FC Barcelona News
Barça opens up gap with Madrid, equals La Liga record
January 31st, 2011Saturday night’s marked Barça’s 15th successive league victory, matching the current La Liga record, when they beat the the only team to have beaten them during the current league season, Hercules.
While the result was a good one, Hercules certainly didn’t let the Catalans walk over them. After Pedro’s goal at the end of the first half, Barcelona remained just one goal up until three minutes before the end of the match, when Hercules were one man down.
Leo Messi made it 2-0 in the 87th minute; and he scored again in the 89th minute to make it 3-0.
The result is that Barcelona are now seven points clear of Real Madrid, after their 1-0 defeat at the hands of Osasuna. Things aren’t looking good in the Madrid camp, with Jose Mourinho strongly suggesting that he won’t be around next season. Given Madrid’s history, I wonder if he’ll last until the end of the season, given that his relationship with the club’s top brass is almost non-existent .
0-1 Pedro (min 43)
0-2 Messi (min 87)
0-3 Messi (min 89)
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
|
1
|
Barcelona |
21
|
19
|
1
|
1
|
67
|
11
|
58
|
|
2
|
Real Madrid |
21
|
16
|
3
|
2
|
48
|
18
|
51
|
|
3
|
Villarreal |
21
|
14
|
3
|
4
|
41
|
21
|
45
|
|
4
|
Valencia |
20
|
12
|
4
|
4
|
33
|
23
|
40
|
|
5
|
Espanyol |
21
|
12
|
1
|
8
|
28
|
27
|
37
|
|
6
|
Athletic Bilbao |
21
|
11
|
2
|
8
|
34
|
31
|
35
|
|
7
|
Atlético Madrid |
21
|
9
|
3
|
9
|
31
|
26
|
30
|
|
8
|
Sevilla |
21
|
9
|
3
|
9
|
33
|
35
|
30
|
|
9
|
Real Sociedad |
21
|
9
|
1
|
11
|
32
|
33
|
28
|
|
10
|
Getafe |
21
|
8
|
3
|
10
|
29
|
34
|
27
|
|
11
|
Mallorca |
21
|
8
|
3
|
10
|
23
|
29
|
27
|
|
12
|
Sporting Gijón |
21
|
5
|
7
|
9
|
22
|
27
|
22
|
|
13
|
Hércules |
21
|
6
|
4
|
11
|
22
|
34
|
22
|
|
14
|
Deportivo |
21
|
5
|
7
|
8
|
18
|
30
|
22
|
|
15
|
Zaragoza |
21
|
5
|
7
|
9
|
20
|
33
|
22
|
|
16
|
Osasuna |
21
|
5
|
6
|
10
|
20
|
28
|
21
|
|
17
|
Racing Santander |
20
|
5
|
5
|
10
|
15
|
29
|
20
|
|
18
|
Levante |
21
|
5
|
3
|
13
|
22
|
34
|
18
|
|
19
|
Almería |
21
|
3
|
8
|
10
|
20
|
36
|
17
|
|
20
|
Málaga |
21
|
5
|
2
|
14
|
28
|
47
|
17
|
Catalonia’s national day leaves nothing to celebrate for Barça
September 13th, 2010Catalonia’s national day is celebrated on September 11th every year to commemorate Barcelona’s defeat during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714. Throughout the region the Catalan red and yellow flag is displayed everywhere and Barcelona in particular is in a party mood.
However, that was shattered on Saturday evening when Hercules faced FC Barcelona in Barça’s first home match of the new season. The La Liga newcomers weren’t going to lie down and hand the game to the Catalans, which was not expected at all.
Even with Villa, Messi and Bojan and the front they struggled to make any impact on the visitor’s defence and when the first goal of the match came, it was scored by Valdez for Hercules. That at least made Barça wake up a bit and redouble their efforts on the Hercules goal. Pique came close to scoring in the 34th minute but the ball failed to find its target.
Pep Guardiola brought on Xavi and Pedro at half time who went for the Hercules goal in the 47th minute, although the ball went over the cross bar. And when Valdez scored his second goal in the 58th minute it was all over for Barça, who looked ragged through desperation and tiredness.
0-1 Valdez (min 26)
0-2 Valdez (min 58)
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
|
1
|
Atlético Madrid |
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
6
|
1
|
6
|
|
2
|
Valencia |
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
1
|
6
|
|
3
|
Sevilla |
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
1
|
4
|
|
4
|
Real Madrid |
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
|
5
|
Villarreal |
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
|
6
|
Getafe |
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
|
7
|
Barcelona |
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
|
8
|
Hércules |
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
|
9
|
Real Sociedad |
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
|
10
|
Málaga |
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
6
|
6
|
3
|
|
11
|
Athletic Bilbao |
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
|
12
|
Espanyol |
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
5
|
3
|
|
13
|
Sporting Gijón |
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
4
|
3
|
|
14
|
Deportivo |
2
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
|
15
|
Almería |
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
16
|
Osasuna |
2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
|
17
|
Zaragoza |
2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
5
|
1
|
|
18
|
Mallorca |
2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
|
19
|
Racing Santander |
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
|
20
|
Levante |
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
8
|
0
|
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