Wazzup with FC BARCELONA?!! (News)

[Classik]

Chelsea - FC Barcelona: Tuesday set for fightback (1-0)


04/18/2012 22:55
A goal from Drogba on the stroke of half time sentenced Barça to defeat in a game where theywere the the better team and leaves them needing to pull back from 1-0 in next week’s second leg at the Camp Nou

Messi, a Stamford Bridge / FOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB
Nobody ever said it would be easy to get to the Munich final. Barça went down to a single goal at Stamford Bridge, despite hitting the post twice and restricting the hosts to a single shot ontarget – Drogba’s goal on the stroke of half time. Guardiola’s team dictated the pace and the rhythm of the game, dominating possession and creating plenty of chances, but the packed Chelsea defence, the posts and an inspired Cech somehow kept them out.
The result means Barça will have to come from behind at the Camp Nou next Tuesday night if they want to reach the Munich final and it shouldbe a perfect night to put right the injustice of a result that this evening in London failed to reflect their superiority.
No prize despite domination
Barça took control from the kick off and soon had Chelsea pinned back in their own half, with the Londoners defending with four at the back, aline of five across the middle and only Drogba upfront. On 10 minutes, Alexis set the tone of the night, when after a great pass from Iniesta, his clever chip came back off the bar with Cech well beaten.
Drogba makes his mark
It was one way traffic for most of the first half, as Barça patiently probed the Chelsea ramparts, keeping hold of possession and looking to pounce on any opportunity. The chances were coming, with Cesc missing a couple of great opportunities with his left peg. Chelsea were always looking to attack on the break though and in injury time they got their reward as Ramires broke down the left and crossed for Drogba who bundled the ball past Valdes. It was a cruel blow for Barça who had been by far the better team throughout the first 45 minutes.
Goals just wouldn’t come
Little changed after the break, as Barça laid siege to the hosts’ area, whilst Chelsea were prepared to sit back and defend en masse. Alexiscame close and Puyol forced a brilliant save fromCech, before in injury time Pedro hit the post andBusquets smashed the rebound high over the Chelsea bar and into the celebrating home fans in the stand. Tuesday will be another game and Barça must hope that their luck will surely turn.

FCB,

Roger Bogunyà

 

[Classik]

Guardiola: "This is a great challenge, one worthy of a Champions League semi-finalâ€


04/18/2012 23:57
The manager is hopeful that his team will be able to create the same amount of goalscoring chances next week at the Camp Nou
Guardiola is convinced that the Camp Nou faithful won’t abandon their team and that his players are up to the task of overturning today’s adverse result. “I know that they will give it their all to get to the final,†he said
The manager believes that, given the level of play his team have played at for so long, “getting to this point in the season is a success.†He added: “We’ve already won this yearâ€

“Chelsea are favourites"
Josep Guardiola said that today, because of Drogba’s goal, that Chelsea are favourites to go through to the Champions League final: “Chelseaare favourites at the moment, but we have 90 minutes at home to try to do the best job possible, and hopefully, make it to the final.â€
“It doesn’t matter how the players feel right now. I know that they will give it their all to get to the final"
Josep Guardiola is convinced that if his team are to make it to the Champions League final in Munich, Barça will have to play a perfect game at the Camp Nou next Tuesday . The manager views the upcoming match as “a great challenge, one worthy of a Champions League semi-final.†Guardiola said that he’s proud of the performance his players put in at Stamford Bridge and that his team went into the match “toplay the best way possible, where they never lost the desire to score.†Whatever happens fromnow on out, the manager said that his team “have already won this year†after playing at such a high level for so long. “Getting to this point is a success within itself,†he said.
Guardiola went on to say that he's convinced that Barça fans won’t forsake their team next week. He also warned that his players are up to the task of fighting back in the tie: “it doesn’t matter how the players feel right now. I know that they will give it their all to get to the final and that the people will come and support us on Saturday and Tuesday. We’ll try to succeed.â€
“Chelsea will come and wait for their momentâ€
When asked what type of game he expects from the English side in the return leg, Guardiola said, “I don’t think Chelsea will come out to attack or pressure us high up the pitch, I do anticipate 10 players in the area waiting to counterattack. They’ll probably bide their time and wait for their moment. We cannot forget that Chelsea, with very little, create a lot of danger, and they do it very well . We’ll have to find the way to score goals.â€
Waiting for the ball to go in
Ahead of the match at the Camp Nou, Guardiola highlighted the importance of scoring, something that didn’t happen this Wednesday despite Barça’s 24 attempts. “We’ll try to find alternatives to complete a comeback. It won’t beeasy, especially with 10 players in the area. We’ll need inspiration and patience to find the way to turn this around ,†he said. He added: “thechallenge is to shoot 24 times next Tuesday and score a goal. We ned to be patient and ambitiou s. I don’t know if there are many other teams that have shot 24 times away from home.â€

FCB,

VANESSA FORNS

 

[Classik]

Iniesta: “We'll try to be more effective at the Camp Nouâ€


04/19/2012 00:27
The midfielder believes that the result against Chelsea is “unjust†but he’s confident that the team “can overturn the scoreline†in the return leg at the Camp Nou
Pedro: “We had a lot of goal scoring chances, we’re pleased with how we played but not with the resultâ€

Training session at the Camp Nou
After the match Puyol and Xavi were selected for an anti-doping test. The team will spend the night in London and head back to Barcelona on Thursday at 10:00. Upon arrival, the team will godirectly to the Camp Nou where they will train at13:45. There will be no post-training session press conference.
Barça came away with a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge . Despite the numerous amount of goal scoring chances the team created, Barça were not able to score. “The result is unjust but we knew that Chelsea are a team that take advantage of their opportunities. We were off target in front of goal but we still have the return leg at home,†said Andrés Iniesta .
The hopes of many Barça fans for a last-minute goal, like in the match three years ago, faded away when the referee blew the final whistle. However, the players are upbeat despite not getting the all-valuable away goal. Iniesta said, “we have the feeling that we created a lot of clear chances, the only thing we were lacking was the final touch. Sometimes this happens. We’ll try to be more effective in the return leg, we have confidence in our ability to overturn today’s scoreline. We have an adverse result andwe have to work harder seeing that we're capable of doing it. It’s not an issue of luck.â€
Barça fans, key in the retun leg
Chelsea’s defensive strategy will probably be employed in next week’s match at the Camp Nou. Iniesta believes the match “will be similar to this one†because they “will be waiting at the back but I believe that we’ll be more aggressive with our fans behind us.
“We hope that in Barcelona things will be different and the support from our fans will be an added plus. Our fans will be there like they always have been. Even more so now. It’ll be 90 intense minutes and we need their help to get tothe final .â€
Focus on El Clásico
Despite the defeat, Barça need to look forward and focus on their next match, El Clásico , which will be played this Saturday. According to Iniesta, this Wednesday’s result in the Champions League “will not influence†the all-important La Liga showdown with Real Madrid. The midfielder believes that the team “is prepared†despite the fact that there are “two very important matches in very little time†and that Barça’s objective will be “to prologue the team’s title chances in the Liga.â€
Here are some of the statements made by FC Barcelona players after today’s match:
Pedro
“The team isn’t happy but we have confidence that we can fight back.
“A goal would have helped us in this important match. We can only focus on Madrid now. It’s always difficult to score when the opposing team defend so well. We had a lot of chances, we’re pleased with the game we had but not with the result.
“Next Tuesday’s match will probably be similar to this one but we’ll do everything we can to winit.
“Chelsea’s goal, with the few chances they had, is something that happens in football and it leaves you a little deflated. However, we’re optimistic that we can fight back.
“We know that we have to play two of the most crucial matches of the season this week.â€
Víctor Valdés
“We still have 90 minutes to prove that we deserve to be in the final! Take heart, we still have a lot of time to finish off this crucial week! Força Barça.
“In the return leg, we’ll create goal scoring chances and we’ll work just as hard as we did today. We created a lot of chances against a team that closed themselves off very well at the back and that needs to be valued. We have to tryand win the return leg at all cost.
“We have to focus on this Satruday’s match.â€
Thiago Alcántara
“We’re going to prove that we deserve to be in the final! We still have 90 minutes left to play and [we’ll have] 90 thousand Azulgranas at the Camp Nou.â€
Carles Puyol
“We’ll have to fight back at the Camp Nou after today’s defeat. I think we deserved to win this game. We need your help [fans] to get to the final in Munich.
Mascherano
“Unfortunately, this happens a lot in football. You deserve a lot more than what you leave with. But the result is what it is and we know that we have 90 minutes and it’s in our hans.
“We completely dominated the match. They didn’t create a lot of goal scoring chances save one or two from a throw in or a corner but we lost despite the chances we had.
“We have to win knowing that we cannot concede a goal.â€

FCB,

ITZIAR BRAVO

 

[Classik]

PENYES
Barça fans take Trafalgar Square
www.fcbarcelona.cat 04/19/2012 10:13
FC Barcelona fans that made the trip to London for tonight’s match made their way to the emblematic square
FC Barcelona was officially represented by the Chief of the Social Commission, Pau Vilanova, and Josep Maria Barnils, director of the Social Commission and manager of foreign supporters’ clubs

Pau Vilanova and Josep M. Barnils at Trafalgar Sq. Photo: Miguel Ruiz - FCB
Barça takes London once again as the team prepares to face Chelsea in a bid to reach their second consecutive Champions League final. As usual, when Guardiola’s men play in London, the Penya Blaugrana London of Great Britain organised a gathering at Trafalgar Square.
Photo and countdown to the Olympic Games
At 14:00, the historic square started to receive the mass of Barça supporters. The Blaugrana fans, with the intention of making their presence felt before the match at Stamford Bridge, represented Supporters’ Clubs from London, Lleida, Valencia and Campdevànol, among others. All of them, most of whom were wearing the Barça home kit, attended the gathering with signs of support for FC Barcelona.
FC Barcelona was officially represented by the Chief of the Social Commission, Pau Vilanova, and Josep Maria Barnils, director of the Social Commission and manager of foreign supporters’ clubs. The supporters and the FC Barcelona representatives posed for pictures under the giant 2012 London Olympic Games countdown clock. The Olympics are 100 days away.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Chelsea - Barça: the Stamford Bridge matchin numbers
www.fcbarcelona.cat 04/19/2012 10:27
Barça’s Champions League semi final first leg defeat to Chelsea produced several curious items of trivia, and the following is a selection ofsome of the best

Alexis / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB
- Barça had 74% possession of the ball and shot 24 times, five times on target. Chelsea’s remaining 26% of the possession led to a paltry four goal attempts, and the only one that hit the target was Drogba’s goal.
- Barça made almost more than three times as many passes as Chelsea, a massive 803 compared to just 250 for the Londoners.
- Xavi’s 128 passes were exactly four times more than the 32 made by Chelsea’s leader in that respect, Obi Mikel.
- Wednesday night produced Barça’s first Champion League loss since February 16, 2011, which came in the same city but against Arsenal,2-1.
- Guardiola’s side have therefore failed in their attempt to equal the club record of 17 games without defeat achieved in the late fifties (1957-60).
- Barça’s unbeaten streak in official matches stretched right back to February 11, 2012, when they lost to Osasuna – fifteen games ago.
- Wednesday was the twelfth anniversary of the day when Barça managed to recover from a 3-1 first leg defeat to Chelsea in a Champions League quarter final. They did so in style, with an emphatic 5-1 win at the Camp Nou.
- Puyol and Mascherano, the only FCB players who started the night one booking short of suspension, both avoided yellow cards and can therefore play in the return match at the Camp Nou. There was similar fortune for Chelsea, whose Ivanovic, David Luiz, Meireles and Cole also managed to avoid an enforced absence from the second leg.
- Messi once against failed to find the net against Chelsea. The Argentinian has now played The Blues seven times, but has yet to score a single goal against them.

FCB

 

[Classik]

British media hail Chelsea win but warn of Camp Nou payback


04/19/2012 12:07
The British media reacted cautiously to Chelsea’swin on Wednesday night, praising the effectiveness of Di Matteo’s conservative tactics, but warning that his team will need another big slice of luck next Tuesday at the Camp Nou

Drogba and Busquests / FOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB
In his tactical analysis in The Guardian, David Pleat noted: “Di Matteo planned a strategy that worked – compact, disciplined and compressing the defensive space, semi parking the bus in a fashion that was reminiscent of the Special One, the club's former managerâ€, concluding: “Chelsea had their share of luck but, led by the centre backs, Terry and Cahill, and with Cech top-class behind them, they deserved their survival. Pep Guardiola's side waited and waitedand waited but finally ran out of timeâ€.
Drogba: “maddening and magicalâ€
Also in the Guardian, Richard Williams pointed toDidier Drogba as the main man for Chelsea, claiming: “the Ivorian striker can be as maddening as he is magical – and Barcelona experienced both those qualitiesâ€, whilst his colleague Dominic Fifield reckons: “ the "perfect game" Di Matteo had craved was essentially rather ugly but always prone to be effectiveâ€. In The Daily Telegraph Jason Burt admitted: “even the most diehard of Chelsea fan would have accepted it was a scoreline of outrageous fortuneâ€.
Chelsea “need to do it all again on Tuesdayâ€
In the same paper, Paul Hayward writes: “Pep Guardiola’s alchemists can flick away most obstacles but Chelsea have a knack of not budging. The world’s best team had 24 attempts on goal to Chelsea’s four but still go back to Catalonia trailing in this tie. Not often do we get to view them as mortals who can be tactically undone. The chances are we will not see a repeat of it when the clubs reconvene at the NouCamp on Tuesdayâ€. Phil McNulty on the BBC Website also looked to next week’s return game, claiming: “Chelsea will have to produce all they did at Stamford Bridge and more besides– but at least they travel to Catalonia with a precious lead to protect, presumably in the samemanner they did on Wednesday. Chelsea now need to do it all again on Tuesday – but suddenlythe weight of pressure has switched to Barcelonaâ€.
“More space for Messi at the Camp Nouâ€
Maybe the underlying message in the media though, was that Barça’s superior football could be withstood in a one off game, but over two legs it could be another story. Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson made the point on the BBC site that: “It was a great result for Chelsea on Wednesday night, but we have to be totally and brutally honest about it. In the first 20 minutes Chelsea had an awful lot of luck and then, late on, Barcelona hit the post . I still make Barcelonafavourites to progress to the Champions League final. Next Tuesday in Spain I think Barcelona will create a whole host of chances. Even on a bad day they create chances! There will be more space for Lionel Messi on Barcelona's big pitch at the Nu Camp, which in terms of the tie could be absolutely crucialâ€.

FCB,

Nick Bedson

 

[Classik]

The Barça Toons, ready for the Clásico
www.fcbarcelona.cat 04/19/2012 12:17
The Barça Toons are ready for Saturday's Clásico at the Camp Nou. Puyol, Xavi, Piqué, Cesc, Valdés, Messi, Macherano, Alexis, Keita and company play an exciting game of chess

Els Barça Toons, preparats per al Clàssic
Els Barça Toons, preparats per al Clàssic

FCB

 

[Classik]

"Som i Serem" - “We are and we will beâ€, the clásico mosaic
www.fcbarcelona.cat 04/19/2012 12:25
The Camp Nou is preparing a spectacular mosaic consisting of 90,000 cards

Behind each of the goals, yellow and red cards will produce two enormous Catalan flags
‘Som i serem’ (‘We are and we will beâ€) is the slogan that will appear in the mosaic being prepared for Saturday night’s crunch encounter between Barça and Madrid, a match that will be watched by an expected 400 million people around the world. The mosaic, consisting of 90,000 coloured cards , will stretch right around the stadium and will be unveiled just as the teams are emerging out of the tunnel. The words ‘Som i serem’ will fill both the touchline sections of the stadium, against a background of the Barça colours. Behind each of the goals, yellow and red cards will produce two enormousCatalan flags.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Reasons to be optimistic


04/19/2012 12:57
Chelsea’s 1-0 win would be cancelled out by four of the five home results this season
In 2002, Panathinaikos suffered exactly the same fate that Barça will need to repeat on Tuesday
Chelsea have already lost one Champions League semi final after winning the first leg 1-0

PHOTO: ARCHIVE FCB
The 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge was a cruel blow for FC Barcelona , but the tie is anything butover. History offers plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Four out of five of Barcelona’s results in European matches this season would be enough to ensure passage into the Munich final . The Catalans overcame Viktoria Pilsen ( 2-0 ), BATE Borisov ( 4-0 ), Bayer Leverkusen ( 7-1 ) and AC Milan ( 3-1 ) by scorelines that would all send the Londoners out of the competition, and only the 2-2 draw with AC Milan would see Barcelonaeliminated.
Single Champions League precedent
Although 1-0 is by no means an unusual score, this is only the second time in Champions League history that FC Barcelona have been faced with the task of turning around a 1-0 first leg defeat at the Camp Nou . The other occasion was in the quarter finals way back in 2001/02, when Panathinaikos scored the only goal of the first leg in Greece. Managed at the time by Carles Rexach , Barça won 3-1 at the Camp Nou thanks to goals from Luis Enrique (2) and Saviola . And that was even despite Panathinaikos scoring thefirst goal of the night, which meant Barça needed to score three. Which they did.
It is also impossible to forget the dramatic comeback against Chelsea in the 1999/00 season, after Barça had lost the first leg 3-1 at Stamford Bridge . They eventually qualified thanks to a 5-1 win after extra time at the Camp Nou.
Bad memories for Chelsea
There are also reasons for the Premiership club to feel pessimistic about their chances. In the semi final of this competition in 2006/07, Chelsea got off to a 1-0 start against Liverpool , but then lost by the same score at Anfield . It all came down to a penalty shootout, and it was Liverpool that ultimately won a ticket to the final.

FCB,

Roger Bogunyà

 

[Classik]

Return journey and recovery session
WWW.FCBARCELONA.CAT 04/19/2012 13:16
After flying back from London, the squad was transferred directly to the Camp Nou for a recovery session

Following Wednesday night’s game at Stamford Bridge ( 1-0 ), the Barça squad stayed the night in London and flew back to Barcelona on Thursday morning. Their flight left the British capital at 10.00 local time and just over two hours later, at 13.15, the players arrived back at El Prat Airport.
22 man training
They were taken directly from the airport to the Camp Nou for a training session in which the players that started the match at Stamford Bridge worked out at a different rate to the others as part of the typical post-match recovery routine.
There is no time for relaxation. The players needto immediately put events in the Champions League behind them and turns their minds to Saturday’s high profile clásico against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou. After today’s session, all of the players enjoyed lunch together, and will be due back for another training session on Friday evening at 18.00, once again at the Camp Nou .

FCB

 

[Classik]

Historical trivia on Barça v Madrid matches
www.fcbarcelona.cat 04/19/2012 16:36
A look back at some of the trivia associated to the 81 league games between Barça and Real Madrid in the Catalan capital

Clàssic 1993/94
There is a wealth of history behind past encounters between Barça and Real Madrid in the league. Here we look at some interesting facts associated to league games played between the two sides when FCB have had the home advantage:
HIGHEST WINS | Barça’s best results have been one 7-2 win (1950/51) and four 5-0 wins (1934/35, 1944/45, 1993/94 and 2010/11). Their worst result was a 5-1 defeat in the 1962/63 season.
HIGHEST AGGREGATE SCORE | The game that produced the most goals was a 5-5 draw in 1942/43
BEST STREAK | Barça did not lose a single league match against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou from1984/85 to 2002/03. In that time they won 15 games and drew five, scoring 41 goals and conceding just 12.
PLAYER WITH MOST HOME CLÃSICO APPEARANCES| The Barça player to have appeared in the most clásicos at the Camp Nou is Migueli with 13 (9 wins, one draw and three defeats) between 1973 and 1989.
HIGHEST GOALSCORER | The top Barça goalscorer was César (1942-55), who scored 12 goals in 12 matches at Les Corts.
HIGHEST GOALSCORER IN SINGLE MATCH | The Barça striker to have scored the most goals in home league matches against Real Madrid was Ventolrà, who hit the target four times when Barça trounced their visitors 5-0 on April 21, 1935. Just over two decades later, Eulogio Martínez equalled that record, but in a cup tie, when Barça beat Real Madrid 6-1 on May 19, 1957.
MOST COMMON RESULT | The most common result in league matches has been 1-0, which has been the score nine times, while eight encounters have ended with Barcelona winning 2-1.
99 GOALS AT CAMP NOU | In league matches played at the Camp Nou (since 1957/58), Barça have scored 99 goals against Real Madrid.

FCB

 

[Classik]

The return and training session in Camp Nou
04/19/2012 14:10

PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB

FCB

 

[Classik]

Champion reactions


04/19/2012 18:10
The team bounced back with eight and nine wins, respectively, after losing to Getafe and Osasuna

PHOTO: ARCHIVE FCB
FC Barcelona’s defeat at Stamford Bridge ( 1-0 ) was only their third of the season, and the first inthe Champions league . When they lost to Getafe( 1-0 ) and Osasuna ( 3-2 ), they responded as only a true champion should, with eight and ninewins respectively.
From Getafe to the world crown
Barcelona were unbeaten this season until November 26, 2011, when they lost away to Getafe (1-0). They then went on to win every game until they were held to a draw at Espanyol ( 1-1 ). In the meantime, they had won games against Rayo ( 4-0 ), Levante ( 5-0 ), BATE Borisov ( 5-0 ), Real Madrid ( 1-3 ), Al Sadd ( 0-4 ), Santos ( 0-4 ), l’Hospitalet ( 9-0 ) and Osasuna ( 4-0 ).
Pamplona the turning point
On February 11, 2012 they lost for the second time this season, and once again responded in impeccable fashion, this time with an even better run of nine consecutive wins against Bayer Leverkusen ( 1-3 ), Valencia ( 5-1 ), Atlético Madrid ( 1-2 ), Sporting Gijon ( 3-1 ), Bayer Leverkusen again ( 7-1 ), Racing Santander ( 0-2 ), Sevilla ( 0-2 ), Granada ( 5-3 ) and Mallorca ( 0-2 ). On Wednesday, FCB lost for the only the third time this season, to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge . Will they be able to respond in similarly emphatic fashion?

FCB,

Roger Bogunyà

 

[God's_gift]

few games to go for RM the top of La Liga...

 

[Classik]

Tenim un nom el sap tothom: Barça Barça Baarça

 

[God's_gift]

Tenim un nom el sap tothom: Barça Barça Baarça

Blue and scarlet with the wind.....

 

[Classik]

Blue and scarlet with the wind.....

Blaugrana al vent

 

[Classik]

Long tradition of debutant goalscorers in the clásico
www.fcbarcelona.cat 04/20/2012 09:49
Alexis and Cesc will play in their first ever home league match against Real Madrid this Saturday, and will be hoping to continue a curious tradition
Quini, Maradona, Lineker, Koeman, Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Messi and David Villaall scored in their first ever matches against RealMadrid at the Camp Nou

Cesc i Alexis / FOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB
Scorers debutants in a classic
- 1978/79 | Krankl
- 1980/81 | Schuster
- 1980/81 | Quini
- 1982/83 | Maradona
- 1986/87 | Gary Lineker (3)
- 1989/90 | Koeman
- 1993/94 | Romario (3)
- 1995/96 | Kodro
- 1996/97 | Ronaldo- 1997/98 | Anderson
- 2004/05 | Samuel Eto’o
- 2004/05 | Ronaldinho
- 2006/07 | Leo Messi (3)
- 2009/10 | Ibrahimovic
- 2010/11 | David Villa
Alexis and Cesc Fàbregas will both be playing their first ever league match against Real Madridat the Camp Nou this Saturday, although the former has already experienced a clásico at the Camp Nou in the form of the Spanish Supercup, a match at which he made his official debut for the club. Both players will be looking to join a long list of players who scored league goals against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou at their very first attempt.
Several players have got their Camp Nou clásico careers off to a goalscoring start. Since 1978/79, when Hans Krankl beat García Remon in a 2-0 win, a number of players have excelled in their first experience of welcoming the eternal rival to the Catalan capital. Maradona, Lineker, Romario, Ronaldinho and Messi all repeated Krankl’s feat, as did Zlatan Ibrahimovic two seasons ago (1-0) and David Villa with a brace in last season’s 5-0 win. This Saturday, we could see another new name on the list.
Three hat-tricks
Leo Messi, in 2006-07, was the last player to score three goals in a league match against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou. The Argentinian, now the club’s highest all-time goalscorer, grabbed a late goal to salvage a point from a 3-3 draw. Before him, both Gary Lineker (86/87) and Romario (93/94) had managed to find the Madrid net three times in the same fixture. The Brazilian’s hat trick formed part of the penultimate 5-0 win against Madrid at the CampNou, and will always be remembered for his amazing 180º spin to beat Alkorta.

FCB

 

[Classik]

Statistical battle in the clásico
www.fcbarcelona.cat 04/20/2012 10:00
Barça and Madrid are way ahead of the rest of the league in almost all individual and team stats. In many ways, their records are very similar, but there are also some striking differences

Pepe and Piqué during a Cup match. PHOTO: ARXIU FCB.
- Two top scorers : Real Madrid are one goal away from beating the all-time first division
goalscoring record (107) while Barça aren’t far off a century of their own (96).
- Best defences : They have by far the two best defensive records. In 33 games, Barça have only
leaked 24 goals, and Madrid just 29.
- Most shots : Barça have had 256 shots on goals and Madrid have had 270.
- Least chances against : There have only been 88 shots against Barça all season, while Madrid
have been on the receiving end of 114.
- Madrid lead assists : The league leaders have made 76 goal assists, 20 more than the
defending champions.
- Balanced in offside : The ‘Blaugrana’ have beencaught offside 111 times, almost the same
number as the ‘meringues’, 114.
- FCB dominate passes : Barça have made 21,984 passes (666 per match), much more than
Madrid’s total of 16,514 (500 per match).
- Barça the dribbling kings : This weekend’s home side have made 404 dribbles this season,
while the visitors have made 294.
- Madrid commit more fouls : Madrid have committed 448 fouls and received 502, while Barça
have committed 343 and suffered 535.
- Two of the best fair play records : Guardiola’s side has seen 71 yellow cards and 4 red cards
this term, while Mourinho’s players have been booked 82 times and sent off 5 times.
- Madrid get most spot kicks : Barça have been awarded 7 penalties and have had 4 blown
against them, while Madrid have had 11 penalties for and just one against, last weekend.
- Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo share the lead in the individual goalscoring stakes with
an incredible 41 goals each. The Argentinian’s goals have come from 174 attempts and the
Portuguese international’s from 220.
- Özil has made more goal assists than any other player in the league(14), followed by Messi
(12), Di María (12), Cristiano Ronaldo (11) and Alves (9).
*Stats from www.ligabbva.com

FCB

 

[Classik]

Pedro, one step away from 100 games in LaLiga


04/20/2012 11:00
The striker, who has scored 28 goals in La Liga in his career, could play his 100th match in the competition against Real Madrid on Saturday


Pedro celebrates his second goals against Getafe / PHOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB
Pedro is one step away from reaching the century mark in La Liga with FC Barcelona. If the striker plays this Saturday against Madrid, Barça fans will be able to boast that they’ve seen the Masia graduate play in La Liga 100 times. Pedro has played 99 games in the league in his career , his 100th could be against Barça’s old rival, Real Madrid.
A new challenge for Pedro
The player, who was the first to score a goal in all six official competitions in one year, is on the verge of another historic feat: playing 100 games for FC Barcelona in La Liga.
Clásicos have been defining matches for Pedro. The Spaniard is the only player in the team to have scored on Madrid in the three major competitions: Liga, Cup and Champions League.
28 goals in 99 games
Pedro made his debut under Frank Rijkaard on January 13, 2008. Barça, who were playing Murcia, won the match 4-0. From that point on, the Spaniard has consistently improved. In his four years with the first team, the striker has scored 28 goals in the Liga. It would be a fitting reward for Pedro to celebrate a goal on his 100th match in La Liga.

FCB,

ITZIAR BRAVO