FC Barcelona News
Messi Shines on a Night to Remember at Wembley
May 29th, 2011FC Barcelona has won the Champions League title after defeating Manchester United 3-1, in a game of near total dominance by the Blaugrana side. Lionel Messi and David Villa scored the winning goals, after Pedro’s opener was levelled by a Wayne Rooney strike on the half-hour mark.
After a slow first ten minutes, when Barça needed to find their feet after two and a half weeks of much-needed rest, Guardiola’s men exerted a stranglehold on the game that never loosened; always imaginative and assured in possession, and showing great togetherness and tactical nous to win the ball back early.
After a much-needed rest following the gruelling confrontations with Real Madrid, Barcelona were able to call on a near full-strength team for this, their most important match of the season. Abidal was fit to play at left-back, while Javier Mascherano filled in for Puyol, whose second half of the season has been plagued by niggling injury.
Manchester United started at a blistering tempo, pressing but without troubling the Barça defence. In fact, the first real opportunity fell to the Catalan side and proved to be the warning shot before a barrage of chances; Alves scuttled into space down the right for the first time, and found Pedro free in the area, but the Canarian winger skewed wide.
David Villa went close with an attempt from distance, then drew an important save at close range from Edwin van der Sar. Barcelona were suddenly looking confident, with Xavi, Messi and Iniesta interchanging with growing menace.
Some last-gasp defending by Vidic and Ferdinand only served to delay the inevitable – Pedro drifted into space on the counter-attack and was found by an inch-perfect Xavi pass, before finishing calmly at the near-post.
But the scores were level just minutes later, after Manchester United conjured their first real move of the match; Rooney combined with Giggs on the inside-right before lashing an unstoppable shot into the top left corner. Replays suggested that the veteran Welshman had strayed offside in the build up.
After this setback Guardiola will have been delighted by the way Barça went about their task at the start of the second period.
Yet more pressure culminated in a Messi goal, when the Argentine forward spotted the smallest of gaps between Vidic and Van der Sar from the edge of the area, driving the ball home.
This goal was followed by a spell of uninterrupted possession for the Blaugrana team, and Manchester United were visibly wilting, sapped by 70 minutes of chasing red and blue jerseys. It was David Villa who finally put them out of their misery, curling into the top corner from just outside the area after a Messi run.
All that was left was for Guardiola to lead his charges proudly up the Wembley steps, where Abidal was handed the captain’s armband and given the honour of lifting the Champions League, crowning a triumphant season with a memorable and touching gesture.
1-0 Pedro (min 27)
1-1 Rooney (min 34)
2-1 Messi (min 53)
3-1 Villa (min 69)
La Liga table 2010/11 – final standings
May 23rd, 2011And so that’s it for another year, at least as far as the Spanish league is concerned and I’d like to thank all our customers for supporting us this year.
FC Barcelona face Manchester United next Saturday in the Champions League final at Wembley, but after that – win or lose – Barça’s players will be off for a little R&R time before heading off for a short tour in the United States and then back home in August to play in the Gamper Trophy and the Spanish Supercup (against Real Madrid again!).
Next season’s fixture list will be drawn in July, if you would like us to let you know when tickets are available you can sign up here – until then we’ll keep you up to date with club news. Read the rest of this entry »
Barcelona’s Youngsters End the Season in Style
May 23rd, 2011FC Barcelona added extra gloss to a memorable campaign with an impressive 3-1 victory at Málaga on Saturday evening. Pep Guardiola rested his established stars once again, offering yet another tantalising taste of Barcelona’s future, as Bojan, Afellay and Bartra all got on the scoresheet.
In amongst a handful of Barça B stars were Adriano and Abidal, enjoying vital game-time in the build-up to next Saturday’s big game at Wembley. Málaga, on the other hand, were without their usual strikeforce of Baptista and Rondón, while Argentine defender Demichelis was also missing for Los Boquerones.
The first half was a relatively quiet affair. Barcelona’s young midfield, composed of Andreu Fontàs, Sergi Roberto and Thiago Alcántara, took some time to find its feet before settling after about 20 minutes – Jeffrén got clear, but his effort was well saved by Caballero.
And just as Barcelona had started to assert control, Málaga took a surprise lead; a long, raking pass was cut back from the goal line by Juanmi into the path of Sebastián Fernández, whose shot squirmed beneath Pinto in the Barça goal.
Barcelona’s response was almost immediate. Bojan, captain for the day, showed maturity and guile as he bought a foul from Eliseu in the area, much to the protestations of Málaga’s Portuguese midfielder – and the home fans. Barça’s 20 year-old striker dispatched the penalty calmly to level the match just before the break.
As might be expected for a match of little consequence, the second 45 minutes was played out at a relatively low pace, but Barcelona continued to circulate the ball in a style fitting of the club, and continued to create chances in an unforgiving atmosphere.
Jeffrén almost scored a minute after the restart, skipping down the right flank only to angle his low effort into the side netting at the near post. When Barcelona did take the lead it was nothing short of spectacular.
Sergi Roberto drove the ball over to Ibrahim Afellay, who cut inside the defender onto his right-foot 30 yards from goal and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the bottom-right corner.
Dani Alves, Pedro Rodríguez and Javier Mascherano were all introduced, affording Barcelona a little more experience. And it was the diminutive Brazilian right-back who provided the assist for the third goal. His corner was met by young defender Marc Bartra with a towering leap, guiding a perfect header into the top right corner.
In the closing minutes of the match both sets of fans at La Rosaleda registered their appreciation for veteran goalkeeper Cesc Arnau, who was brought on just before full time to play make the final professional appearance of his career. Arnau came through at the ranks at Barcelona, serving as a backup for a number of years before heading for the Costa del Sol a decade ago.
Barcelona’s gaze now turns to Wembley, where Guardiola’s men can emulate Cruyff’s European Cup-winning Dream Team of 1992.
1-0, Seba (min 31)
1-1, Bojan (pen, min 44)
1-2, Afellay (min 76)
1-3, Bartra (min 84)
La Liga table 2010/11 – round 37
May 16th, 2011With the title already decided, Camp Nou was in a party mood on Sunday night, with Barça’s players celebrating at the end of the match with showers of confetti and throwing red peppers into the crowd.
Confetti Rains at the Camp Nou
May 16th, 2011FC Barcelona lifted the Primera División trophy on Sunday night after a stalemate at home to strugglers Deportivo de La Coruña. Although it was a match of few chances there was no dampening the celebrations at the Camp Nou as Xavi Hernández and Carles Puyol accepted Barcelona’s 21st league title.
Guardiola turned to his fringe players and Barça B stars tonight, affording the household names a well-deserved rest after a tough domestic campaign – and a night or two of heavy partying during the week. Starting in an unfamiliar side were youngsters like Jonathan dos Santos, Marc Bartra, Thiago and Fontàs.
The Champions League final is also now less than two weeks away – so while there’s a need to maintain the health of the squad, Barcelona will also be aware of the need to keep momentum with their biggest match of the season still to come.
Deportivo are also a team embroiled in a relegation scrap, and had no intention of surrendering three vital points. This was to be no exhibition match for Guardiola’s second-string team.
The starting lineup was unusual, but the style and formation were very familiar, with the home team controlling possession and interchanging with all the fluency you’d expect from a Barcelona XI.
Afellay in particular caught the eye, playing in Messi’s central role and embarking on a number of fleet-footed runs. Jeffren also showed glimpses of his considerable dribbling skill, shuffling past two Deportivo defenders only to poke his shot into the side netting.
But for all their attacking verve the final pass and finish were lacking in the first period.
At the other end Deportivo, known for their pragmatism in recent years, created one opportunity early on, as Víctor Valdés produced an acrobatic save to stop a Lassad effort after juts two minutes.
It was to be the Galician side’s best chance of the half, as they set about containing their opponents, with the centre-half Aythami deployed as a temporary defensive midfielder.
The second half also saw few opportunities at either end. Deportivo grew increasingly anxious as news of the evening’s scorelines filtered through. A defeat would take now their Primera División destiny out of their hands. Lotina’s response was to bolster his side’s defence, withdrawing Lassad for the rugged Gaurdado.
Meanwhile Pep Guardiola introduced Maxwell and Dani Alves to add some attacking impetus on the flanks. The change almost reaped immediate reward when Bojan came within inches of a drilled Alves cross after a darting run by the Brazilian. Bojan’s persistence forced another chance a few minutes later, as he scrambled through the Deportivo backline only to see his finish deflected wide.
Despite Barcelona’s dominance, the best chance of the match fell at the feet of Depor striker Xisco in injury time, but Víctor Valdés was equal to the effort and notched yet another clean sheet in an immaculate campaign.
Despite not scoring, Barcelona’s fringe players can take great pride in dominating a top-flight match against experienced opposition.
Barcelona Are Champions!
May 12th, 2011FC Barcelona have won their 21st Primera División title after earning a 1-1 draw away at Levante on Wednesday night. It’s the third successive year that Guardiola’s side has finished top of the league. And there is now a growing consensus throughout the football world that this Barça team is one of the greatest ever to play the game.
The point was convenient for both sides, with Levante now close to securing their La Liga status for another season. And although the first half was relatively competitive the last 20 minutes of the game saw both teams more than happy to settle for a draw.
The final whistle was greeted with rapturous celebrations, as the entire Barça squad ran onto the pitch to revel in the moment and cap a season of near-total superiority, but one that was also full of drama. In truth, the title is testament to the sheer guts of a side that has negotiated an injury crisis in defence for much of the season. Despite losing a host of players at the back, this remarkable team has only lost two league matches this season, all the while playing with their trademark attacking flair.
Although there was an element of rotation tonight, Barcelona started with David Villa, Messi and Xavi, demonstrating a desire to get the title wrapped up as early as possible with the Champions League final looming large on the horizon.
Levante’s manager Luís García had made it clear before the match that he had no intention of attacking his visitors, and instead anticipated his team’s best opportunities coming from set pieces. So it was little surprise to see the Granotes getting men behind the ball and defending stubbornly. Captain and human monolith Sergio Ballesteros was doing a fine job marshalling his teammates and keeping defensive discipline.
Barcelona’s answer to these tactics was to move the ball patiently and wait for an opening to present itself rather than forcing the issue. As has often been the case this season, Barça eventually found a way through on the half-hour mark.
It was a goal that underlined the unique qualities of Guardiola’s Barça; Xavi spotted Seydou Keita making a run from a deep inside-left position and found the Malian midfielder with a perfect lofted forward pass. Keita barely had to break stride as he headed the ball into the top-left corner from just inside the area.
In response Levante made a concerted effort to put Barça’s defenders under pressure. Their equaliser came after Ecuadorian striker Caicedo took advantage of a mix up between Gerard Piqué and goalkeeper Víctor Valdés.
Lionel Messi came to fore in the second half, lighting up the pitch two outrageous dribbles, only to be denied firstly by the post, and then by the despairing lunge of a Levante defender.
For the final minutes of the match the Barcelona subs were all standing arm in arm, ready for the final whistle, and with it confirmation of another season of domestic domination.
La Liga table 2010/11 – round 35
May 9th, 2011With just nine points available and Barça eight points ahead of Real Madrid this season is all but decided after both teams won their respective matches. Barcelona faces Levante on Wednesday and that is almost certain to be the deciding match.
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
|
1
|
Barcelona |
35
|
29
|
4
|
2
|
91
|
19
|
91
|
|
2
|
Real Madrid |
35
|
26
|
5
|
4
|
87
|
31
|
83
|
|
3
|
Valencia |
35
|
20
|
6
|
9
|
60
|
42
|
66
|
|
4
|
Villarreal |
35
|
18
|
7
|
10
|
53
|
40
|
61
|
|
5
|
Athletic Bilbao |
35
|
17
|
3
|
15
|
55
|
51
|
54
|
|
6
|
Sevilla |
35
|
15
|
7
|
13
|
54
|
55
|
52
|
|
7
|
Atlético Madrid |
35
|
15
|
7
|
13
|
55
|
47
|
52
|
|
8
|
Espanyol |
35
|
15
|
3
|
17
|
42
|
49
|
48
|
|
9
|
Sporting Gijón |
35
|
10
|
13
|
12
|
33
|
39
|
43
|
|
10
|
Levante |
35
|
12
|
7
|
16
|
38
|
49
|
43
|
|
11
|
Mallorca |
35
|
12
|
7
|
16
|
35
|
47
|
43
|
|
12
|
Racing Santander |
35
|
11
|
10
|
14
|
37
|
51
|
43
|
|
13
|
Málaga |
35
|
12
|
6
|
17
|
50
|
64
|
42
|
|
14
|
Osasuna |
35
|
11
|
8
|
16
|
41
|
42
|
41
|
|
15
|
Real Sociedad |
35
|
13
|
2
|
20
|
45
|
61
|
41
|
|
16
|
Getafe |
35
|
11
|
7
|
17
|
46
|
56
|
40
|
|
17
|
Zaragoza |
35
|
10
|
9
|
16
|
36
|
50
|
39
|
|
18
|
Deportivo |
35
|
9
|
12
|
13
|
29
|
44
|
39
|
|
19
|
Hércules |
35
|
9
|
6
|
20
|
33
|
56
|
33
|
|
20
|
Almería |
35
|
5
|
11
|
19
|
32
|
61
|
26
|
Barcelona Amble Past Espanyol
May 9th, 2011FC Barcelona registered a simple win against Espanyol in the Barcelona derby tonight, easing to a 2-0 victory against their local rivals. It was a professional but low-key victory – the perfect antidote to the acrimony that engulfed the recent series of Clásicos.
After an uneventful start, Iniesta opened the scoring in the first half with a stylish run and finish, while Gerard Piqué made it 2-0 with a straightforward headed finish from a Xavi corner. Barça now just need one point from their remaining three games to secure a 21st Primera División title.
Starting with his best front six, Guardiola was able to call on a strong team against a side that has offered stiff resistance in recent seasons. At the back Fontàs filled in for Abidal and Adriano, while Mascherano’s impressive recent displays at centre half were rewarded with another start.
The opening half hour of the match was tight, with Espanyol quick to get players behind the ball and close off space. On their rare attacks they appeared to be targeting Fontàs at left back, but a few brief forays yielded little more than a dangerous set piece.
Osvaldo, els Banquiblaus’ most impressive player this season, was cutting an increasingly forlorn figure as the home side started to find their rhythm.
Iniesta made a statement of intent as he turned and ran at the Espanyol defence before finding room to curl a shot inside the far post. Kameni, the Cameroonian ‘keeper, was equal to the attempt on that occasion, but Barça’s stylish playmaker would find the net from a similar position a few minutes later.
This time Iniesta played a fortuitous one-two with Espanyol’s Galán, before cutting inside Amat at centre half and giving Kameni no chance. Barcelona were now in full flow, crafting a handful of chances via sublime one-touch combinations; Messi found David Villa after some delightful staccato passing, but the Asturian striker was unable to produce a finish worth of the move, guiding a close-range effort past the left post.
Barcelona had been forced to work hard for their first-half opportunities, but were handed their second goal on a platter at just after the break. Piqué was able to meet a Xavi corner unopposed and nod down to double his side’s lead.
This goal effectively killed the contest, and, after an exhausting month, Barça could be excused a couple of lapses of concentration. The slippery Osvaldo twice got the better of Piqué with the score at 2-0, but Víctor Valdés showed quick reactions on both occasions to preserve his side’s clean sheet.
Éric Abidal was then given the opportunity to continue his remarkable rehabilitation, replacing Fontàs on the 70-minute mark. With Adriano still absent the French defender will offer a much-needed option at left back, as Barcelona can now turn their attention to the final of the Champions League in Wembley at the end of the month.
1-0, Iniesta (min 29)
2-0, Piqué (min 47)
Barcelona March on to Wembley
May 4th, 2011FC Barcelona are through to the final of the Champions League after gaining a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid with an assured second leg performance at the Camp Nou. Despite fielding a more attacking lineup than in previous Clásicos, Real Madrid were never able to put sustained pressure on what remains a relatively makeshift Barça defence.
After dominating the first half, it was the home side that took the lead when Pedro tucked the ball past Casillas to cap a fantastic team move. With the tie effectively sealed, Barcelona could afford a little carelessness, giving the ball away at the back, with Marcelo tapping home from an Ángel di María cutback.
The build up to this decisive second leg had been tempestuous in all senses of the word. After a week of blustery claim and counter-claim in the press, a real life thunderstorm broke out in the Barcelona skies, leaving plenty of surface water on the Camp Nou pitch.
Any fears that the conditions would hamper Barcelona’s passing game were quickly dispelled though, when a first-choice attacking six started zipping the ball around with characteristic style.
The visitors reduced to spectators once again. Madrid’s main contribution in the early exchanges was to ride their luck thanks to a series of rugged challenges by Ricardo Carvalho and Lassana Diarra.
When Lionel Messi drew a full-stretch save from Casillas on the 30-minute mark, Barça scented blood and created a flurry of opportunities; Villa, Pedro and Messi again all went close, with only some spectacular acrobatics by the Spain ‘keeper preventing Barcelona from extending their lead.
Perhaps revelling in the fortune of surviving this onslaught, there was renewed endeavour from the visitors after the break. Cristiano Ronaldo had his first opportunity to run at the Barcelona defence – when the Portuguese forward forced a challenge from Piqué, the ball broke for Gonzalo Higuain who curled the ball past Valdés.
Fortunately for Barcelona, referee Franck de Bleeckere had already blown up for a foul on Mascherano. Cristiano Ronaldo had rolled past Piqué onto the Argentine defender’s heels, preventing him from putting a challenge in on Higuain.
Barcelona responded almost instantly with a wonderful goal; the move started back with Víctor Valdés and culminated in a pinpoint pass by Iniesta through to Pedro Rodríguez. The winger showed no hesitation as he slotted into the bottom right corner to spark rapturous celebrations.
Now reassured by their massive advantage, Barça opted to slow the pace. But a moment of rare sloppiness at the back allowed di María to get in on goal. The Madrid winger smashed the ball off the post before directing the rebound to Marcelo who made no mistake. It was careless play by Barcelona, but would prove to be little more than a minor bump in the road.
There was still time for a heartwarming moment – Eric Abidal’s late entrance was greeted by huge cheers, as the French defender made his first appearance since recovering from a serious health scare.
1-0 Pedro (min 53)
1-1 Marcelo (min 68)
La Liga table 2010/11 – round 34
May 2nd, 2011Barcelona retain their eight point lead over Real Madrid after both teams lost at the weekend. After last week’s Champions League clash tensions are running high, with the the return match taking place at the Nou Camp on Tuesday and Jose Mourinho apparently conceding defeat in his post match press conference rant.
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
|
1
|
Barcelona | 34 | 28 | 4 | 2 | 89 | 19 | 88 |
|
2
|
Real Madrid | 34 | 25 | 5 | 4 | 81 | 29 | 80 |
|
3
|
Valencia | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 57 | 42 | 63 |
|
4
|
Villarreal | 34 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 53 | 40 | 60 |
|
5
|
Sevilla | 34 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 52 | 49 | 52 |
|
6
|
Atlético Madrid | 34 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 55 | 44 | 52 |
|
7
|
Athletic Bilbao | 33 | 16 | 3 | 14 | 51 | 47 | 51 |
|
8
|
Espanyol | 33 | 14 | 3 | 16 | 40 | 46 | 45 |
|
9
|
Levante | 34 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 36 | 46 | 43 |
|
10
|
Sporting Gijón | 34 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 31 | 37 | 42 |
|
11
|
Mallorca | 34 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 35 | 47 | 42 |
|
12
|
Real Sociedad | 34 | 13 | 2 | 19 | 45 | 58 | 41 |
|
13
|
Racing Santander | 34 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 34 | 49 | 40 |
|
14
|
Málaga | 34 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 47 | 64 | 39 |
|
15
|
Zaragoza | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 35 | 47 | 39 |
|
16
|
Osasuna | 34 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 38 | 41 | 38 |
|
17
|
Deportivo | 34 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 27 | 42 | 38 |
|
18
|
Getafe | 34 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 44 | 56 | 37 |
|
19
|
Hércules | 34 | 9 | 6 | 19 | 31 | 53 | 33 |
|
20
|
Almería | 34 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 32 | 59 | 26 |
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