Sunday, May 16, 19:00 CET – Camp Nou, Barcelona

The past two seasons for FC Barcelona have been spectacular.
A La Liga title, a Copa del Rey, a Champions League crown, a Spanish Super Cup, a European Super Cup, a FIFA World Club Cup and several individual accolades in the form of trophies and praise.
Yet this match, the one to top off all that unfaltering successes, is said to be by far the biggest. Yet it will be played against a team staring at the dismal pit of relegation.

It began in the days of the Spanish Civil War, and in the days of ruthless Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, and still in 2010, the pure fire of hatred burns forever strong.
Barcelona and Real Madrid loathe one another. And the day that one of the two beat the other in the race to a trophy is a day of sheer joy for that team and its fans alike. Whilst at the same time, the day that one of the two lose a trophy at the hands of the other, is a day of suicidal emotions for the associates of that club.
That day is today, and the events that take place in the next 24 hours will decide which team is handed the plate of sweet victory and which team will be dealt the unforgettable blow of humiliation and defeat.

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Saturday, May 8, 21:00 CET – Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Sevilla

This season, FC Barcelona has lost four matches.
Two in the Champions League, to Rubin Kazan and Inter Milan.
Another, in La Liga, to Atletico Madrid.
The last, in the Copa del Rey, to Sevilla.

They proved to be most tough, the most incomprehensible, the most frustrating and ultimately the best.

Any side capable of defeating the official world champions is a side to be feared, and feared they should be, for tonight it will be the fear of giving up an assured Spanish Primera crown in which will haunt the Barcelona players right up to the kick off of this match.

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Tuesday, May 4, 20:00 CET Camp Nou, Barcelona

The countdown is on, the timer ticking, what is so close is yet so very far for FC Barcelona. The moment of reckoning draws nearer, with each kick of the football passed alongside each minute of action gone, the club is brought forever closer to achieving their allusive, illustrious and ultimate goal in 2010.

Tenerife will tonight be welcomed into a cauldron. A cauldron of death this season for opposing teams, a cauldron that will recognize this match for what it is, a final.
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Wednesday, April 28, 20:45 CET – Camp Nou, Barcelona

990 minutes.
242 players.
29 goals.
11 matches.

The emotion, the effort. The pain, the triumph. It has all been building up to this point for FC Barcelona.

90 minutes.
22 players.
2 goals.
1 match.

The 22nd of May is at this point a date of non-existence on the Catalan calendars. There is no compromising this situation, there is no second option, no side street that can be taken, this game is about now and only now. Welcome to the UEFA Champions League, welcome to Barcelona versus Inter Milan, welcome to the comeback.

When they met seven days ago, a sense of a pre-determined result lingered in the air. The bitter taste of their November embarrassment remained in the mouths of Inter Milan as memories of Barcelona’s 2-0 win with 70% possession stayed ever-present. The bookmakers backed Barca as a sure money bet and after 19 minutes it seemed that this was surely the case.

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Saturday, April 24, 18:00 CET – Camp Nou, Barcelona

What took place mid-week never happened.
It is to be forgotten, discarded and unheard of.
This match is a continuation for Barcelona, and being sidetracked by outside fixtures and thoughts would be foolish and catastrophic.
The week ahead will determine the success or failure in which Barcelona shall endure this season, however only the immediate present should be focused on and that immediate present lies within the League, against Xerez.
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They were once a hapless wreck. Now they are a force to be reckoned with.
They once had no direction. Now they are following a faultless line.
They once had no style. Now they are the sensational blend of a ruthless defence, a devouring midfield, and a punishing attack.

Inter Milan once supplied no competition, this team has now faded into non-existence. The genius of one man could be the brilliance that catalyses the unthinkable demise of FC Barcelona.

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Saturday, April 17, 20:00 CET – Estadio Cornella-El Prat, Barcelona

Tonight, FC Barcelona will face a side that is 14th in La Liga.
Tonight, FC Barcelona will face a side that has scored 26 times this season compared to Barcelona’s 80.
Tonight, FC Barcelona will face a side that has struggled against relegation this season.
Surely this match will be a rout, a total demolition, an exhibition of the greatest football team on a planet. This would be the formality case in all football games, as Barcelona’s superiority initiated an absolute slaughter.
However there is a factor that completely extinguishes all the aforementioned problems with FC Barcelona’s opponents. It is the factor that this match is a derby, a rivalry match and thus this quells all form, statistics and records, as a rivalry match is won on will and will only. That alone is what makes this game so special.

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Saturday, April 10, 22:00 CET – Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

The biggest football game in the world

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Tuesday, April 6, 20:45 CET – Camp Nou, Barcelona

In order to properly define what this match is, one must first define what it isn’t, and that is simple. This match is not a league game, nor does it have anything to do with any played before or after. On the weekend, Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4-1 while Arsenal downed Wolverhampton 1-0. These results are of zero relevance for this tie and shall not even be welcomed into the aura of thought when pondering a winner for this match.

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Saturday, April 3, 20:00 CET – Camp Nou, Barcelona

In contrast to FC Barcelona’s mid-week exploits, this game seems to be of minimum and scarce importance. However, the statement that this game is insignificant could not be further from the truth. For at this stage of the competition, each breath taken by the Catalans has a magnitude of the greatest proportions. Each match in the Spanish Primera is as important as the last, for at this stage of the competition a win could spell triumph, while a loss could point toward the ultimate demise.

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An endless elaboration and explanation could be used with a flurry of descriptive and enticing words. However this will not be necessary, for it is to be simply put: This football match is huge.

The enormity of this game makes it a given that it deserves an equally epic and emphatic prelude, hence my major dilemma. I sat with thumbs twiddling, racking my brain for a platform in which to leap off to begin the preview of FC Barcelona’s biggest match of 2010 so far. As they did four years ago, the Blaugrana would face English Premier League side Arsenal. As I delved through the tape of this prestigious game, in the blink of an eye I found what I was looking for. Here it is…

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Ahead. Fall behind.
Ahead again, and once again, fall behind.
Take this scenario and repeat it over a seemingly endless period of time, and that is the situation of FC Barcelona’s intense and breathless title chase of the faultless Real Madrid.

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Sunday, March 21, 21:00 CET – La Romareda, Spain

Welcome back, Futbol Club Barcelona.

It is a well known saying that all good things must come to an end, and that they did for Barcelona. The Catalans experienced their worst run of results this season, whereby a loss to Atletico Madrid and a draw to Almeria and Stuttgart were equally spaced out by far from promising victories over Getafe and Malaga.

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There are matches that need to be won to achieve goals.
There are matches that need to be won to earn trophies.
There are matches that need to be won to silence critics, win over fans or to amend the past.

Then there are matches which simply need to be won.
Like this match.

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Saturday, March 6, 2010,. 20:00 CET – Estadio del Mediterraneo, Almeria

Constantly pursued, losing breath, slowing up and edging forever closer to the inevitable fate of being shackled in and cast aside. This is the current story of FC Barcelona and their pursuers, Real Madrid.
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Saturday, February 27, 22:00 CET – Camp Nou, Barcelona

There are bigger fish to fry in La Liga than the one tonight for FC Barcelona, not withstanding all games are of significance and this game is another stepping stone to achieving the clubs ultimate goal of 2009/10.

Tonight, in the wake of the Blaugrana’s worst run of matches in 2010 wherein Pep Guardiola’s troops succumbed to debilitating results against Atletico Madrid and Stuttgart respectably, Barcelona will take on mid table Malaga CF who, despite their lacklustre squad ‘on paper’, their tendency to under perform against easier opposition and their ‘lower side of La Liga’ tag, have an impressive recent record and have already caused some hassle in the Catalunya camp.

The Estadio La Rosaleda played host to Malaga and Barcelona as the two sides began to enter their stride in the wake of the new season, the pitch may have that day been engulfed in a drenching sunlight, but it wasn’t long before a typhoon of hatred and brutality cast itself over the game as a blood-bath soon emerged between the two sides resulting in a mammoth 7 bookings in total as questionable refereeing saw to it that this number was held lower then could have been possible.
An enraged Barcelona entered the field instantly frustrated as Malaga opted for an aggressive all-out defensive approach as the Boquerones took aim against the Blaugrana players, resulting in Thierry Henrys early departure via a knock, enter Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who made the most of a sublime Lionel Messi chip to make it 1-0 for the Blaugrana, only for Gerard Pique to double the score line before full time despite Malaga coming frightfully close on numerous occasions.

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aTuesday, February 23, 2010, 20:45 CET – Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart

UPDATED WITH VIDEO.

It could have been AC Milan, it could have been CSKA Moscow. It could have been Lyon, it could have been Bayern Munich.
It wasn’t. It was Stuttgart.
An inescapable smile crept over the faces of all Barcelona affiliates as what could be described as a ‘dream draw’ for the Catalans became a reality.

But that was then.

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Saturday, February 20, 20:00 CET – Camp Nou, Barcelona

It was always bound to happen.

It has forever been instilled that all streaks and records must eventually come to an end as last week a depleted, injury-struck and flare-lacking FC Barcelona stepped into the inevitable path of defeat at the hands of the in form Atletico Madrid. A result that saw the Blaugrana lose their first game in La Liga this season.

Six days have passed since then and as the dust begins to settle in Catalunya, memories of last weekend are being swiftly cast away as the world champions gear up to face cellar-dwelling and out of form Racing Santander in a match that will be one of the greatest tests for an under pressure Barcelona. For the Catalans will not be judged on how they performed in their loss last week, but for the manner in which they bounce back from it.

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Sunday, February 14, 21:00 CET – Estadio Vicente Calderon, Madrid

Pique, out.
No problem, Marquez can be his back-up.
Marquez, out.
No matter, there’s always Chygrynskiy.
Chygrynskiy, out.
Apparently Abidal doesn’t mind centre back.
Abidal, out.
Well at least there’s the in form Dani Alves!
Dani Alves, out.
We all remember Toure’s heroics against Chelsea last season, he performs well in the back!
Toure, out.

Oh, and did I mention that the remaining players are up against Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan?
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Saturday, February 6, 20:00 CET – Camp Nou, Barcelona

It has been a season of resilience. It has been a season of invincibility. It has been a season of sheer brilliance and above all defiance. FC Barcelona have now gone 20 games in the Spanish Primera season without losing a single game and have won more matches then any other side in Europe.

And it doesn’t look like it’s going to end their for the Blaugrana, as with each game the unstoppable Catalan avalanche is continuing to gather momentum and power and is forever casting shadowing doubts over it’s rivals as to whether or not it will ever be stopped.

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Saturday, January 30, 2010 – 20:00 CET, El Molinon, Gijón

When it seemed the Catalan revolution that is FC Barcelona could not grow any stronger the Blaugrana once again blew all followers out of the water.
Sitting aloft 6 gleaming trophies and a World Champions label plastered to their names Pep Guardiola’s Gladiatorssynced their stunning form into yet another season in the league by going throughout the entirety of the Spanish Primera’s first half without dropping points. Becoming only the 5th side in history to do so in the Spain’s top tier of football.

The tables have now been flipped as players and fans alike gear up for what is known as ‘the run home’ as each side faces one another for the second time in the league in order to fully formulate what is already brewing as an intense title race.

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“Bring me wins and finish the first half of the season on an epic high.”

The message portrayed pre-match by Pep Guardiola as he fielded his best possible line up to take on Valladolid this evening as a forward line starring Henry, Ibrahimovic and of course the unmistakable Lionel Messi sought to make history by breaking yet another record in the form of going throughout the entirety of the first half of the La Liga season without losing a single game.

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Tuesday, January 5, 2010 22:00 CET – Camp Nou, Barcelona

A league game is a league game. A Champions League game is a Champions League game, but a cup game is so much more than simply, a cup game.
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What began as a spectacular showing of sheer brilliance by Pep Guardiola’s sextuple champions soon faded into the abyss as a dull Camp Nou night saw Barcelona move into an unstable position at the top of the table in which bitter rivals Real Madrid can come within touching distance.

Barcelona’s return to the Spanish Primera exploded into action in what could be described as fireworks as the team that was formerly playing a game every 2 days departed for what was a rejuvenated and replenished pride of raring lions.

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“You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.”

For Football Club Barcelona, the year 2009 was nothing short of phenomenal. An epic six trophies rewarded the Blaugrana who have been instantly embedded into history. For years and decades to come the story of Barcelona’s sextuple will be passed on from generation to generation as endless tales of Iniesta’s goal vs Chelsea, Toure’s wonder strike in the Copa final and Messi’s emotional chested goal against Estudiantes are forever told.

However, it is an unfortunate reality for Barcelona, as this is not 2009. This, is 2010.

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Saturday, December 19, 2009, 17:00 local CET – Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi

Unplug the phones, lock all the doors. Satisfy the kids with a 50 pound note and a day at the fair. Shut all the blinds, isolate the world and pull yourself away. The game that stops the world is hours away with each second being individually counted down by awe-struck fans. Football has reached its climax as tonight, one team will be officially declared as the best football side in the world. The two sides are phenomenal with their own brand of unique football. With one recently coming off an implausible treble-winning season and the other the current holders of what is renowned as possibly the most highly contested competitions in the world.

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Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 17:00 CET – Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Football Club Barcelona.
Renowned as one of the most prestigious and successful clubs in the world.
Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men they erupted forth and began to etch their names in immediate history as they began to dazzle left right and centre.
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Saturday, December 12, 2009, 20:00 CET – Camp Nou, Barcelona

Long, long ago there was a small town named Batívla. The town of Batívla had for many years been ruled by two equally minded and equally wealthy brothers. Their names were Espanyolto and Barćiletto.
These men had an equal voice on every matter and problem that should arise in their town and had an equal say in any sentencing or punishments that were set to be enforced.
However, one day, the brothers came to a disagreement on a matter, this was backed up by a plethora of other disagreements that began to pull the brothers further and further apart. A bloody battle broke out as arguments became so fierce that violence seemed to be the only way to come to a resolution.

In due course, the fighting ceased, and it was decided that one town was not big enough for these two powerhouses, it was decided there was only room enough for one of them, and not the two. However, this decision was not carried out, and the two brothers remained in the small town, fighting it out for the accolade of being the tougher of the two.

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December 9, 2009, 20:45 CET – Lobanovskiy Dynamo Stadium, Kiev

There comes a time when nothing else matters.
There comes a time when tactics are set aside, instructions are forgotten and all preceding events are left to rot in an anonymous sector of the mind.
This time has now arrived for FC Barcelona, in the form of the UEFA Champions League.

The song will play.
The whistle will sound.
And the ball will be kicked off.

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December 5, 2009, 22:00 CET – Estadio Riazor, Galicia

5 fixtures in 15 days.

It is a barbaric figure. A set of numerals that should never be placed alongside one another in the same sentence. It is a tired statement, a statement that depicts fatigue and a loss of energy.

For FC Barcelona, this nightmare of a predicament has become an unfortunate reality.

However, despite this the Blaugrana are currently in hot form after they came out victorious mid-week against a stubborn Xerez side in the Estadio Chapín. This game was preluded by a blockbuster clash at the Camp Nou against fierce rivals Real Madrid. This match was to come shortly after Barcelona had 4 days earlier disposed of Inter Milan in the Champions League, a match that had itself come a mere 3 days after Barcelona’s La Liga clash with familiar opponents Athletic Bilbao.

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