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Barcelona, Atletico face-off for possible La Liga season decider (Preview)
Barcelona, March 3 (IANS) FC Barcelona meet Atletico Madrid in the Camp Nou stadium here on Sunday afternoon in a game which could go a long way towards determining the destination of this football season’s La Liga title.
Barcelona go into the game on the back of a 1-1 draw away against Las Palmas which saw their lead at the top of the table cut to just five points, while Atletico defeated Leganes 4-0 thanks to a quartet of goals from French star forward Antoine Griezmann, reports Xinhua news agency.
“The game against Atlético is an attractive one. Both teams are strong and the three points are worth so much. We must give everything on the pitch to win this game,” Barcelona chief coach Ernesto Valverde was quoted as saying by the club’s Twitter handle at the pre-match press conference.
“We are sure the Camp Nou will respond due to the importance of the match. It’s guaranteed the fans will make noise.”
Griezmann will be the main threat to Barcelona on Sunday with the Frenchman hitting his best form of the season netting seven goals in his last two appearances as his partnership with Diego Costa is beginning to flourish.
Meanwhile Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez will be available for Barcelona after avoiding a yellow card in Las Palmas which would have seen him suspended for the game. Suarez will partner Lionel Messi in attack, while left-back Jordi Alba is back in the side after missing out in midweek through suspension.
Although much of the attention will be focussed on the strikers, part of the secret of the two sides’ success is down to their defenses, with Atletico conceding just 11 goals all season, while Barcelona have had just 13 scored against them.
There appear to be few doubts in the Atletico starting 11 with Thomas Partey earning a place alongside Gabi Fernandez in central midfield.
Barcelona will field their strongest starting 11 with the only doubt being whether Phillipe Coutinho, Ousman Dembele or Paulinho completes a midfield containing Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic.
Atletico have an extra day to recover following the midweek game and in such a tightly balanced match that could be decisive, but so could Messi, Griezmann, Costa or Suarez in what promises to be 90 minutes of tension in Barcelona.
“Tomorrow’s match is an important one,” Atletico chief coach Diego Simeone admitted, as reported by the capital club’s Twitter handle.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.