Incomplete data, unknown source-receiver signatures and free-surface reflectivity represent challenges for a successful prediction and subsequent removal of multiples. In this paper, a new method will be represented that tackles these challenges by combining what we know about wavefield (de-)focussing, by weighted convolutions/correlations, and recently developed curvelet-based recovery by sparsity-promoting inversion (CRSI). With this combination, we are able to leverage recent insights from wave physics towards a nonlinear formulation for the multiple-prediction problem that works for incomplete data and without detailed knowledge on the surface effects.