crimes in an alleged plot against America. Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

At least 11 people dead in Pakistan after military raids

At least 11 people dead in Pakistan after military raids

The raids take place in the Mohmand and Dera Ismail Khan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bordering Afghanistan. Pakistan’s security forces have raided two hideouts used by an armed group in the restive northwest, triggering gun battles that killed at least two soldiers and nine of the group’s fighters, the military says. The raids were conducted on Saturday in the Mohmand and Dera Ismail Khan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. According to local police, the fighters belonged to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban. The outlawed TTP is a separate group but an ally of the Afghan Taliban, who reseized power in neighbouring Afghanistan in August 2021 as United States and other NATO troops were in the final stages of a withdrawal from the country after 20 years of war. Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries and have even been living openly in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, which also emboldened the Pakistani Taliban. In a separate incident on Saturday, fighters ambushed security forces in northwestern Pakistan’s Kurram district, bordering Afghanistan, local police said. Authorities have yet to confirm any casualties in that attack. Advertisement Pakistan’s military is engaged in an ongoing operation in Kurram, an area that has witnessed years of violence between Sunni and Shia Muslim communities. Hundreds of people have been killed in fighting between armed groups, exacerbating tensions in the region. Since November, Kurram has remained isolated after authorities blocked key roads following sectarian violence. The closure has led to severe shortages of medicine and food, deepening a humanitarian crisis. Also on Saturday, a bomb exploded outside a mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing a Muslim leader, local police said. It was unclear who was behind the attack, and an investigation was being conducted. Adblock test (Why?)

WPL 2025 final: Mumbai Indians claim second title as Delhi Capitals despair

WPL 2025 final: Mumbai Indians claim second title as Delhi Capitals despair

Delhi lose third straight final as Mumbai wins by eight runs. The Mumbai Indians have claimed their second Women’s Premier League (WPL) title with an eight-run win against the Delhi Capitals, who have seen their third straight defeat in the final. Delhi, ever present in the three finals of the fledgling competition, would have felt very much in the game after reducing Mumbai to 149-7 at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai in the first innings on Saturday. Captain and India international Harmanpreet Kaur’s 66 held together Mumbai’s hopes of keeping at bay the side they overcame in 2023’s inaugural final. It was a miserly bowling performance from Delhi, led by South African Marizanne Kapp’s 2-11. Despite a series of cameos in the chase, including a powerful late-innings blast from Kapp, it was Mumbai’s masterful control – led by 3-30 from England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt – that smothered Delhi’s hopes. Having won the toss, Delhi were instantly vindicated in their decision to field first when West Indies opener Hayley Matthews was bowled for three by Kapp. The right-armed seamer opened and bowled straight through her four overs as she also removed Mumbai’s other opener, Yastika Bhatia, in her third over. Advertisement Sciver-Brunt and Kaur began the fight for the 2023 champions with a partnership of 89, brought up in 10 overs, for the third wicket. The former would have thought she was in for more runs when powerfully sweeping Shree Charani while on 30. However, the sweetly timed stroke perfectly picked out Minnu Mani at square. Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur plays a shot during the WPL Twenty20 final [Indranil Mukherjee/AFP] Kaur’s 66, the top score of the final, held the innings together thereafter, but she was desperate for someone to stay with her. The next biggest partnership of the innings was the unbeaten eighth-wicket stand of 17. Delhi’s reply could not have got off to a worse start with captain Meg Lanning and opening partner Shafali Verma both removed inside the first three overs. Jess Jonassen followed in the first over after the powerplay before Annabel Sutherland followed in the eighth. Another WPL final and another defeat loomed. The captain may have departed, but her deputy, Jemimah Rodrigues, grasped the moment. The Delhi vice captain praised her captain’s leadership in the build-up to the final, but it was her dynamic innings with the highest strike rate in the match of anyone facing more than seven deliveries that gave her side a chance. Back-to-back boundaries to start the 11th propelled the right-hander to 30, but Amelia Kerr struck back before the over was out with a caught-and-bowled to remove the Delhi number four, who was premature in closing her bat face in search of a single. Mumbai Indians’ Amelia Kerr takes the catch to dismiss Delhi Capitals’ Jemimah Rodrigues [Indranil Mukherjee/AFP] Kapp, a leading light with the ball, appeared to be offering one final glimpse of hope for Delhi as she and Sarah Bryce started another partnership before a mix-up and a momentary hesitation by the latter saw her comfortably run out. Advertisement It was the third highest partnership of the innings at 18, but with the best being 22, it was a shallow return in search of a foundation upon which to build a chase. Kapp continued her near one-woman pursuit to try to end Delhi’s losing streak in finals, and when Kerr carried a catch over the boundary in the 16th, it appeared the tide may well be turning. When the powerful all-rounder holed out to long-on and Matthews – the first wicket she claimed in the match – for 40, the game and the final was well and truly up. Sciver-Brunt, who claimed Kapp’s wicket, bowled Shikha Pandey the very next ball, and the chase quickly ended. The celebrations for the hosts in Mumbai will long continue. However, so too will the pain of third time unlucky in a final for Delhi. Adblock test (Why?)