Busquets: "The title race is far from over"

The midfielder scored the go-ahead goal against Atlético. On the play that led to the goal, Busquets said: "I knew that the defender and the keeper would go to the ground, that's why I waited to shoot"

The midfielder admitted that "we have a good advantage," but he warned that La Liga is far from over

Sergio Busquets scored the go-ahead goal against Atlético Madrid, his first of the season, after Falcao gave the visiting side the lead in the first half. The midfielder explained that after he received the rebound in the area that “I knew that the defender and the keeper would go to the ground, that’s why I waited to shoot.” The Blaugrana noted that he’s very pleased with his personal performance as well as the team’s form: “it’s important that we stay at this level. I always try to help the team and so far it’s been going great.”

Important advantage but not definitive

With last night’s victory over Atlético Madrid (4-1), the Colchoneros are now 9 points adrift of Barça, while Real Madrid are 13 points back. On Barça’s advantage, Busquets said that “it’s a very good lead, but there’s a lot of Liga left and we can’t rule out Atlético or Real Madrid.” The midfielder commented on the notion that La Liga is Barça’s to lose: “There’s no way we’d allow this lead to slip, we can only focus on the match against Valladolid so that we can go to the Christmas break with a certain degree of tranquility.”

Pedro, cautious on Barça’s lead

The FC Barcelona forward, who was given a standing ovation when he was subbed out, noted that “Real Madrid will not give up,” in addition he said that “the advantage we have is important  . . . this week has gone really well for us.” Pedro then warned that “we cannot lose focus, we haven’t won anything yet.”

On the match against Atlético and Barça’s accuracy in front of goal, Pedro declared that “there are matches where you shoot a lot and you don’t score, and then there are matches where you shoot fewer times and they go in.” On Barça’s next match, Pedro noted that Valladolid are a very dangerous rival. “They always make it difficult for any team, besides, chances are it will be very cold when we play against them.”

Here are the statements made by Perdo and Xavi after the match:

Pedro:

“In the first half they played well and they took the lead, but after that we were the better side.”

“Despite Real Madrid’s result against Espanyol, we knew that we were in for a tough match.”

“I’m very thankful for the support I get from the fans, it helps me work hard.”

Xavi:

“Atlético defend really well, it was very difficult for us.”

“We are the leaders and we know that we have a big advantage.”

“We’re in a good situation, but this isn’t over and we cannot allow ourselves to relax.”

Vilanova: “We've won a lot of points, but it hasn't been easy”

• 
  

“Adriano’s goal was very important, it was very difficult for us at first to break through, and that’s largely due Atlético’s brilliant performance. The goal gave us morale and from that point on we carried the initiative of the match”

Barça thrashed their immediate pursuer in La Liga, Atlético Madrid, and are now nine points clear at the top of the table.In addition, Real Madrid are 13 points adrift of the league leaders. However, Tito Vilanova made sure to downplay Barça’s advantage in the post-match press conference: “We’ve won a lot of points, but it hasn’t been easy. We’ve had to battle back to win games and perhaps we won’t be able to do that in the future. La Liga is not easy, and it certainly isn’t boring.”

The FC Barcelona manager reminded the gathered journalists that “in my first year (2008/09) we were 12 point back and we had to go to the Bernabéu and play for the title. Now, there’s a team that’s only nine points behind us.” He added: “I don’t think that this title is ours to lose. If there is a team that has the capacity to win a lot of points, and they overtake us, then they deserve the title. It happened in 2009 and it could happen again.”

Adriano’s goal, key for Barça’s chances

On the match against Atlético, the manager said: “Adriano’s goal was very important, it was very difficult for us at first to break through, and that’s largely due Atlético’s brilliant performance. The goal gave us morale and from that point on we carried the initiative of the match.” On the Brazilian defender, Tito Vilanova said, “he’s playing at a great level. The most important thing is for him to feel good. He went through a program to improve his fitness and that’s helped him a lot. His progress has been fantastic.”

Complicated line-up

Vilanova admitted that his players are making it increasingly difficult for him to pick the team’s starting line-ups: “Naming 11 players to start isn’t easy. I thought we’d do well with the team I sent out and that Villa could help us in the second half. I understand that this isn’t easy for him, but we have a lot of talented players, Mascherano and Alves also watched the match from the bench . . .”

Finally, the manager praised one of FC Barcelona’s standout players against Atlético, Sergio Busquets: “It’s easy to focus on other players, but his work was simply spectacular. He’s the best in the wold in his position and he can only get better.”

FC Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid: post-match details

Messi’s 90th goal of 2012, the 6th time the team have come from behind to win this season, and Adriano’s 6th goal of the campaign were the highlights of the game

Messi isn’t the only one breaking records in 2012. FC Barcelona managed to break the 170-goal mark that was set last season. In fact, Tito Vilanova’s men have netted 172 times this year: 118 were scored in La Liga, 26 in the Champions League, 24 in the Cup and 4 in the Super Cup. Here’s an overview of Barça’s standout players against Atlético Madrid.


After FC Barcelona victory over Atlético Madrid this Sunday, Gerard Piqué was interviewed on Barça TV’s El Marcador. He declared that “only we can lose La Liga,” and “we can allow ourselves the luxury of losing points, but we cannot allow ourselves to fall into a bad run of form." Piqué added that the Liga is far from over.

Barça thrashed their immediate pursuer in La Liga, Atlético Madrid, and are now nine points clear at the top of the table.In addition, Real Madrid are 13 points adrift of the league leaders. However, Tito Vilanova made sure to downplay Barça’s advantage in the post-match press conference: “We’ve won a lot of points, but it hasn’t been easy. We’ve had to battle back to win games and perhaps we won’t be able to do that in the future. La Liga is not easy, and it certainly isn’t boring.”




This Sunday’s match against Atlético Madrid was Gerard Piqué’s 200th official match in the Blaugrana strip. Piqué, who celebrated his first century for FC Barcelona on September 22 of 2010 (Barça-Sporting), played his 200th official match for Barça with a goal tally of 14 goals for the Blaugrana. His 200 games for Barça are divvied up in the following competitions: 120 in La Liga, 46 in the Champions League, 23 in the Cup, 7 in the Spanish Super Cup, 3 in the Club World Cup, and 1 in the European Super Cup.

Cristian Tello signs through 2016

This Monday afternoon Cristian Tello extended his contract with FC Barcelona. He'll remain with the Club through June 30 of 2016. The player’s buyout clause is set at 10 million euros. It’s worth noting that the player and the Club agreed to terms on Thursday, the 13th.
“I’m very proud”

The player talked to Barça TV and fcbarcelona.com after he signed his contract extension: “I’m very proud and I’m very happy, I’ve dreamed about this since I was a child. I want to return the confidence to those that had confidence in me.” The forward also noted that since he made his debut for the team, against Villarreal, that the first team players “have always treated me like one of their own.”
Tello also said that he hopes to keep the jersey number 37 through the end of the season - it’s given him luck, he said - and he believes he can help the team with his “speed.”

La Masia

Tello, who played in the Club’s youth program from 2002 through 2007, also played for Damm and Espanyol (two seasons). In the summer of 2010 he made his return to Barça. Despite being a Barça B player, he’s often featured for the first team this season.

The 21-year-old made his debut for the first team on November 8 of 2011, in the Cup match against Hospitalet (he scored twice). He made his debut in La Liga on January 28 of 2012 away to Villarreal. His first La Liga goal was scored against Real Sociedad on February 4, 2012.

Fans show great support for campaign

Fans show great support for campaign

Foodstuff collections as part of the “Sweep away Hunger” campaign were held this Saturday at the Nou Camp and the Estadi Lluís Companys and the Barça family showed its commitment to solidarity.

Organisations involved

The campaign is sponsored by Pastas Gallo, Arròs Montsià, Oli Borges, Sorli Discau and Llet Nostra and also has the support of The Love Comes Foundation.

More than 20,000 people made a donation to the campaign on Saturday as collection points were set up at the Estadi Luis Companys and the Nou Camp ahead of the Heineken Cup quarter final and Barça’s game against Almeria.

Foodstuffs moved to warehouse of the Banc dels Aliments
In a marvellous display of charitable action, the fans donated hundreds of packets of rice, pasta, milk, oil and so on at the collection points set up by volunteers from the Fundació Banc dels Aliments, who then delivered the foodstuffs to the central warehouse of the organisation. A number of people also made donations in money, which the Fundació FC Barcelona will use to buy foodstuffs with to help the most needy families in Catalonia.

Donations can still be made
Although there will be no more collections, the campaign continues until the Spanish Cup Final on April 20th and you can still make a donation, and take part in the sweepstake for the prize of a dinner with ex-Barça players at La Masia, at www.envienlafamalaporra.org, where you can also consult the total amount of foodstuffs donated so far.

Concern for local problems
The campaign arose out of the Fundació FC Barcelona’s concern for problems which directly affect Catalan society. There are currently 1.325.000 people living below the poverty line in Catalonia and the Banc dels Aliments de Catalunya helped 52.000 families in 2008, 90.000 in 2009 and 165.000 in 2010 – a figure which continues to grow and underlines the need to support the Banc’s efforts to enable it to continue its important social work.

Messi again equals the record of 47 goals by Ronaldo

Messi again equals the record of 47 goals by Ronaldo

Against Almeria, Leo Messi equalled Ronaldo’s goal scoring record in one season. His 2 goals at the Camp Nou on Saturday helped him to 47 goals for the second consecutive season, with still over a month of competition to go.

On Tuesday, in the pre-match press conference, Messi declared that he was not "obsessed" with the record. Obsessed or not, Messi showed this Saturday that he lives for goals. In fact, he hadn’t scored since his 2 goals in the second leg of the Champions League quarter final knocked out Arsenal. So, he’s broken the little bad run and now has 47 goals this season (29 in the League, 7 in the Cup, 8 in the Champions League, and 3 in the Spanish Super Cup).

Last season he scored 47 goals
Thus, Leo Messi has equalled Ronaldo’s goal haul of the 1996/97 season, something he had already achieved last season. Now, he has a minimum of 9 games to become outright leader in the top goalscorers competition. Does anyone think he might not do it?

Top scorer battle

Just next week in Madrid the league’s top two scorers will come face to face. Messi, with his 2 goals against Almeria, and Cristiano Ronaldo with his goal against Athletic Bilbao are tied with 29 goals each at the top of the leading scorers table.

Messi, who last season won the trophy as top scorer in the League, could take the title again, at the same time as Barça B player Jonathan Soriano might also take the trophy, but for the second division. The reserve team striker has already scored 23 goals and is top scorer in this division.

The following are all Leo Messi’s goals this season (2010/11).
Barça - Sevilla (4-0). Spanish Super Cup. 3 goals.
Racing-Barça (0-3). League. 1 goal.
Barça-Panathinaikos (5-1). Champions League. 2 goals.
Atletico Madrid-Barça (1-2). League. 1 goal.
Barça-Mallorca (1-1). League. 1 goal.
Copenhagen-Barça (2-0). Champions League. 2 goals.
Zaragoza-Barça (0-2). League. 2 goals.
Barça v Sevilla (5-0). League. 2 goals.
Copenhagen-Barça (1-1). Champions League. 1 goal.
Getafe-Barça (1-3). League. 1 goal.
Barça- Ceuta (5-1). Cup. 1 goal.
Barça-Villarreal (3-1). League. 2 goals.
Barça-Almeria (0-8). League. 3 goals.
Panathinaikos-Barça (0-3). Champions League. 1 goal.
Barça-Osasuna (0-3). League. 2 goals.
Barça-Real Sociedad (5-0). League. 2 goals.
Deportivo-Barça (0-4). League. 1 goal.
Barça-Betis (5-0). Cup. 3 goals.
Betis-Barça (3-1). Cup. 1 goal.
Barça-Racing (3-0). League. 1 goal.
Barça-Almeria (5-0). Cup. 2 goals.
Hercules-Barça (0-3). League. 2 goals.
Barça-Atletico Madrid (3-0). League. 3 goals.
Barça-Athletic Bilbao (2-1). League. 1 goal.
Mallorca-Barça (0-3). League. 1 goal.
Valencia-Barça (0-1). League. 1 goal.
Barça-Arsenal (3-1). Champions League. 2 goals.
Barça-Almeria (3-1). League. 2 goals.

Squad of 20 for Donetsk

Squad of 20 for Donetsk

Josep Guardiola has called up all available first team players, plus Thiago, Oier and Dos Santos for Tuesday's game against Shakhtar, in the second leg of the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

More info

List of players

The list of players selected by Josep Guardiola is as follows: Valdes, Oier, Pinto, Villa, Xavi, Piqué, Sergio Busquets, Maxwell, Pedro, Afellay, Messi, Adriano, Alves, Keita, Mascherano, Milito, Jeffren Fontàs, Thiago, and Dos Santos.

Despite the 5-1 win in the first leg of this Champions League quarterfinal, and as he said in the press conference after the game at the Camp Nou against Shakhtar Donetsk, Guardiola doesn’t believe the tie is won already. It’s for this reason, despite being only a few days away from the “classic” in Madrid on Saturday, that he’s decided to travel with all first team players available, as well as reinforcements from the B Team.

Valdes and Busquets return; Dos Santos the novelty
The differences in this squad from the last one against Almeria, are the return of Victor Valdes and Sergio Busquets, who didn’t play on Saturday due to suspension, as well as the young player from Barça B, Jonathan Dos Santos.

Travelling with 3 goalkeepers, but without Iniesta
The absentees are the injured Puyol and Bojan, who on Saturday suffered a partial rupture of the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee that will keep him sidelined for between six to eight weeks, plus Abidal, and also Iniesta, suspended for accumulation of yellow cards. Barça will travel with three goalkeepers - Valdes, Pinto and Oier probably because Pinto, despite playing against Almeria, is still suffering with his left ankle sprain.

Recovery work for last night’s team
As usual the day after a game, the players who played against Almeria completed a light recovery session at the Joan Gamper training ground, to help them recover from last night’s effort. Puyol, Abidal and Bojan, meanwhile, received treatment. In addition, nine reserve team players took part in the training session: Thiago Oier, Miño, Saul, Tello, Planas, Benja, Ilie and Armando.