UEFA has today officially launched plans to commemorate all European players who have played 100 or more games for their national team. Among the centurions to be honored is current FC Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernández (31) who has 101 caps for the Spanish national team and counting.
Puyol, Maxwell, Keita, Pinto and Fontàs worked with the reserves in a training session on Wednesday morning led by Tito Vilanova and Eusebio Sacristán.
Vice president of Sport, Josep Maria Bartomeu, speaking at a press conference has announced the transfer on loan of attacker Aliaksandr Hleb to Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. The cost of the operation will be based on the number of matches played.
Promoted to the first team this season, Thiago Alcântara started Barca’s pursuit of fourth straight league title with a bang. Thiago scored a goal and also assisted in Alexis Sanchez’s first goal as a Barca player. The Bari-born youngster, who started the game, was the player who made most passes on Monday night: 108 out of 120. In the “Man of the Match” poll video, Thiago received 1,265 (39.75 per cent) votes. Watch a video highlighting his attributes after the jump.
Guardiola: “Mascherano and Keita are my ‘niñitas’ [precious little girls].”
Keita: “From the moment the Mister said that phrase, I knew that sooner or later we’d end up in a cartoon like this.”
Mascherano: “It’s because he made it so irresistible.”
Lionel Messi has scored 101 goals at the Camp Nou. I could leave it at that but I won’t.
Remember all the football pundits who claimed that Messi was going to be worn out from his Copa America exertions over the summer? I think we can safely say that the Argentine has put those questions to bed: four games; six goals. In fact, the two goals he scored against Villarreal on Monday took his home tally to 101 since his debut season in 2004/05. FC Barcelona’s official website broke down the scoring like this:
RECORDMAN MESSI
The crack seem to be the one to beat all the records
Six goals and four assists. Leo has done the best beginning of the season since he is a first team player
Unstoppable. This season he could become the best goal scorer ever.
1 – César (235 goals)
2 – Kubala (194 goals)
3 – Messi (186 goals)
Mourinho will have to wait a month to know what disciplinary measures will be applied
FC Barcelona’s number 10 has had an excellent past few weeks. We all know he is magical at what he does with his feet. Yet, we must not forget what he does with the rest of his body when it comes to mesmerizing defenders and goalkeepers. In this edition of WGM, we share with you a compilation video of his moves focusing on the dropping of his shoulder.
Goals, assists, minutes, games played and more. totalBarça is your home for all FC Barcelona statistics. Tables after the jump….
FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi (24) was today named captain of the Argentinian national team ahead of La Albiceleste’s September 2 friendly in Kolkata, India against Venezuela.
Barça B forward Saúl Berjón will play on loan this season with Alcorcón, in the Segunda División A, until the 30th of June 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyDx8SH81rc
FC Barcelona’s 5-0 drubbing of Villarreal in the opening match of the new La Liga season marked the team’s 30th home contest without defeat. This includes 19 Liga games, 4 from the Copa, 1 Supercopa and 6 from the Champions League. During this stretch, the team has amassed 26 victories and 4 draws. Out of 187 matches under Pep Guardiola, Barcelona have scored 5 or more goals on 25 occasions.
Stats: @pedritonumeros • Image: AP
Catch a few more of the pictures from FC Barcelona’s 5-0 win against Villarreal CF at the Camp Nou after the jump.
Grandfather: “Manolito, you’re now old enough for me to tell you something… a few years ago Barça did not always win all of their matches…”
Manolito: “Don’t kid with me!”
There will be a league of two (of Cesc and Messi) 5-0 Villarreal
“I ask myself if there’s anyone left who doesn’t like my signing for Barça …”
“ME!!!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf7P-QTjstI
Yesterday, popular football website Goal.com featured a preview for the La Liga from the point of view of the Barcelona fans in collaboration with totalBarça. Harshawardhan & Faisal (GueRakun), the correspondents from totalBarca, offered their views on the challenges of the new season.
Read on after the jump! Please share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Victor Valdes equaled Andoni Zubizarreta’s record, as the goalkeeper who has played most games for Barça. Against Villarreal he reached the target of 410 games, in his tenth season with the first team.
TAKE THAT!
Barça 5 – 0 Villarreal
Barça replied Madrid by scoring a “manita” to Villarreal and showing their great football skills
Alexis made his debut in Camp Nou and scored a goal. Thiago and Cesc scored as well
Pep used a surprising 3-4-3 with a single defender.
Messi 101. He scored two goals and was very well connected with Fàbregas
For those who missed the game against Villarreal, here are some of the best moments of the game for your viewing pleasure!
Watch the highlights video after the jump!
What a debut for FC Barcelona in the 2011/2012 La Liga season! Villlareal are one of the best teams in Spain and a traditionally difficult opponent for Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, but this time they could do nothing to stop the blaugrana juggernaut. Thiago Alcantara, Cesc Fabregas, Alexis Sanchez and Lionel Messi (2) all scored as Villareal fell victim to a manita. Barcelona’s injury crisis in defense made Pep field an unusual 3-4-3, with Xavi and Villa on the bench, and Thiago, Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez starting. The experiment couldn’t have been more successful, and this should be a formation that Pep will use at least some more times during the season.
As expected after such a glorious performance, the ratings will be quite high. Read them after the jump!
FC Barcelona started off the La Liga season with a surprising formation and dominated Villarreal to score a Manita! The scorers were Thiago, Fabregas, Sanchez and Messi (2).
Watch the goals after the jump!
FC Barcelona vs Villarreal CF
Monday, August 29 @ 21:00 local time. Convert to your local time here.
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Barça held their final training session behind closed doors this Monday morning at the Camp Nou to finalize some details before meeting Villarreal this evening. The session involved the same players who had trained on Sunday.
A day before FC Barcelona’s first game of the Liga season, Pep Guardiola spoke with the media about the challenges of the new season. “It gives you a lot of confidence when you start with a win, that’s why the first games are so important,” explained the head coach of Barça. The manager also confirmed that both Puyol and Maxwell should start playing soon.
Mou: “With the rocks that they’ve thrown at me, you could build a monument.”
I think you could build more than one…
Monuments: To the Crazy One … To the Liar … To the Violence …To the Cryer
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