Is Super Mario Bros. 3 the best platformer ever? (Nintendo)
The Thursday letters page is worried about what Epic Games’ layoffs mean for the rest of the industry, as one reader takes issue with the way Metacritic works.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Wonder-ful platfomer I also feel that Super Mario Bros. Wonder doesn’t get talked about enough. I’m glad that it sold well but I don’t think it gets enough recognition for being both a great 2D platformer and having an actual new gimmick for the series, unlike the New Super Mario Bros. games, which added absolutely nothing of value.
The new Switch 2 Edition does seem a little pointless though. I’m not sure why they didn’t just add more single-player levels, as I’m sure most people would’ve preferred that rather than a bunch of multiplayer minigames that you’re probably not going to play more than a few times each (judging by how these things normally go in Nintendo games).
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But I see you also brought up the age old argument over which is the best 2D Mario game, in your recommendations for Nintendo Switch Online games. I’m firmly of the opinion that it’s Super Mario World and that Super Mario Bros. 3, with everything else a long way behind (but still great). It is close, I’ll admit but for me Super Mario Bros. 3 is more technical and more focused on the actual platforming, whereas World has Yoshi and a lot of other gimmicks.
Again, I’ll say that the fact Wonder gets anywhere close to them both is a miracle, given how you’d think a lot of those skills have been lost over the years. So while it doesn’t seem like the Switch 2 Edition is essential I would definitely recommend Wonder to anyone who can play it on Switch 1 or 2. Onibee
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Nothing to do The problem with these Nintendo Switch 2 Editions is that I can’t think of any game that needs anything doing to them in terms of performance or features. I suppose they could up Super Mario Odyssey to 4K and maybe add a new world (or more likely some unwanted multiplayer modes) but it’s totally unnecessary and it’ll just end up being like Super Mario Bros. Wonder where you’re better off just buying the Switch 1 version for cheaper.
The only one I can think of is Astral Chain, which has already been mentioned, but I don’t think that sold enough to get the treatment and most of the people that made it have left PlatinumGames now, so there’s not even a guarantee they’d do a good job of it.
I’d much rather see Nintendo make more low budget games instead, to fill the gaps in the schedule, although given how the last few of those have gone maybe that’s not a great idea. Cubby
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Epic fail It’s hard to believe that Epic Games have lost almost 2,000 people in just the last couple of years, to the point where they’re getting close to losing half their number. And that’s for Fortnite, the most famous game in the world. No wonder everyone else is doing so bad.
As far as I can see they haven’t said exactly what people have left but if this includes people working on Unreal Engine then that’s going to have a knock-on effect on everything. Once again, we see the problem is that it’s too expensive to make games as they are now and yet the idea of lowering the budgets isn’t even a consideration.
I truly think we’ll be left with nothing but indie developers and Japanese publishers soon and I’m not sure I’ll be able to say anything other than Western companies had it coming. MNex
Subscription cons I do feel Nintendo is doing better with Nintendo Switch Online now and most of their own big name games are available on most formats, but there’s still some smaller first party titles left out and the third party support is low and random.
I guess this is the problem with the Netflix style subscription approach, compared to the Wii Virtual Console, where you had to buy individual games. When each game costs money the original publisher has a clear incentive to have it on the service and Nintendo just takes their cut.
But with the subscription service I imagine it’s a bit more murky how third party publishers get paid and there’s also not as much incentive for Nintendo to chase them to add their games, which is why most of the games that are included are Japanese ones, where they have a closer relationship with the company. So I don’t know if it’ll ever be that complete. Tanis
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I sink therefore I am RE: Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss inbox letter from a few days ago. I have played a short demo of the game during the last Steam Next Fest and I am positively optimistic. I read an interview with the developer where they promise an open-ended detective game in which you are free to roam, collect evidence, and investigate.
Although that wasn’t the case with the demo itself, which was pretty straightforward, featuring sub-Resident Evil level puzzles with extra steps. However, the world building and the futuristic subsea setting is very intriguing to say the least and slightly reminiscent of SOMA, which is always a positive in my book. Ali K
GC: That description sounds like they’re trying to ape Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth to some degree, which was a decent but flawed game back in the day.
Righting the ship I don’t want to make light of people that have lost their jobs, but I have to admit I am glad that Sony is moving away from mobile gaming. Although, to be honest, I didn’t know they even had any mobile games at the moment, so no wonder they weren’t successful.
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But between this and also stopping PC ports they seem to be going back to their old ways. Only we can’t tell because they won’t talk about it and they won’t announce any new games. But I think if you’re optimistic that must be what they’re doing.
I guess the worst case scenario is that the PlayStation 6 generation is going to be even more expensive to make games for, so they’re cutting back in other areas and will still only maintain the frequency they have at the moment.
There’s reason to hope it’s more than that. The signs are that they regret the way this generation has gone and are getting ready to reverse course. After all, you’ve got to remember that with the PlayStation 5 dominating console sales they’ve not really been in a position to take advantage of that with their own games, so they’ve been missing out on a lot of easy profit over the last few years.
Hopefully that will tempt them back into making good games as a priority. Assuming any of us can afford the new console that is… Stolos
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Merch Effect I don’t know how many people will be interested in this but a company called Master Replicas are starting to do Mass Effect ships and considering how much sci-fi merch can cost they’re actually quite reasonably price. The first one is the Normandy, obviously, and it’s £70 and 22cm long, which in my experience as a collector is a bargain.
I’ve no idea whether we’ll really see a new Mass Effect game ever but there are definitely still fans out there and hopefully their love for merch might be enough to keep EA interested. Bungie deserve another shot. Fevermet
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No favourites I’ve long thought Metacritic is pointless. All the reviews it shows and they’re basically split into two sections: a bunch of websites you’ve never heard of that apparently give everything 9/10 and then all the trustworthy ones underneath that, which are then divided into American sites, that always mark too highly, and UK ones which are more sensible.
You have to completely ignore that first layer to get to any kind of believable opinion and even then there’s only a handful I really trust. But they all get lumped into the final score, which is usually nothing like what the reliable sites have given it.
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So I’m not a fan and now I see this list of the best publishers of the year and it’s Square Enix?! Who didn’t release a single brand new game last year? And the second is Chinese publisher, where even GC only knew one of the games they’d made.
The whole thing is silly and it was silly when Sega when last year and the year before it. The whole idea of having a best publisher is kind of dumb anyway, there’s only a very few publishers that I trust in any kind of a general sense and even then I’d never buy a game out of loyalty to them, so it makes no difference.
I think most people accept Nintendo and Capcom are great publishers but few people were in a hurry to pick up Drag x Drive or… actually, I can’t remember the last time Capcom made a bad game, so why didn’t they win? Like I said, the whole thing is dumb. Coop
Inbox also-rans I see there’s a new rumour that Capcom is also considering a remake of Resident Evil Revelations. I’m not too interested in that, but I really hope they do Revelations 2. It’s been mentioned a few times in the Inbox lately but I really feel it’s the hidden gem of the series. Rex
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I kind of lost track of what’s going on with Warner Bros. Is it being bought by Paramount now? Is that deal going through. I really want to hear about a new Batman game, but I feel we’re not going to until all that business is settled. Grackle
GC: There’s some minor political opposition to it in the US but we’re not sure that will amount to anything.
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It follows sunny spells and a return to Spring temperatures over the weekend
After a relatively dry and sunny weekend, the week ahead is set to be more of a mixed bag across Northern Ireland.
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The Met Office forecast for the region shows a mix of sunshine, rain showers, and wind, with temperatures turning “rather cold” for a time by the middle of the week.
It comes as we experienced a return of sunny spells and Spring temperatures over the weekend, after parts of the country experienced the coldest May night in five years last week.
However, Northern Ireland is forecast to escape the worst of these colder conditions, with the wintry weather set to stay on the other side of the Irish Sea.
Here is what you can expect from the weather in Northern Ireland this week.
Monday:
Any remaining overnight rain in south soon clearing the a dry day with some good spells of sunshine. Cloudier again in evening with a little rain in west. Maximum temperature 13 C.
Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:
Early rain on Tuesday then sunny spells and showers. Rather cold Wednesday with heavy showers and occasionally strong northwesterly winds, the showers and winds easing on Thursday.
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Long-range forecast, May 15 – 24:
Changeable and at times rather unsettled conditions look to dominate through the middle part of May, with low pressure often close by. This means periods of rain or showers, some of which could be heavy, for many places, though some drier interludes are also expected.
For the most part, temperatures are likely to be close to or perhaps a little below normal, with winds often blowing from a northwesterly quadrant. By the end of this period, pressure may increase towards the southwest, which could bring more in the way of dry weather here.
BEIRUT (AP) — Nobel Peace laureate and activist Narges Mohammadi has been transferred to a Tehran hospital more than a week after collapsing in prison, her foundation said Sunday.
Her transfer comes after days of pleading by her family and others who described her condition as critical. Her foundation said she has been granted a prison sentence suspension on bail. It was not clear for how long her sentence is suspended, the foundation said.
Mohammadi had been imprisoned since December in Zanjan prison. She lost consciousness twice and was transferred to a local hospital on May 1.
A statement from her foundation, shared with The Associated Press, said the suspended sentence is not enough and that Mohammadi needs “permanent, specialized care.”
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The statement added that “we must ensure she never returns to prison to face the 18 years remaining on her sentence. Now is the time to demand her unconditional freedom and the dismissal of all charges.”
Mohammadi’s Iran-based lawyer Mostafa Nili said on social media the transfer order was issued following the decision of the Legal Medicine Organization — government-appointed medical examiners — “which stated that, due to her multiple illnesses, she needs to continue treatment outside prison and under the supervision of her own medical team.”
There was no immediate comment from Iranian authorities.
Mohammadi’s brother Hamidreza Mohammadi, who is based in Oslo, Norway, had said medical examiners previously recommended her transfer to Tehran but the decision was blocked. He blamed Iran’s intelligence agency.
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“I’m relieved now. I can breathe lightly,” her brother told the AP in a message.
The 53-year-old rights activist and champion of women’s rights was awarded the Nobel in 2023 while in prison and has been jailed repeatedly throughout her career. Her current imprisonment began when she was arrested in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.
Mohammadi’s family said her health had been deteriorating in prison, in part because she was heavily beaten during her arrest. She had a heart attack in March and has a blood clot in her lung since before her imprisonment that needs blood thinners and monitoring to manage it.
Since being taken to the Zanjan hospital’s cardiac care unit, Mohammadi’s blood pressure had been swinging between extremely low and extremely high, and she was receiving oxygen to breathe and can’t talk, according to her brother.
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The Nobel committee had called on Iranian authorities to immediately transfer Mohammadi to her dedicated medical team in Tehran, saying that “without such treatment, her life remains at risk.”
Adolescence was the big winner at the BAFTA TV Awards this evening, whilst it was also a great night for Celebrity Traitors, who picked up two awards tonight including a public-voted one
19:49, 10 May 2026Updated 19:52, 10 May 2026
Adolescence was the big winner at the BAFTA TV Awards this evening.
The award show – which is currently airing on the BBC and was recorded earlier today – is back for another year, with a string of famous faces walking the red carpet.
It was a big night for Netflix’s Adolescence, with Owen Cooper and Christina Tremarco winning in Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively. Stephen Graham won Leading Actor and there was an award for the show itself for Limited Drama.
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Collecting his gong, Owen said: “Wow, it’s heavy the award. A year ago, I was presenting one and now I am collecting one. Thank you to the Adolescence family, and they are family now. Yous have travelled me and my mum and dad across the world.”
He then quoted John Lennon and added: “You only need three things in life to succeed, an obsession, a dream and the Beatles.”
Christine added: “Oh my goodness. Thank you so much Bafta. I feel so privileged to be standing up here holding this Bafta. I feel so honoured to be a part of Adolescence. I hold this Bafta high to Stephen Graham and Hannah Walters. Thank you for giving me Manda.”
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It was also a good night for Celebrity Traitors, who won in the Reality category.
Host Claudia Winkleman said: “Bafta thank you so so much. This is unbelievable. It is such an honour to be part of it. This is for our extraordinary cast who played with gusto and their entire hearts.” She then handed the Bafta to Alan Carr, who jokingly went to the front of the stage holding the award, before being pushed off stage by Paloma Faith.
BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises winners in full:
The one-act play, which was originally performed at York Theatre Royal will run until Saturday (May 30) at London’s Royal Court Theatre.
The play centres on Krapp, a solitary, ageing man who spends his 69th birthday reminiscing about his younger self – whose dreams and ambitions never materialised.
Recommended reading:
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The character’s painful self-reflection is mirrored by his attempts to record a new tape, shrouded in the torments of his memories.
Gary Oldman, who himself began his long esteemed acting career at York Theatre Royal, will play the role of Krapp as part the play’s 70th anniversary season.
It came after the actor starred and directed in the play in York in May 2025.
Speaking about this, CEO of York Theatre Royal, Paul Crewes, said: “Working with Gary on our production of Krapp’s Last Tape was remarkable and we are delighted that even more people will get the opportunity to see his extraordinary performance in this landmark play.
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“It was first performed at the Royal Court 67 years ago and it’s so wonderfully fitting that it makes a return as part of their 70th anniversary celebrations.”
The London run will take place at the Royal Court’s Jerwood Theatre Downstairs.
Each performance will open with Godot’s To-Do List, a Beckett-inspired short play by Jerwood New Playwright Leo Simpe-Asante.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor pointed out “it’s in our hands” after Sunday’s “huge win” over their city rivals.
Only defeat by Motherwell on Wednesday, combined with a Hearts win, will prevent a final-day showdown.
Nevertheless O’Neill believes Celtic still have “two mountains to climb” if he is to lead them to the Scottish title for a fourth time – and his first in 22 years.
“I’ve never been confident,” the 74-year-old Northern Irishman said. “People have said to me about momentum and momentum can get shifted at any given moment.
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“We have to win because I would expect Hearts to win. We’ve a really difficult match at Motherwell, but I think the run that we’re on gives us confidence to compete.”
O’Neill would not be drawn on whether it would be his final Old Firm derby when asked if a league and cup double might persuade him to stay on at Celtic.
However, Lennon thinks giving the veteran a winning send-off will be another motivating factor for the players.
Hearts are unbeaten against Celtic this season, winning two of the three meetings, but Motherwell midfielder Andy Halliday also pointed to the O’Neill factor as potentially crucial.
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“Of Celtic’s January signings, none are in the starting line-up,” the former Hearts and Rangers player said. “So what he’s done is make all the players Celtic already had at their disposal better.
“Celtic are on a five-game winning run. You talk about mentality and playing your best level at the right time and Celtic have hit theirs now.
“But Hearts, for 30 weeks in a row now, are just finding ways to win, so it’s going to be a very interesting finish.
“We were salivating for these post-split fixtures and they’ve been everything we hoped for. I don’t think that’s going to change.”
The have-a-go hero, 71, challenged the youngster who was carrying a metal wrench.
Moment Edinburgh youth ‘threatens locals with metal wrench’ in city centre
A have-a-go pensioner bravely confronted a “tooled-up youth” who alleged threatened a tourist in Edinburgh. The shocking scenes were caught on camera at Hunter Square in the city at 8pm on May 7.
The hooded thug, who is wearing a black tracksuit, can be seen holding a weapon as he allegedly steals a bike, in footage shared with Edinburgh Live.
The young thug can be seen pulling a bicycle from the rack while being confronted by a tourist. The youth then swings a weapon, understood to be a metal wrench, towards the man.
A plucky pensioner then confronts the youngster in a bid to scare him off, before he flees the scene with the bicycle.
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The 71-year-old local, who did not want to be identified said: “I witnessed the bike theft and tried to stop the thief at Hunter Square. The youth was dressed in black and attempted to hit me and hit another man with a metal wrench.
“I trust someone can help identify the youth who was in a group of three – one riding a bike. Being a lot older and less mobile and faced with a young weapon yielding thug. I was in a vulnerable position and unable to chase or hold the bike.”
Police Scotland confirmed they were aware of a bike theft in the city and said an investigation is underway to get to the bottom of what happened and find the person involved.
A force spokesperson said: “On Thursday, 7 May, 2026, officers received reports of the theft of bikes on Hunter Square, Edinburgh. Enquiries are ongoing.”
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Greg Davies is hosting the BAFTA TV Awards tonight and has been candid about his three-stone weight loss using Ozempic after a doctor’s warning, and the lasting effect it has had on his appetite
Greg Davies has revealed a difficulty he encountered following a three-stone weight reduction. The 57-year-old resorted to Ozempic after being cautioned by his GP.
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Ozempic is a medication used to treat people with type 2 diabetes helping to manage blood sugar levels (HbA1c) by stimulating insulin secretion, reducing liver glucose production, and slowing digestion. But many people use it to lose weight, including Greg.
Speaking to The Times, the comic stated: “Three stone fell off me. But I didn’t really like it, it made me a bit gaunt.”
Greg nevertheless acknowledges he now confronts a challenge after taking the treatment. He continued: “My appetite’s never gone back to the way it was. I can’t ram things in the way I used to.”
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While Greg concedes he desired to shed weight, he has previously confessed he isn’t frightened of growing older, even considering it might benefit his profession. He told The Times: “I think that’s probably good in my game, isn’t it?”
The Inbetweeners performer has cultivated a comedic approach that he describes frequently involves “turning the gun on myself”. He routinely makes jokes about his embarrassing masturbation experience as a teenager, the dimensions of his own penis, and his struggles with an enlarged prostate.
He explains that his choice to direct jokes at himself stems from his appearance. He says he “looks weird” and describes himself as a “pot-bellied giant”.
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Greg, however, believes it is a “very British style of humour”. Despite this, it still managed to win over Hollywood star Ryan Gosling, who dissolved into fits of laughter during an appearance on the Graham Norton Show in 2016 when Greg recounted a bout of diarrhoea that struck him while wearing his mother’s underwear.
He acknowledges that making himself the target of the joke feels “safer”. He added: “I know who the victim of that material is – it’s me – and I know that I can take it.”
Greg will host the prestigious annual Bafta ceremony tonight from London’s Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, with the event broadcasting from 7pm on BBC One.
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He succeeds actor Alan Cumming, who presented the 2025 television awards show and who recently also hosted the Bafta film awards in 2026.
Greg said: “I see the whole event as an opportunity to wave a flag for this beloved medium and, with the exception of one commissioner, two execs and a co-star that I have personal beef with, I will do everything I can to ensure it’s a night of warm celebration for all.”
Stand-in captain Charlie Dean and 18-year-old debutant Tilly Corteen-Coleman salvaged a tense one-wicket victory from an underwhelming overall performance to ensure England’s summer began with a win in the first-one day international against New Zealand.
Despite dismissing the White Ferns for 210, England, who open the T20 World Cup at Edgbaston in a month, leaked runs in the field and then slipped to 160-7 in their chase atChester-le-Street.
And while tailender Lauren Bell put on an important 35 with Dean, 10 were still needed when last batter Corteen-Coleman emerged.
However, the teenager appeared as nerveless as she did in taking 2-49.
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She finished three not out while Dean, who was crucially dropped with seven run required, ended unbeaten on 31 as England won in the penultimate over.
But though England are able to celebrate the win, there remains plenty of room for improvement before the World Cup.
Maia Bouchier put down a straightforward chance offered by Georgia Plimmer, while a number of misfields helped New Zealand to their score, with Maddy Green hitting 88 and Amelia Kerr 55 as their fielding problems returned.
The remaining ODIs in the three-match series are on Wednesday and Saturday.
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After that the World Cup preparation ramps up when the teams switch to the T20 format.
Emergency services were called but it was only later the body of a man aged in his 90s was discovered in the wreckage
Kirstie McCrum and Zena Hawley
18:05, 10 May 2026
An investigation has been launched following the death of a man after an explosion and fire tore through a property on Saturday evening (May 9).
Emergency services rushed to Church Lane in Selston at 7.18pm, where the body of a man in his 90s was later recovered from the wreckage. Sadly, despite the best efforts of emergency crews, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Firefighters from across Nottinghamshire, including Ashfield, attended the incident, and nearby residents were urged to keep their doors and windows shut. Road closures were put in place at the junction of Church Lane and Station Road, and Church Lane and Stoney Lane, but have since been lifted, reports Nottinghamshire Live.
Residents in the surrounding area were evacuated while emergency services worked at the scene. A joint police and fire investigation remains ongoing to determine the cause of the blast.
Detective Sergeant Millie Gillett, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a tragic incident, and our thoughts remain with the man’s family at this difficult time. They continue to be supported by our officers.
“There is no indication at this stage of any wider threat to the public, and it’s being treated as an isolated incident. I would also like to acknowledge the cooperation of local residents and thank them for their patience.”
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Group Manager Jonathan Holford, of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, stated: “On behalf of everyone at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS), we would like to express our sincere condolences to the man’s family, friends and all those affected by this tragic incident.
“Our crews worked alongside partner agencies throughout the incident, and we would also like to thank local residents for their patience and cooperation while emergency services carried out their work.”
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And they are certainly the favourites coming into the tie. They have lost just one of their last 15 matches, and also got the better of Real when these two sides met last.
That came in the Supercopa, a fixture which ended 3-2 in Barcelona’s favour thanks to Raphinha’s late strike, which came before Frenkie de Jong was dismissed in injury time.
Real Madrid have their work cut out for them if they are to delay Barcelona’s title celebrations here. They have been all over the press this week, for all the wrong reasons.
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Alvaro Arbeloa is set to be relieved of his duties with Los Blancos staring down the barrel of a trophyless season – Jose Mourinho is being lined up as his successor – and tensions are rising within the squad.
Kylian Mbappe is reportedly causing rifts and a fan petition calling for him to leave the club has garnered millions of signatures. Elsewhere, Federico Valverde was hospitalised after a physical altercation with Aurelien Tchouameni, for which both parties were fined €500,000.
Where to watch Barcelona vs Real Madrid
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Premier Sports 1, with coverage starting at 7.30pm BST ahead of an 8pm kick-off.
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Live stream: Premier Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Premier Sports website.
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