Barça’s celebrations for winning the 2012/13 Liga will continue at Camp Nou tomorrow night when the president of the Spanish Football Federation, Angel Maria Villar, presents the league trophy to the team after the home match with Valladolid (Sunday kick off 9 pm). Continue reading
It could hardly have been more fitting that Jose Mourinho should end what is almost certainly going to be his final season in the hot seat at Real Madrid without a trophy. To cap a bad night for the self-acclaimed Special One he was sent off tonight as Real Madrid were beaten in their own stadium in the Copa del Rey final by their city rivals Atlético Madrid. Continue reading
Now that La Liga has been won it is time to look forward to the 2013/14 season and attempt to analyse how Barça can improve. There is no doubt that despite the success in the 2012/13 campaign there were plenty of problems that were exposed in the big games which culminated in the heavy defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Continue reading
Football’s a funny old game. After an extremely complicated season in which coach Tito Vilanova’s health problems left the team without its coach for ten weeks Barça completed their 22nd league title this weekend and could still go on to equal Real Madrid’s record of 100 points in a season. Yet, for most of the club’s fans there seems to be a definite lack of a celebratory mood. Continue reading
Tests today have revealed that Leo Messi’s hamstring strain will mean he will not play again in this season’s Liga. Messi will now work to get fit in time for Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers with Columbia and Ecuador on June 7 and June 11, respectively. Sad news for Messi who cannot now surpass his 50 goal haul in last season’s league although his total of 46 will still be enough for another Golden Boot award and another pichichi.
Champions Barça celebrated their 22nd La Liga title with the most unlikely victory over Atlético Madrid at the Vicente Calderon tonight. A goal down to Radamel Falcao’s 50th minute strike there appeared to be little chance of a Barça comeback when Leo Messi left the field with a recurrence of his muscular injury, leaving the team with ten men with just over twenty minutes remaining. However, Alexis Sanchez equalized out of the blue and then a comical own goal from Gabi Fernandez gave Barça the three points. Continue reading
Games between Atlético and Barça are always something special and tomorrow evening’s clash at the Vicente Calderon should be no exception as Barça seek to clinch the fourth Liga in five years and the 22nd overall. Of course Barça’s celebrations may begin tonight if second-placed Real Madrid fail to beat Español at Cornellà-El Prat. Either way Tito Vilanova will be hoping to finish the season in style. Continue reading
It’s been a pretty frantic week in the media with the usual rumours filling the papers about possible signings. What has been more noticeable has been the speculation involving players who are apparently not happy with their situation at the club. Last night all the main sports papers ran a story that began on local TV station BTV that Carles Puyol was considering a move to AC Milan in the summer. This morning Puyol announced via his twitter account “All the reports that are coming out are false. I’m only concentrating on recuperating and being fully fit for next season”
Barça move to within two points of the league title after a 4-2 victory over Real Betis tonight. Betis twice took the lead in the first half to worry the Camp Nou crowd but goals from Alexis Sanchez, David Villa and two from substitute Leo Messi turned the game in Barça’s favour. Messi’s brace took the Argentinian to 46 league goals, just four short of his record-breaking half-century last season. Continue reading
While fans and the media debate solutions to Barça’s problems following the deflating exit from this season’s Champions League, Tito Vilanova’s men still have the considerable task of clinching this season’s Liga. Five points are needed from the remaining five games starting with the visit of Real Betis to Camp Nou tomorrow evening (Sunday 9 pm). In the unlikely case that second-placed Real Madrid fail to beat Valladolid at the Bernabéu tonight then Barça would be crowned champions with a victory tomorrow. Continue reading
