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- Video Captures ‘Albanian Crime Gang Raiding Cannabis Farm’ | News UK
- Freediver explores Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing military tensions in region
- Euronews to air flagship morning programme at 8 am Brussels time
- Mall of Louisiana shooting leaves one dead and five injured, police say
- US-Israeli War on Iran to Push 30 Million into Poverty, UN Warns
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Video Captures ‘Albanian Crime Gang Raiding Cannabis Farm’ | News UK
8:00 am
Get you up to speed: Video Captures ‘Albanian Crime Gang Raiding Cannabis Farm’ | News UK
ORGANIZED CRIME
Footage on TikTok shows an Albanian gang raiding a cannabis ‘crop house’, intimidating the occupant while using infrared scanners to locate their target.
Footage on TikTok shows an Albanian gang raiding a cannabis ‘crop house’, intimidating the occupant while using infrared scanners to locate their target.
CRIME ALERT
Local security sources stated that an Albanian gang with a ‘vice-like’ grip on Southgate station is linked to trafficking and drug-related activities.
Local security sources stated that an Albanian gang with a ‘vice-like’ grip on Southgate station is linked to trafficking and drug-related activities.
CRIME ALERT
Authorities are aware of the Albanian gang’s TikTok activity but have yet to apprehend any members involved in the cannabis crop house raids.
Authorities are aware of the Albanian gang’s TikTok activity but have yet to apprehend any members involved in the cannabis crop house raids.
What we know so far
Footage has emerged showing an Albanian gang, clad in balaclavas, reportedly raiding a cannabis ‘crop house’. The video, posted on TikTok, features masked individuals using infrared scanners to detect heat from cannabis grow lamps.
The clip includes a violent rap soundtrack and displays the gang intimidating a bewildered man, presumably a resident or worker, while they capture footage of themselves among cannabis plants. One section of the video features the caption ‘f*** you’ as they appear to steal the plants.
This incident highlights the rising trend of Albanian gangs exploiting high-tech methods in drug-related crimes. Locals have reported fears surrounding their influence, particularly in areas dubbed ‘Little Tirana’ in north London, where crime, including drug trafficking and protection rackets, is said to be rampant. A source indicated that residents feel a lack of safety, stating, “We know who they are and where they operate out of,” urging police action.
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Footage shows ‘Albanian crime gang raiding cannabis grow house’ | News UK
Footage appears to show an Albanian gang clad in balaclavas filming themselves on TikTok raiding a cannabis ‘crop house’.
The chilling post shows masked men using infrared scanners on normal suburban streets to locate the heat from cannabis grow lamps. Once they have found a target, they make their way inside.
They pose for the camera with a violent trap song accompanying the footage with ‘f*** you’ written as a caption as the gang appear to rob the house.
The clip shows a bewildered-looking man in shorts and a T-shirt who apparently lives or works in the house being intimidated by the gang. The camera focuses on the raiders clutching cannabis plants.
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The ‘crop houses’ are kitted out with high-tech lighting and heating to aid the growth of the plants in what can be a highly lucrative business.
The property, which looks like an ordinary suburban house, cannot be identified.
Other footage posted on the same TikTok account shows a masked member of the ‘gang’ climbing up the side of a house before clambering through an open window.
Another shows an apparent reconnaissance mission in which the gang hide and watch a crop house.
Some of the footage is tagged with Albanian flags and accompanied by slogans in Albanian.
(Picture: @TikTok)
The rap themes are charged with violence and knives are mentioned. But no weapons are featured in the clips.
In one of the films the ‘gang’ members are seen holed up in what appears to be a safe house.
The latest ‘crop house’ footage is chillingly similar to that posted by another Albanian ‘crew’ this time in east London.
In Barking, a heavily armed Albanian gang called the Hellbanianz filmed themselves brandishing weapons while flaunting cash, Rolexes while driving Ferraris.
They ran the Gascoigne estate where their ‘soldiers’ lived. Their brash online posts eventually led the police to the door and some members have been convicted.
Meanwhile the WTX exposed a criminal network operating in Southgate, north London, where people trafficking and drug deals are bringing in huge sums.
An Albanian gang with its centre of operations around Southgate station has a ‘vice-like’ grip on the area, according to local security sources.
Such is the prevalence of the crew that the area around the station is known to locals as ‘Little Tirana’ after the Albanian capital.
A source told WTX: ‘We call it little Tirana around here. The Albanian gangs have a grip on the community and there is a lot of fear about being taken out [killed]. They have taken over some of the businesses and have threatened others.
‘There have been connections with people trafficking, protection rackets and drug dealing. It’s their turf for sure and they hide in plain sight.They have taken over some of the businesses and have threatened others.
‘There have been connections with people trafficking, protection rackets and drug dealing. It’s their turf for sure and they hide in plain sight. We know who they are and where they operate out of. It has been reported to the police they need to get a grip of this.’
(Picture: John Dunne)
Other areas of the capital have also seen the rise of Albanian gangs.
When raiders stormed an Albanian cannabis factory to steal the product their machetes and knives proved no match for the handguns the Albanians pulled to defend their territory.
A court heard that the robbers who were trying to steal from the factory in Croydon had ‘brought knives to a gunfight’.
The Shqiptare is the term used by the National Crime Agency to describe the Albanian crime syndicates.
They sell huge amount of cocaine smuggled into into the UK via Latin America.
It is believed they run a majority of the estimated £5bn cocaine market. They are buying for up to £5,000 a kilo according to police estimates. They started selling for less profit than their rivals to corner the market.
The supply of cocaine and other drugs on an industrial scale has provided the Albanian mob with funds to almost ‘buy up’ communities.
Freediver explores Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing military tensions in region
7:00 am
Get you up to speed: Freediver explores Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing military tensions in region
Bux Khurana returned to the Strait of Hormuz for diving, a location he first explored three years ago. He noted the blockade and the absence of international shipping have allowed marine life to thrive more than ever.
Bux Khurana noted that the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz has allowed marine life to thrive, stating, “It was clear that the ocean is doing well.” He expressed his desire for an end to the conflict, saying, “I really hope that this tension can end with a resolution that is suitable for everyone.”
Bux Khurana plans to continue diving in the Strait of Hormuz despite the ongoing conflict, appreciating the marine life thriving in the area due to decreased shipping activity. He expresses hope for a resolution to the tensions surrounding the region so that people can once again enjoy its natural beauty.
‘I love freediving in the Strait of Hormuz – it is where I find inner peace’ | News World
Bux Khurana prepares to make a dive in the Strait of Hormuz (Picture: Bux Khurana)
Freediving is dangerous at the best of times. Diving into the pitch-black unknown on just one breath.
But one competitive freediver couldn’t resist breaking the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to go back to his favourite spot.
The Strait is currently the centre of the Iran war, which has seen cargo shipping lanes grind to a halt amid fears of sea mines and Donald Trump’s‘shoot to kill’ order against small Iranian boats deploying them.
But Mr Khurana still finds his sense of peace at the centre of this warzone. He even says the blockade and the absence of international shipping have allowed marine life to thrive more than ever.
He told the WTX: ‘I have been on dive trips in most parts of the world — the Maldives, Asia, the Red Sea, and Europe.
‘But I promise you, there is no diving spot that compares with the Strait of Hormuz. I first went three years ago and have been in love with it ever since.
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‘It was amazing. It was clear that the ocean is doing well. It was a bit green and algae-filled, with jellyfish.
Bux says he only goes as deep as the ocean will let him (Picture: Bux Khurana)
‘There were fish everywhere, and the fish-eaters on the boat were very happy with what they caught.’
Just two hours drive from his home in Dubai, the location had become deeply personal.
In his many dives, he has encountered whale sharks, hammerheads and even the elusive mola mola.
Night dives in complete darkness, he said, were something he trusted here more than anywhere else.
‘There are very few spots I feel so safe diving at night,’ he added.
‘The ocean is doing well. There were fish everywhere.’ (Picture: Bux Khurana)
Since the Iran war began, he has stayed away before he went back last week. He joined the same trusted boat crew he had dived with more than 15 times, but there were moments of trepidation.
Crew members were worried they had ventured too deep into the Strait and were in danger of being boarded by Iranian speedboats or crushed by US warships patrolling the region.
But the freediver saw no naval battles and didn’t pay any tolls. He said: ‘I don’t even know what the navy looks like.’
His only dangerous encounter was when two groups of pirates tried to sell his crew some smuggled oil.
US forces patrol the Arabian Sea(Picture: Getty Images)
IRGC has shared footage claiming to show naval forces seizing a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz (Picture: Provider: X)
He said the Strait of Hormuz is one of the most misunderstood regions on Earth with dolphins, sunfish and sea turtles making up a diverse ecosystem.
‘The beauty of nature is that it can thrive through anything,’ he said.
‘A lotus can bloom even in the dirtiest of places, and even the worst-affected regions have their own beauty. It is up to us to find the beauty and ignore the noise.’
The sun rises behind a tanker anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm
(Picture: AP)
Life goes on: Boys play in the sea as ships are anchored in the blockade in the background (Picture: Getty Images Europe)
‘Nature is a very powerful force. As humans, we like to believe that we are above nature, but a single act of nature can wipe us out.’
The deepest Bux has been during training is 101 metres down. He said: ‘I am not a big believer in creating too many targets, I will go as deep as the ocean will let me.’
The young diver’s only fear is Omani authorities reading this story and blocking him from returning to his beloved spot.
But with the war raging above him, it is beneath the waves of the highly contested Strait that he feels calm.
‘My family don’t really worry’, he says not even contemplating the dangers of the war with his focus on his diving season.
‘They have seen the safety protocols I keep in place and are very supportive.
‘I’m no longer the type of person to push for a record or prize, and I only go as deep as I can joyfully.’
He ‘absolutely’ wants the conflict to end so people can appreciate the beauty of the area again.
‘Even as someone completely outside the world of geopolitics, I can see how the tension is affecting everyone. I have staff in the Philippines who are struggling.
‘I have family in India who are struggling. I really hope that this tension can end with a resolution that is suitable for everyone.
Asked his message for world leaders fighting over the stretch of water, he says: ‘We came from nature and we will go back to nature. We need to respect the power of the forces that are beyond our comprehension.’
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Euronews to air flagship morning programme at 8 am Brussels time
6:00 am
EU News to air flagship morning programme at 8 am Brussels time
Morning Programme
EU News’ flagship programme, Europe Today, airs at 8 am Brussels time, delivering key news updates in a concise 20-minute format.
EU News’ flagship programme, Europe Today, airs at 8 am Brussels time, delivering key news updates in a concise 20-minute format.
News Programme
Tune in to Europe Today, which delivers key updates in just 20 minutes, emphasising its role in keeping viewers informed about major news events.
Tune in to Europe Today, which delivers key updates in just 20 minutes, emphasising its role in keeping viewers informed about major news events.
Official Response
EU News stated, “Tune in to Europe Today, our flagship morning programme at 8 am Brussels time, for the biggest news of the day.”
EU News stated, “Tune in to Europe Today, our flagship morning programme at 8 am Brussels time, for the biggest news of the day.”
Key developments
EU News has announced its flagship morning programme, Europe Today, will air daily at 8 am Brussels time, providing a quick update on significant news events within 20 minutes.
The show aims to enhance viewer engagement by delivering concise summaries of the day’s top stories, ensuring audiences remain informed and connected.
Europe Today: Charles Michel speaks to EU News as EU leaders hold crisis talks in Cyprus
Tune in to Europe Today, EU News’ flagship morning programme at 8 am Brussels time. In just 20 minutes, we bring you up to speed on the biggest news of the day.
Mall of Louisiana shooting leaves one dead and five injured, police say
5:02 am
Media Lens: Mall of Louisiana shooting leaves one dead and five injured, police say
Baton Rouge Mall shooting leaves 1 dead, 5 injured.
One person is dead and five others are injured following a shooting at the Mall of Louisiana. The incident is under investigation, as reported in coverage in the latest US news and US and global politics.
What happened
One person has died and five others have been injured in a shooting at the Mall of Louisiana. Several individuals are currently in custody as investigations continue, according to authorities.
The shooting reportedly followed an argument, resulting in a shootout that involved bystanders. Local police are actively addressing the situation and gathering further details on the incident.
Key facts
- One person has been confirmed dead in the Mall of Louisiana shooting.
- Five individuals have been injured in the incident.
- Several suspects are in custody following the shooting.
- The shooting reportedly resulted from an argument.
Where coverage differs
- NBC News emphasizes the aftermath and details of the incident, while WAFB emphasizes the casualty figures and the identity of the deceased.
- The Advocate foregrounds the perspective of law enforcement regarding the chaos at the scene rather than focusing on the victims, as seen in CNN, which highlights the sequence of events leading to the shooting.
- WAFB prioritizes the community’s reaction and potential impacts on local safety over broader narratives, which NBC News approaches as a national concern.
One story, four angles
NBC News – 1 dead, 5 injured and several in custody in Mall of Louisiana shooting
Publication: NBC News | Primary framing pattern: moral | Tone: urgent | Intensity: 8/10 | Sentiment: negative | Legal precision: high
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Espresso Shot: NBC News highlights the urgent nature of the Louisiana mall shooting, detailing the casualties and police involvement. The report foregrounds the human toll and raises moral questions about safety and gun violence in public spaces.
Publication emphasis: NBC focuses on the immediate impact on victims and the community’s response.
Framing analysis: The human cost of the tragedy is foregrounded, while political and legal aspects are secondary.
Bias: Selection: Names specific victims and immediate responses; Language: Uses emotionally charged terms like “urgent” and “deadly”; Omission: Less emphasis on the contextual factors behind such violence.
Assessment: The outlet prioritizes human tragedy and moral ramifications over legal or political analysis.
WAFB – Teen killed, 5 wounded in Mall of Louisiana shooting
Publication: WAFB | Primary framing pattern: consequence | Tone: serious | Intensity: 7/10 | Sentiment: negative | Legal precision: high
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Espresso Shot: WAFB’s report focuses on the fatal consequences of the shooting, emphasizing a teenager’s death and multiple injuries. This framing highlights the two-fold impact of violence on both individual victims and their communities.
Publication emphasis: WAFB emphasizes the casualties, representing the seriousness of the event.
Framing analysis: Consequences of the shooting are foregrounded, while broader systemic issues are less emphasized.
Bias: Selection: Names victims; Language: Utilizes direct language to underscore the seriousness; Omission: Fewer details about potential motives or larger societal implications.
Assessment: The focus remains on the dramatic consequences for individuals and the community without broader commentary.
The Advocate – 10 confirmed injured in Mall of Louisiana mass shooting, BRPD chief says
Publication: The Advocate | Primary framing pattern: policy | Tone: investigative | Intensity: 6/10 | Sentiment: neutral | Legal precision: high
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Espresso Shot: The Advocate examines the shooting through a policy lens, including statements from law enforcement. The report discusses the broader implications of gun violence and public safety measures in light of this incident.
Publication emphasis: The Advocate emphasizes the law enforcement perspective and its implications for policy.
Framing analysis: Policy implications are foregrounded while the individual tragedies, although noted, are secondary.
Bias: Selection: Focuses on police and policy statements; Language: Analytical and formal; Omission: Less narrative on personal impact on victims and families.
Assessment: This outlet aims for a more analytical view of the shooting, investigating its societal context rather than just focusing on the tragedy.
CNN – Shootout after argument at Louisiana mall leaves 1 dead, 5 injured, including bystanders, police say
Publication: CNN | Primary framing pattern: moral and political | Tone: critical | Intensity: 9/10 | Sentiment: negative | Legal precision: moderate
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Espresso Shot: CNN critically addresses the incident, linking it to broader societal issues like gun control and community safety. The report focuses on moral implications while also questioning the state’s political response to ongoing gun violence.
Publication emphasis: Highlighting societal and political implications of the shooting.
Framing analysis: The moral outrage over violence is foregrounded, with political accountability being a close secondary focus.
Bias: Selection: Features tactical details of the shootout; Language: Employs strong, critical language; Omission: Less focus on victim narratives.
Assessment: CNN expresses alarm over the moral and political failures in the face of recurring gun violence.
Food for thought
NBC News offers the strongest legal framing by detailing specific injuries and custody developments following the Mall of Louisiana shooting, emphasizing the procedural aspects of law enforcement’s response. In contrast, WAFB amplifies the situation’s urgency with more escalatory language, highlighting the killing of a teenager and the implications for community safety. CNN strikes a balance, presenting the event as a chaotic shootout that led to multiple injuries, but does not dwell on legal ramifications as deeply as NBC. Therefore, while NBC focuses on accountability and legal processes, WAFB invokes a heightened sense of fear and societal concern.
US-Israeli War on Iran to Push 30 Million into Poverty, UN Warns
4:39 am
Get you up to speed:
The United Nations has warned that the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran will push more than 30 million people back into poverty. Disruption to fuel and fertiliser supplies through the Strait of Hormuz has already lowered agricultural productivity, impacting crop yields later this year.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) chief, Alexander De Croo, stated that with food insecurity expected to peak in the coming months. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently cautioned that continued disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz could result in a global food “catastrophe.”
The conflict, which has already begun to disrupt agricultural productivity. Additionally, significant countries at risk from these disruptions include India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, and Egypt.
US-Israeli war on Iran will push 30 million back into poverty, UN warns
Disruption to fuel and fertiliser supplies due to the Strait of Hormuz closure will hit crop yields, UNDP chief warns.
The US-Israeli war will push more than 30 million people back into poverty, with the knock-on effects of the conflict likely to increase food insecurity in the coming months, the United Nations has warned.
Disruption to fuel and fertiliser supplies due to the ongoing blocking of cargo vessels through the Strait of Hormuz has already lowered agricultural productivity and will hit crop yields later this year, the UN’s development chief said on Thursday.
“Even if the war would stop tomorrow, those effects, you already have them, and they will be pushing back more than 30 million people into poverty,” said Alexander De Croo, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
He also warned of other fallouts of the United States-Israeli war on Iran, including energy shortages and falling remittances.
Much of the world’s fertiliser is produced in the Middle East, and one-third of global supplies passes through the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran and the US are jostling for control.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) last week warned that a prolonged crisis in the strait could lead to a global food “catastrophe”.
India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, and Egypt are among the countries most at risk, according to the FAO.
“Food insecurity will be at its peak level in a few months – and there is not much that you can do about it,” De Croo said.
Straining humanitarian efforts
The knock-on effects of the Iran conflict have already wiped out 0.5 percent to 0.8 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP), according to De Croo, who noted, “Things that take decades to build up, it takes eight weeks of war to destroy them.”
De Croo, the former prime minister of Belgium, also warned that the Middle East crisis is straining humanitarian efforts in other parts of the world, with the sector already facing funding cuts.
The US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which began on February 28, have also choked up key humanitarian aid routes, delaying life-saving shipments to some of the world’s worst crises.
“We will have to say to certain people, really sorry, but we can’t help you,” De Croo said. “People who would be surviving on help will not have this, and will be pushed into even greater vulnerability.”
Real Madrid Face Real Betis in La Liga Clash to Narrow Barcelona Lead
4:34 am
Get you up to speed:
Real Madrid will face Real Betis on Friday at the Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla in Seville, Spain. Eder Militao and Arda Guler have been ruled out for the rest of the season due to injuries.
Following a string of disappointing results, the club’s coach, acknowledges the need to avoid further points dropped in their pursuit of league leaders Barcelona, who currently hold a nine-point advantage.
Real Madrid will face Real Betis at the Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla on Friday, with kick-off scheduled for 9pm (20:00 GMT).
Real Betis vs Real Madrid: La Liga – teams, start time, lineup
Real Madrid could close gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona to six points on Friday, three weeks shy of a Clasico meeting.
Who: Real Betis vs Real Madrid
What: Spanish La Liga
Where: Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla in Seville, Spain
When: Friday at 9pm (20:00 GMT)
Real Madrid will continue their pursuit of league leaders Barcelona when they travel to Real Betis on Friday, but the record La Liga winners know that any slip-up now will be terminal for their hopes of lifting silverware this season.
Barca play at Getafe on Saturday but only narrowly beat Celta Vigo on Wednesday to respond to Real’s latest win a day earlier.
It has been a turbulent season for Los Blancos on and off the field, but they are still fighting. WTX News Sport takes a closer look at their latest fixture.
How is the La Liga race between Real Madrid and Barcelona looking?
Barcelona are nine points clear of Real after their 1-0 win against Celta Vigo.
The two Spanish giants have been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, where they both stood as favourites.
The quarterfinal exits for both came as a shock and leave all focus now on the La Liga race, which has only six rounds of matches remaining.
What is Real Madrid’s form before the Real Betis match?
Real’s season has lurched from bad to worse. Their run of 13 wins from the first 14 games of the season under new coach Xabi Alonso is a distant memory.
Barcelona have long since held a grip on the La Liga title, which has been strengthened by Los Blancos winning just one of their last three league matches.
Back-to-back La Liga defeats in March at Osasuna and at home to Getafe handed Barca full control of the league although a run of three wins thereafter kept them on the Catalans’ tails.
There is little doubt, though, that no further points can be dropped from this point forward for the Madrid giants.
Including the Champions League defeats by Bayern Munich, Real’s 2-1 win against Alaves on Tuesday was their first win in five matches, a run that saw them lose three games.
Will Real Madrid play Barcelona again in a Clasico this season?
One of the hopes that Real are clinging to in the final six games of the La Liga season is that they do still have to play Barcelona in a Clasico.
The match on May 10 at Barcelona will offer the chance to trim their rivals lead, if only by three points. Three further rounds of La Liga matches will follow that game.
What happened the last time Real Madrid played Real Betis?
Real Madrid stormed to a 5-1 home win in their previous La Liga meeting this season with Gonzalo Garcia netting a hat-trick in the fixture on January 4.
Raul Asencio and Fran Garcia were also on the scoresheet while Cucho Hernandez scored a consolation goal midway through the second half for Betis.
What happened in the corresponding La Liga fixture last season?
Betis came from behind to win 2-1 at home against Real Madrid in this fixture last season.
Brahim Diaz had given Los Blancos the lead, but Johnny Cardoso and Isco, with a penalty against his former club, turned the game.
Head-to-head
This will be the 143rd meeting between the sides with Real winning 78 of the matches while Real Betis have emerged victorious on 32 occasions.
Real Betis team news
Betis have former Manchester United winger Antony back from a one-match suspension.
Junior Firpo misses out with a knock, but Diego Llorente and Angel Ortiz are still in with a chance of featuring despite ankle and muscle problems, respectively.
Real Betis predicted starting lineup
Valles; Bellerin, Bartra, Natan, Rodriguez; Amrabat, Roca; Antony, Fornals, Ezzalzouli; Hernandez
Real Madrid team news
Real’s faint hopes of overhauling Barcelona in La Liga suffered a further blow on Thursday with both Eder Militao and Arda Guler ruled out for the rest of the season.
Brazilian defender Militao has a left thigh injury while Turkish attacking midfielder Guler is sidelined with a right thigh problem, the club said.
For now, neither Militao, 28, nor 21-year-old Guler is considered at risk of missing the World Cup finals.
Real Madrid predicted starting lineup
Lunin; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Bellingham, Tchouameni, Guler; Vinicius, Mbappe
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