Baggio: “Pep’s collecting the fruits of his past efforts”
Roberto Baggio, one of the greatest forwards of the nineties, played alongside Pep Guardiola for Brescia in the Serie A. In his view, the success of the current Barca manager comes as no surprise.
Pep Guardiola and Roberto Baggio became friends during their time together at Brescia, and this week he’s been in Barcelona to watch the game against Arsenal and observe the training methods of the best team in the world. In an exclusive interview with Barca TV and www.fcbarcelona.cat, Baggio told us: “I’m very happy at the way things are working out for him. He’s collecting the fruits of his past efforts. He’s a fantastic guy”.
A lasting friendship
Although Pep Guardiola and Roberto Baggio spent little more than a season together at Brescia, they were both in the twilight of their illustrious playing careers and, perhaps inevitably, found they had a lot in common: “When Guardiola joined the team I’d already been there for a season. We struck up a friendship straight away and we’re still good friends. I really admire everything he’s doing at Barca and I hope he keeps on winning”.
“I can’t ask for more from a football match”
Roberto Baggio joined the more than 90,000 fans who packed into the Camp Nou on Tuesday evening to watch Barca defeat Arsenal: “I had the luck to see a magnificent match with five goals and an extraordinary Messi. The truth is I can’t ask for more from a football match”.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Will history repeat itself?
Will history repeat itself?
Saturday’s match against Real Madrid will be only the second time the two sides have reached the second “El Clasico” of the season tied on points. The first time this happened Barca won and went on to lift the league title.
On 2nd March 1952, the old Les Corts stadium hosted the second El Clasico of the season. The two clubs were tied on 33 points with just five matches left to play after the big game itself. Barca won that match 4-2 (César 3, Vila Soler1) and finished the season as league champions.
Different circumstances
A comparison between the 1951/52 season and the current season is inevitable and the fact is there are some important differences. In 1952 the second meeting of the two clubs was in Barcelona rather than Madrid and their records up to that point had been rather different.
This season, Real Madrid has a 100% home record but 58 years ago the story was very different as both teams had suffered from inconsistency. Before the big game they had lost 5 matches apiece, enabling Atletico Madrid to compete for the league title. Barca’s victory handed Atletico second place in the table although at the end of the season they were overtaken by Athletic Club Bilbao.
A distant third
However, nothing similar will happen this season as Barca and Real Madrid are 21 points clear of third placed Valencia, with just 24 points still up for grabs. There has never before been such a huge gap between the top two places and third place in La Liga.
Two record breaking teams
Both Barca and Real Madrid are achieving great results in the Spanish League. Real are on an unbeaten 12-match home run and are just 3 matches away from breaking the all-time league record established by the club in 1960/61 season. They have also won all 15 of their home matches so far.
However, Barca’s figures are just as good. If last season was the best ever in the Club’s history, this year it looks as if a few of those records might be broken. They have two points more than at the same stage of the season last year and have only lost once in 30 games. As such they’re on the way to equalling or even breaking the record of just two defeats established by the team managed by English coach Terry Venables in the 1984/85 season.
So, just as happened on 2nd March 1952, this Saturday’s El Clasico could decide the league title one way or another.
Saturday’s match against Real Madrid will be only the second time the two sides have reached the second “El Clasico” of the season tied on points. The first time this happened Barca won and went on to lift the league title.
On 2nd March 1952, the old Les Corts stadium hosted the second El Clasico of the season. The two clubs were tied on 33 points with just five matches left to play after the big game itself. Barca won that match 4-2 (César 3, Vila Soler1) and finished the season as league champions.
Different circumstances
A comparison between the 1951/52 season and the current season is inevitable and the fact is there are some important differences. In 1952 the second meeting of the two clubs was in Barcelona rather than Madrid and their records up to that point had been rather different.
This season, Real Madrid has a 100% home record but 58 years ago the story was very different as both teams had suffered from inconsistency. Before the big game they had lost 5 matches apiece, enabling Atletico Madrid to compete for the league title. Barca’s victory handed Atletico second place in the table although at the end of the season they were overtaken by Athletic Club Bilbao.
A distant third
However, nothing similar will happen this season as Barca and Real Madrid are 21 points clear of third placed Valencia, with just 24 points still up for grabs. There has never before been such a huge gap between the top two places and third place in La Liga.
Two record breaking teams
Both Barca and Real Madrid are achieving great results in the Spanish League. Real are on an unbeaten 12-match home run and are just 3 matches away from breaking the all-time league record established by the club in 1960/61 season. They have also won all 15 of their home matches so far.
However, Barca’s figures are just as good. If last season was the best ever in the Club’s history, this year it looks as if a few of those records might be broken. They have two points more than at the same stage of the season last year and have only lost once in 30 games. As such they’re on the way to equalling or even breaking the record of just two defeats established by the team managed by English coach Terry Venables in the 1984/85 season.
So, just as happened on 2nd March 1952, this Saturday’s El Clasico could decide the league title one way or another.
Piqué: "We’ll do our talking on the pitch"
Piqué: "We’ll do our talking on the pitch"
Gerard Piqué doesn’t want to talk about Saturday’s match against Real Madrid. The Catalan central defender, who launched his new book “A return trip” on Wednesday, told reporters: "We’ll do our talking on the pitch”.
Piqué missed out on the 4-1 defeat of Arsenal due to a match ban, as well as injury. He told a packed press conference at the Club’s training grounds on Wednesday: “You have a better time on the pitch. On the terraces you suffer more and enjoy yourself less because you can’t take part”. The book launch was followed a large number of reporters as well as the entire first team squad, family members and former youth coaches. No less than the launch of his first book deserved.
2-6 is “unrepeatable”
When asked about the match against Real Madrid, Gerard Piqué told reporters: “I prefer not to talk about it. There’s still a long time to go. We’ll do our talking on the pitch”. However, he did make reference to last season’s 2-6 blockbuster in the Bernabeu: “Last year’s game was amazing. I’ll never forget it. The memories and emotions are still very recent”. However, he insisted that the score line is “unrepeatable”.
There was also some good news about Piqué’s fitness ahead of the Real Madrid game. He revealed “I expect to be available”.
"Leo is the best in the world"
GInevitably, there were a number of question about four-goal hero Leo Messi. According to Piqué: “Leo is the best player in the world”. The defender also knows Cristiano Ronaldo from their time together at Manchester United: “Cristiano is one of the best”. However, he emphasized that Leo is even better.
Diego Milito and Eto'o
Piqué also discussed the upcoming Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan and two of his former team-mates, Diego Milito and Samuel Eto'o: “I’ve had the pleasure of playing alongside both of them; one in Zaragoza and one in Barca. They’re wonderful people and great players. It’ll be difficult to stop them doing their job, that is to score goals. The sentimental side of it doesn’t count because we’ve already played against them”.
Finally, Gerard Piqué summed up his feelings by saying “I think we’ll have a great season”.
Gerard Piqué doesn’t want to talk about Saturday’s match against Real Madrid. The Catalan central defender, who launched his new book “A return trip” on Wednesday, told reporters: "We’ll do our talking on the pitch”.
Piqué missed out on the 4-1 defeat of Arsenal due to a match ban, as well as injury. He told a packed press conference at the Club’s training grounds on Wednesday: “You have a better time on the pitch. On the terraces you suffer more and enjoy yourself less because you can’t take part”. The book launch was followed a large number of reporters as well as the entire first team squad, family members and former youth coaches. No less than the launch of his first book deserved.
2-6 is “unrepeatable”
When asked about the match against Real Madrid, Gerard Piqué told reporters: “I prefer not to talk about it. There’s still a long time to go. We’ll do our talking on the pitch”. However, he did make reference to last season’s 2-6 blockbuster in the Bernabeu: “Last year’s game was amazing. I’ll never forget it. The memories and emotions are still very recent”. However, he insisted that the score line is “unrepeatable”.
There was also some good news about Piqué’s fitness ahead of the Real Madrid game. He revealed “I expect to be available”.
"Leo is the best in the world"
GInevitably, there were a number of question about four-goal hero Leo Messi. According to Piqué: “Leo is the best player in the world”. The defender also knows Cristiano Ronaldo from their time together at Manchester United: “Cristiano is one of the best”. However, he emphasized that Leo is even better.
Diego Milito and Eto'o
Piqué also discussed the upcoming Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan and two of his former team-mates, Diego Milito and Samuel Eto'o: “I’ve had the pleasure of playing alongside both of them; one in Zaragoza and one in Barca. They’re wonderful people and great players. It’ll be difficult to stop them doing their job, that is to score goals. The sentimental side of it doesn’t count because we’ve already played against them”.
Finally, Gerard Piqué summed up his feelings by saying “I think we’ll have a great season”.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Focus switches to Real Madrid
Focus switches to Real Madrid
It’s a rollercoaster ride for Barca. Just hours after dumping Arsenal out of the Champions League, the players were back at the Club’s training grounds to prepare for Saturday’s vital match away to Real Madrid.
The training session began at 11.30 am. The players from last night’s team had a lighter session designed to loosen up tired muscles while the remainder of the squad trained normally. Meanwhile, Xavi, Milito and Touré worked out in the gym.
Piqué and Ibra
2010-04-07_ENTRENO_09.JPGGerard Piqué and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, neither of whom was available for the Arsenal match, trained separately from the main group and remain a doubt for the Real Madrid game.
Training opportunity for youngsters
The senior players were joined by four youngsters from the reserve and youth squads: Jonathan dos Santos and Fontàs, who also trained with the first team on Monday and Carles Planas and Albert Dalmau from the youth team.
It’s a rollercoaster ride for Barca. Just hours after dumping Arsenal out of the Champions League, the players were back at the Club’s training grounds to prepare for Saturday’s vital match away to Real Madrid.
The training session began at 11.30 am. The players from last night’s team had a lighter session designed to loosen up tired muscles while the remainder of the squad trained normally. Meanwhile, Xavi, Milito and Touré worked out in the gym.
Piqué and Ibra
2010-04-07_ENTRENO_09.JPGGerard Piqué and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, neither of whom was available for the Arsenal match, trained separately from the main group and remain a doubt for the Real Madrid game.
Training opportunity for youngsters
The senior players were joined by four youngsters from the reserve and youth squads: Jonathan dos Santos and Fontàs, who also trained with the first team on Monday and Carles Planas and Albert Dalmau from the youth team.
25th in all European competitions
25th in all European competitions
The game against Inter will be Barca’s 25th semi final in all European competitions, of which 15 ended in victory and 9 in defeat.
Third Champions Semi Final on the trot
Third Champions Semi Final on the trot
Barca will face Inter in their third successive Champions League semi final and their fourth in five seasons – a record for the club.
After beating Arsenal, Barca will now face Inter in the semis, their third in four years following the ties against Manchester United (07/08) and Chelsea (08/09). Although in the 06/07 season Barca went out in the quarter finals, they reached the semis the season before, which means this year’s semi final is their fourth in five seasons.
50 years ago
Barca have never before reached the semi final of a European Cup three years on the run, although from 1958 to 1960 they reached the semis of the Fairs Cup and the European Cup in successive years. Eleventh European Cup Semi Final
The 1960 semi final against Real Madrid was to be the first of a total of 10 which Barca had reached before this season’s .five of which were won and five lost. The club have faced Madrid(1960 and 2002), Hamburg (1961), Leeds United (1975), Gothenburg (1986), Porto (1994), Valencia (2000), Milan (2006), Manchester United (2008) and Chelsea (2009). The 1992 Cup winning Dream Team reached the Wembley final after a group stage, rather than a knock out round.
Tenth all time leading scorer
Tenth all time leading scorer
At just 22 years old, Messi is now tenth on the club’s list of all time goal scorers, having overtaken Stoichkov (117) and Escolà (118) and he is now just 3 behind ninth placed Patrick Kluivert.
Record Breaker
Record Breaker
Leo Messi just keeps on breaking records. This Tuesday’s 19-minute hat trick and the late fourth goal rounded off a superb performance. Here are just some of the great player’s record breaking achievements:
- First four goal haul: Tuesday was the first time Messi had bagged four goals in a single game for the club - mind you, before that he had scored 5 hat tricks and 18 times scored twice in a game.
- Leading scorer in the Champions League: after those four goals, Leo is now the competition’s leading scorer this season - as he is in Spain where he’s chalked up 26 league goals so far.
- First to four: Messi is the first player in this season’s competition to score four goals in one game.
- One of six: Messi is the sixth player in the competition’s history to bag four in a game, following on from Van Basten (AC Milan), Simone Inzaghi (Lazio), Prso (Mònaco), Van Nistelroy (M. United) and Shevchenko (AC Milan) and becoming the first Barca player to do so.
- One of nine: only eight other players have scored a first half hat trick in the Champions League and Messi is the first to score three in the first 45 minutes of a game this season.
- Gunners suffer most: with Tuesday’s four goals, Arsenal became the team Messi has scored most goals against in Europe – Seville and Atletico Madrid, who he’s scored 7 against, are his favourite victims in Spain. - Messi equals Rivaldo: With 25 goals in the Champions League, Messi has drawn level with the club’s leading scorer in the competition – Rivaldo.
- Record breaking season: Messi has now scored 39 goals this season – one more than he managed all last season – and he has done that in just 42 games, eight less than he figured in last season.
- 67 goals at home: Of the 119 goals Messi has scored for the club, 67 have been at home, with 52 on the road.
Messi brings Madrid Final a step closer (4-1)
Messi brings Madrid Final a step closer (4-1)
Another memorable performance from Leo Messi destroyed Arsenal and put Barca through to another Champions League semi final. Messi scored all four goals as Barca swept aside the Londoners to win 6-3 on aggregate.
Barca stride on towards the final in the Bernabeu and tonight’s breathtaking display from the World Player of the Year, whose first half hat trick came after Arsenal had gone ahead, is bound to strike awe and admiration into the remaining teams in the competition. Guardiola’s choice of Milito and Marquez to replace the unavailable Puyol and Pique proved more than enough to keep any threat from Arsenal at bay and Bojan also played his part up front as Barca dominated and rounded off a great night with Messi’s late fourth goal to reach the semi finals for the third season on the run. Early warning
Messi served early notice that he was in the scoring mood with a shot from outside the box on 4 minutes that Almunia pushed wide and then on 11 minutes with a vicious dipping effort that went inches over. Barca were building from the back with both Xavi and Marquez prominent, whilst Arsenal tried hard to close down their hosts, not always legally, and look for the quick counter.
Arsenal opener
Wenger’s tactics seemed to have paid dividends on 18 minutes when Milito was hustled off the ball in midfield by Diaby who put Walcott through behind the defence. The young English winger squared for Bendtner whose shot was stopped by Valdes only for the Arsenal centre forward to strike home the rebound. The Gunners’ joy was short lived though as just two minutes later Messi got his first, firing home an unstoppable drive from the edge of the box, high and wide of the helpless Almunia.
Messi! Messi! Messi!
With Keita and Pedro playing wide, Barca had settled into a 4-2-3-1 system, but their dominance was interspersed with the occasional imprecision and they were not finding it easy to play their usual flowing game as Arsenal niggled away at them in midfield until Denilson was booked on the half hour for a foul on Busquets and the referee began to clamp down on the English team’s attempts to slow the game down. Messi’s second was the result of a brilliant collective move in which the team’s pinpoint passing seemed to almost lull Arsenal into a stupor, before Messi released Abidal who centered for Pedro to turn back to the Argentinean who fired home with his right foot.
Five minutes later, Messi claimed his hat trick, racing through a hole in the centre of the Arsenal defence to chip the ball delicately over the out rushing Almunia. As if that wasn’t enough, he then nearly repeated the goal a couple of minutes later, only to lose control at the last moment. The crowd gave the Argentinean a fully deserved standing ovation as the players went off for half time – and he’d still not finished!
Closing down
If in the first half it was Arsenal who tried to harry the Barca midfield, the second half saw Barca show the Londoners just how it was done as they ceded the initiative to Arsenal and looked to close the game down, pressuring all over the pitch and holding onto the ball for long periods when they won it back. Toure came on to strengthen the middle and Messi moved into the centre forward role, whilst Guardiola was also forced to bring on Maxwell as Abidal picked up another injury. Arsenal refused to throw in the towel though,and Bendtner saw a header, finally ruled offside, come off the woodwork.
Late strike makes it four
Pedro came close on 71 minutes when he chipped wide after a quick free kick from Messi, but Barca had effectively taken the sting out a game that looked set to finish 3-1 before Messi again popped up, dribbling past the Arsenal defence and finally firing through Almunia’s legs to claim his fourth with just three minutes left to play.
Four goals and an aggregate 6-3 win have made clear Barca’s ambition to reach the Bernabeu in May, but for now, tonight’s result will have given the team a great morale boost for what is hopefully just their first trip to Madrid’s ground this season - on Saturday!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Xavi rues gifted opportunities
Xavi rues gifted opportunities
Despite the 2-2 draw with Arsenal, Xavi was happy with the way his team played: “It was a great game and we can go away knowing we were vastly superior to Arsenal”.
After the game, Xavi highlighted how brilliantly his side had played. Especially in the first half: “We played well, we dominated. If only we could play like that all the time”, he said. But he also knows that you can’t take anything for granted in the Champions League: “Their first goal came from our own mistake. Watching the game, we should have sentenced the match”.
The following are some of the comments made after the match:
Ibrahimovic:
“They scored two late goals but it was a great result all the same”.
“We did all we could to win, but they scored”.
“That’s the Champions League, you have to play from the beginning to the end, until the referee blows for time. We have to take the second leg positively”.
“I am happy with the goals, but happier for the team. 2-2 is a good result and we still have the second leg at home”.
Henry:
“It was a strange game, we could have won easily and yet we only drew”.
“A draw is never a bad result in Europe”.
“I played here for eight years and that’s hard to forget, I have mixed feelings”.
Pedro:
“They put a lot of pressure on us and it wasn’t easy, and they scored two goals”.
“Walcott is a very fast and direct player, and he managed to score a goal”.
“2-2 is a good result but given the circumstances you come away with a bad taste in your mouth because we created chances and expected to win”.
Valdés:
“We had a good first half, we felt comfortable and created goal-scoring chances. But they scored twice in the second half, and things changed radically”.
“We are leaving with a bad taste in our mouths because we played well and deserved a better result”.
“Under other circumstances, they could have scored the opening goal. We have to take the best out of this and remember we still get to play the second leg at home”.
“Puyol and Piqué are big losses, but we have an excellent squad and the replacements will be able to cover for them”.
“We probably didn’t get the result we deserved but we are still going into the second leg in a strong position. But we felt quite comfortable with the way they put pressure on us and I think we’ll be able to play some good football at home, although that remains to be seen”.
Alves:
“We deserved to win. We want to carry on in this competition. We played a great game against a great team”.
“We had a great first half, but in the second we couldn’t generate the same chances. We’ve got a bittersweet feeling about the result”.
“They came out strong in the second half, they created a lot of pressure, but we were up to them.
“The penalty was too much, but the result is still a good one”.
“Although they were at home, we played well and we deserved more than what we got”
Sergio Busquets:
“That was probably our best game of the season”.
“This team has plenty of quality”.
Despite the 2-2 draw with Arsenal, Xavi was happy with the way his team played: “It was a great game and we can go away knowing we were vastly superior to Arsenal”.
After the game, Xavi highlighted how brilliantly his side had played. Especially in the first half: “We played well, we dominated. If only we could play like that all the time”, he said. But he also knows that you can’t take anything for granted in the Champions League: “Their first goal came from our own mistake. Watching the game, we should have sentenced the match”.
The following are some of the comments made after the match:
Ibrahimovic:
“They scored two late goals but it was a great result all the same”.
“We did all we could to win, but they scored”.
“That’s the Champions League, you have to play from the beginning to the end, until the referee blows for time. We have to take the second leg positively”.
“I am happy with the goals, but happier for the team. 2-2 is a good result and we still have the second leg at home”.
Henry:
“It was a strange game, we could have won easily and yet we only drew”.
“A draw is never a bad result in Europe”.
“I played here for eight years and that’s hard to forget, I have mixed feelings”.
Pedro:
“They put a lot of pressure on us and it wasn’t easy, and they scored two goals”.
“Walcott is a very fast and direct player, and he managed to score a goal”.
“2-2 is a good result but given the circumstances you come away with a bad taste in your mouth because we created chances and expected to win”.
Valdés:
“We had a good first half, we felt comfortable and created goal-scoring chances. But they scored twice in the second half, and things changed radically”.
“We are leaving with a bad taste in our mouths because we played well and deserved a better result”.
“Under other circumstances, they could have scored the opening goal. We have to take the best out of this and remember we still get to play the second leg at home”.
“Puyol and Piqué are big losses, but we have an excellent squad and the replacements will be able to cover for them”.
“We probably didn’t get the result we deserved but we are still going into the second leg in a strong position. But we felt quite comfortable with the way they put pressure on us and I think we’ll be able to play some good football at home, although that remains to be seen”.
Alves:
“We deserved to win. We want to carry on in this competition. We played a great game against a great team”.
“We had a great first half, but in the second we couldn’t generate the same chances. We’ve got a bittersweet feeling about the result”.
“They came out strong in the second half, they created a lot of pressure, but we were up to them.
“The penalty was too much, but the result is still a good one”.
“Although they were at home, we played well and we deserved more than what we got”
Sergio Busquets:
“That was probably our best game of the season”.
“This team has plenty of quality”.
Bittersweet end to an incredible match (2-2)
Bittersweet end to an incredible match (2-2)
After a stunning first half performance from Barça had ended goalless, two goals from Ibrahimovic looked to have sealed a convincing win at the Emirates. But two late Arsenal goals from Walcott and Fabregas meant it ended all square on a great night.
The first quarter of an hour saw the Catalans produce a lesson in football that left the Emirates Stadium in an almost silent daze. An almost eerie silence fell over the stadium, with the only noise coming from the 3,000 travelling fans as Barça produced nine shots, five of which were on target, in fifteen minutes of brilliance, while the Arsenal players seemed little more than eleven more spectators. Barça could easily have been three up in that time, had not been for some simply outstanding goalkeeping from Manuel Almunia, including three seemingly impossible interventions when Xavi, Messi and Ibrahimoviz all saw point blank chances thwarted.
It took Arsenal 20 minutes before Nasri finally produced a shy attempt on Valdés’ goal, and as the half moved on, the Gunners slowly started finding their feet. But if it wasn’t bad enough for Arsene Wenger to see his young side so totally outclassed on their home turf, he soon had new problems to contend with. First Russian striker Arshavin hobbled off, then William Gallas called for a change too, and next his captain Cesc Fabregas was somewhat harshly yellow carded, meaning the Catalan will be suspended for his long awaited return to the club that discovered him. Yet despite all of that, Arsenal had managed to hold on, and it was 0-0 at the break.
Ibra bags a brace
It didn’t stay that way for long. Within 30 seconds of the restart, the previously impeccable Almunia was caught way off his line, and Ibrahimovic brilliantly lobbed him to put FCB into a more than thoroughly deserved lead. 12 minutes later and the same man silenced his recent critics in splendid style by making it two. The Swede cleverly broke the offside trap trademark to latch onto the end of a trademark Xavi pass, and deftly sent the ball into the top right hand corner of the net. 2-0, and game over. Or so it seemed.
Arsenal pull one back
Pique was yellow carded shortly after the second goal, but at the time it hardly seemed to matter that he will miss the return leg, as it left him with a clean sheet for what now looked like an inevitable semi final to follow. But then, just moments after coming on, Theo Walcott turned Maxwell on the edge of the area and followed that with a brilliant run that he ended by slipping the ball under Valdés’ body.
The goal suddenly brought a glimmer of hope back to the devastated home side, but in the meantime, there was time for a standing ovation in honour of Thierry Henry as he returned to the club where he spent eight glittering years.
Red card and penalty
Barça were still in total control of possession, but other than a Messi one on one with Almunia, the chances weren’t flowing anything like they were in the first half. And then disaster struck in the 83rd minute. Cesc was through on goal, but Carles Puyol managed to get a foot in the way. The referee deemed that that was not only worthy of being penalised with a penalty, but with a red card too.
The Catalan coolly converted the equaliser from the spot, but spent the remainder of the game hobbling around with an injury, yet unable to come off because Wenger had already made his three changes. The minutes ticked by to bring an end to a night in which Barça produced the kind of display this new stadium is unlikely to have witnessed before, and one in which the home supporters were almost incredulous that they’d come out of it with a draw. There is still everything to play for when the action resumes at the Camp Nou next week.
After a stunning first half performance from Barça had ended goalless, two goals from Ibrahimovic looked to have sealed a convincing win at the Emirates. But two late Arsenal goals from Walcott and Fabregas meant it ended all square on a great night.
The first quarter of an hour saw the Catalans produce a lesson in football that left the Emirates Stadium in an almost silent daze. An almost eerie silence fell over the stadium, with the only noise coming from the 3,000 travelling fans as Barça produced nine shots, five of which were on target, in fifteen minutes of brilliance, while the Arsenal players seemed little more than eleven more spectators. Barça could easily have been three up in that time, had not been for some simply outstanding goalkeeping from Manuel Almunia, including three seemingly impossible interventions when Xavi, Messi and Ibrahimoviz all saw point blank chances thwarted.
It took Arsenal 20 minutes before Nasri finally produced a shy attempt on Valdés’ goal, and as the half moved on, the Gunners slowly started finding their feet. But if it wasn’t bad enough for Arsene Wenger to see his young side so totally outclassed on their home turf, he soon had new problems to contend with. First Russian striker Arshavin hobbled off, then William Gallas called for a change too, and next his captain Cesc Fabregas was somewhat harshly yellow carded, meaning the Catalan will be suspended for his long awaited return to the club that discovered him. Yet despite all of that, Arsenal had managed to hold on, and it was 0-0 at the break.
Ibra bags a brace
It didn’t stay that way for long. Within 30 seconds of the restart, the previously impeccable Almunia was caught way off his line, and Ibrahimovic brilliantly lobbed him to put FCB into a more than thoroughly deserved lead. 12 minutes later and the same man silenced his recent critics in splendid style by making it two. The Swede cleverly broke the offside trap trademark to latch onto the end of a trademark Xavi pass, and deftly sent the ball into the top right hand corner of the net. 2-0, and game over. Or so it seemed.
Arsenal pull one back
Pique was yellow carded shortly after the second goal, but at the time it hardly seemed to matter that he will miss the return leg, as it left him with a clean sheet for what now looked like an inevitable semi final to follow. But then, just moments after coming on, Theo Walcott turned Maxwell on the edge of the area and followed that with a brilliant run that he ended by slipping the ball under Valdés’ body.
The goal suddenly brought a glimmer of hope back to the devastated home side, but in the meantime, there was time for a standing ovation in honour of Thierry Henry as he returned to the club where he spent eight glittering years.
Red card and penalty
Barça were still in total control of possession, but other than a Messi one on one with Almunia, the chances weren’t flowing anything like they were in the first half. And then disaster struck in the 83rd minute. Cesc was through on goal, but Carles Puyol managed to get a foot in the way. The referee deemed that that was not only worthy of being penalised with a penalty, but with a red card too.
The Catalan coolly converted the equaliser from the spot, but spent the remainder of the game hobbling around with an injury, yet unable to come off because Wenger had already made his three changes. The minutes ticked by to bring an end to a night in which Barça produced the kind of display this new stadium is unlikely to have witnessed before, and one in which the home supporters were almost incredulous that they’d come out of it with a draw. There is still everything to play for when the action resumes at the Camp Nou next week.
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