The 0-3 victory away at Seville is Barça’s tenth win on the bounce away from home. That beats previous winning streaks such as eight in the 1927/28 season and seven in 2005/06.
Barça 2008/09 continues to hit new highs. On matchday eleven they set a new record for best ever start to the League, and now on matchday thirteen they’ve established a new record for wins away from home in competitive matches. Yesterday’s win at Seville was the tenth of six in the League, three in the Champions League and one in the Cup.

Starts at El Molinón

The series of wins began at El Molinón, with a 1-6 victory that showed all Barça’s attacking flair. It continued at Montjuïc (1-2) and then in Donetsk (1-2) in the Champions League. The fourth win came at San Mamés after a break for international fixtures (0-1). Back in Europe, the team picked up all three points away at Basel (0-5).

The sixth win came in the Cup away at lowly Benidorm (0-1). Andalucía was the venue for the next two away wins, at Malaga (1-4) and Huelva (0-2). Last Wednesday in the Champions League Guardiola’s men set the record by beating Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.

All time record

The ten wins better the figures for the 1927/28 season, when with Romà Forns in the dugout Barça won eight competitive games away from home in three official competitions. The second best record was achieved in the wonderful 2005/06 season when Frank Rijkaard’s men won seven times in a row on the road.

 
Samuel Eto'o’s strike against Seville was his 111th in competitive games for Barça, which pulls him level with the tenth best record in the history of the club.
Samuel Eto'o was right when he said that the best is always yet to come. He continues to improve even his high standards and set new personal bests. He achieved the most recent on Saturday away at Seville at Sánchez Pizjuán (0-3) when he became the equal tenth highest goalscorer in the history of Barcelona.

111 goals and a new record

The striker notched his 111th goal in a competitive game for Barça, which pulls him level with Eulogio Martínez in tenth place in the table of highest goalscorers in the club’s history.

If Eto’o is able to continue with his fine form over the next few months, he could well climb further up to third place over Rivaldo, who scored 130 goals for Barça.

Historic season

This season the Cameroon striker is ramping up his goal scoring records. He has already beaten the 100 goals barrier and forged ahead of legendary Barça stars such as Asensi (103), Evaristo (105), Zaldúa (107) and Luis Enrique (109).

He has also notched up 15 goals in 17 outings, which is an average of 0.88 goals per game.

Five seasons scoring goals

In his fifth season at FC Barcelona, Samuel Eto'o is keeping up the high standards he has always set. Over that period he averages 0.67 goals per game, having found the net on 111 occasions in 166 competitive matches.

 
Barça coach Guardiola is aware that the win in Seville is a major step forward in the League but says that the team has still not won anything. He was happy with the way the team played, especially in the second half when they had more of the ball.
Before the match Guardiola said that he wanted to see “an ambitious team” out on the pitch at Sánchez Pizjuán, and that is precisely what his players gave him. “In the time leading up to the game the players were really focussed,” he said. “I saw things I’ve never seen before. I guess they must have realised how important the game is."

Three massive points

"The players are very happy with the result,” said Guardiola about his team. “We’ve taken another major step forward in getting the three points against a great team and great fans." And although he admitted that nothing can be won in November, he did recognise that the team had made significant progress.

Controlling the ball the key

Josep Guardiola says that during the first half “we didn’t have the ball so we were a bit disorganised”. By contrast, after the break Barça were able to win the game because “we got hold of the ball and we dominated the match”.

Game of two halves

Barça played in two different ways in the two halves of the game, according to Guardiola. “In the first half we moved too much, we made too many useless passes,” he argued. “After half-time we were a bit more patient and played a lot better."

Call to the fans

After this first match against other top of the table rivals, there now come two home games in a row against Valencia and Real Madrid. Josep Guardiola thinks the Barça fans have an important role to play here. "I’d like them to come along to Camp Nou in our next games and help us to take another step,” he said. “We can’t become champions on our own.”

 
Leo Messi stressed what the team was able to achieve over and above his own excellent individual performance. “The first half was quite even, but in the second they gave us more space and in two counterattacks we’d won the game,” he said.
The scorer of two great goals this evening in Seville, Messi dedicated one of them to his sister who will be fifteen on Sunday. The Argentine said that “nothing was going right for me in the first half, but luckily things turned around and I was able to put in a good performance”.

Below are some more comments from Barça players:

Puyol

“It was a tough game against difficult opponents. We’re happy with the job we did.”

“It’s only three points and there’s still a long way to go. We’ve got more tough games coming up like this one, and we have to be up for all of them.”

“This Saturday’s result is massive for us, especially as a confidence booster. That’s the way we have to do things.”

“We’ve had some pretty good games this season, and if we continue just focussing on ourselves and taking the same approach to each one, we’ll achieve our objectives.”

Piqué

“We’re doing things well, playing at a high tempo and putting the opposition under pressure. If we can keep it up, we’ll do great things.”

“The dressing room was bubbling, we’re all delighted with the result.”

“With Messi on the park anything can happen. His second goal was a work of art.”

“We’ve now got two days off to rest and start getting ready for Valencia and Madrid at home. We hope the fans will come along and give us their support like they always do.”

“I think changing the routine is a good thing. Coming here this morning, then training and resting in the hotel was the right choice.”

 
Andrés Palop believes that FC Barcelona are the favourites to win the league this season. The Sevilla goalkeeper also said that playing against his former team-mates, Dani Alves and Seydou Keita will be strange.
Speaking to Sevilla’s official television channel, Palop stated that he sees the Blaugrana as the team most likely to win the championships because their level of play is above everyone else’s. “I believe that Barça will win the league because of the great football that they have been playing,” he explained. “Real Madrid will probably finish in second place, while we will be third and Valencia will be fourth.”

Alves and Keita

Looking ahead to the visit of Pep Guardiola’s team to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán on Saturday, Palop admitted that facing Alves and Keita for the first time since they left Sevilla will be an odd experience. “I am looking forward to facing them,” he said. “I always like taking on the best players in the world, even though it will be a bit strange to see them in a shirt that is not Sevilla’s. I hope that they do not have a good day on Saturday, but I wish them all the best from Sunday onwards.”

Xavi is the best

Palop was keen to highlight the quality of Barça’s star and picked out Xavi Hernández as one player to watch. “He is the alma mater of the team,” the keeper stated. “He is the complete player as he dominates games from the midfield. Of the great players that Barça have I think he is the best, without doubt.”

 
Carles Puyol and Touré Yaya have both been recalled to the FC Barcelona squad to face Sevilla at the weekend while Víctor Sánchez and Pedro have been left out.
The Blaugrana coaching staff announced the squad for the trip to Andalucia on Friday and it was revealed the Puyol and Touré are back in after missing the Champions League outing against Sporting Clube in midweek. Andrés Iniesta, Éric Abidal and Gaby Milito are all still out injured, while Sánchez and Pedro are rested.

It is the same squad that travelled to play Recreativo in Huelva in the last league away game.

Cold snap

Before the squad was named, Barça held a training session on Friday morning in the Miniestadi and all the players made it clear that they were not keen on the sudden cold snap in the Catalan capital. Bojan Krkic was able to train with normality as predicted after he underwent a cautious programme the day before after feeling pain in his Achilles tendon.

Abidal continued his return to full fitness by training with the squad. The French international has been out of action for almost a month with a knee injury.

Training and travelling

The team will travel to Sevilla on Saturday at midday after training beforehand.

 
Pep Guardiola has stated that his FC Barcelona team will not be going to the Sanchez Pizjuán this weekend to try and score a hatful, but he wants instead to see an “ambitious team that looks for its own rhythm”.
While praising Sevilla, the Blaugrana coach showed that he has complete confidence in his side ahead of the tantalising encounter in Andalucia on Saturday evening. “I am calmer than I have been ahead of the previous four matches,” he said. “I am now convinced that we can compete with any team.”

Winning ambition

Against Sevilla, Guardiola knows exactly how he wants to see his team play. “We are going to go out to attack and to win the game,” he continued. “We are going to look to play the game and not to create a spectacle. I want to see an ambitious team that looks for its own rhythm, but we must not forget that the counter-attack is one of Sevilla’s main assets.”

Going forward

One of the keys to the game against Sevilla, according to Guardiola, is to be good going forward. “We have to attack well because it is another thing to want to go forward and another to do it effectively, they are very different.”

Game-by-game

Taking each game as it comes is one of Guardiola’s main aims too and now the trainer only has the game against Sevilla on his mind and he will consider the forthcoming fixture list as each match arrives. While considering that, the coach still believes that both Eto’o and Sergio Busquets should “play with strength, desire and go out to attack” despite the duo having already earned four yellow card each this term.

Praising Sevilla

“Sevilla are one of the greats of the game, a big rival,” Guardiola stated. “They are the team that has let in the least goals and play a direct game, are strong going forward and have a good defensive set-up. They are also very aggressive up front and will look to send in a lot of cross and shoot a lot.”

Alves and Keita ready

Dani Alves and Seydou Keita are set to play against their former club for the first time since they left to move to Camp Nou in the summer and Guardiola thinks that “they are both ready for the game.”

Champions League draw

With first place in the group assured in the Champions League, Guardiola was asked who he fancied coming up against in the next round. “In the next stage there are no easy opponents that we can face,” he said, but did not repeat his request for a big club like he did after Barça progressed in the Copa del Rey having knocked out Benidorm.

 
The team that has conceded the least goal in la Primera take on the team that have scored the most goals on Saturday evening as Sevilla, who have let in eight goals, host FC Barcelona, who have scored 37.
While both teams will be vying for three crucial points in the race for the title, the game will also pit the best defence against the best attack of the season so far. Manolo Jiménez’s team have impressed at the back and no team has let in fewer goals. With only eight goals conceded, one less than Barça, the Andalucian outfit base their game play around their back four and their effective system. At home Sevilla have conceded just four goals and have not conceded any for their last three consecutive matches.

Defensive qualities

Despite their attacking strength, Guardiola’s side have also shown that they can keep teams out as they have let in just nine goals in the league this season, meaning that while the net has bulged at the other end, the Blaugrana back line has remained sturdy. That is especially true away from home where Víctor Valdés has let in only four.

Goals galore

Six teams have scored more goals than Sevilla, including FC Barcelona who have an incredible record of 37 this season. The hosts for this weekend’s encounter have scored 18 goals themselves, with eleven of those at home. Frédéric Kanouté has four of those, and is the team’s top scorer, while Luis Fabiano and Ernesto Chevantón have three each.

Sevilla have won four matches in their Sánchez Pizuán stadium and have lost just once, 0-1 to Málaga, and drawn another, 0-0 with Valencia.

 
A few days before the Sevilla v FC Barcelona game, Dani Alves is looking forward to returning to his old club. Speaking to Barça TV and www.fcbarcelona.cat he looked back on the first four months of the dream he is living at Barça.
At the end of last season, the Brazilian made a career-changing decision to leave Sevilla and don the Barça shirt. He doesn’t regret that move, saying “I am very happy and every day I feel more convinced that I made the right decision because I am sharing a dressing room with some of the best players in Europe and the world. It is an honour to be experiencing this and I hope it lasts for as long as possible.”

Painful departure

Sometimes a picture paints a thousand words, and the image of Dani Alves leaving Sevilla was a touching one. With tears in his eyes, he bade farewell to his six-year adventure with the Andalusian outfit, and said “I want to say thank you for everything this club gave to me, I am sure it will always have a place in my heart.”

“It has all happened so fast”

But despite the tears on his final day, Dani Alves had a smile on his face when he touched down in Barcelona. The doors had opened on a new future for the Brazilian full back. It was a new home for him, and a new club. “It has all happened so fast, even our adaptation, because it can be hard to adapt to a new city.” Alves says that one of the most important things was for him and his family to feel comfortable in their new surroundings. He got his wish, and “if the family are well, everything else comes with it”

“I don’t want to wake up”

In his first interview, Dani Alves said that it had been a dream come true to sign for Barça, and four months down the line he still feels the same way. “The truth is that if anybody wakes me up, I’ll get angry, because it’s very special and passionate to experience what I am experiencing here in Barcelona. If what I am having is a dream, then I hope nobody wakes me up.” Not only is he thoroughly enjoying himself, but he is also lucky enough to be one of the players that most features in Guardiola’s first team plans: “It is a privilege to always get to play and contribute, that’s very positive for me, especially because the more I play, the better I feel.”

Discovering Barça

After three months of hard work, Alves is getting what he wanted and when asked what he thinks about the team he represents, he could only find good words to say: “Work is the basis for everything we have been seeing and achieving until now. I think that when a job is done well and everybody shows interest, things sort themselves out.” He also highlighted ‘humility’ and ‘companionship’ as important factors, as well as “lively football and the commitment of all of the members of the squad”.

First Barça goal

In the eighth league game, Alves took one further step in his Barça career, when he enjoyed “a difficult sensation to put into words” by scoring his first goal. “It was very special because it was the first I’ve scored. I didn’t know what to do at the time but it was something lovely that I will remember all my life.”

Return to Sevilla

When he signed for Barça he knew that the day would come when he would have to revisit his former club, but this time wearing a different shirt. It is going to be an emotional day for the Brazilian, who said “it is very special, especially because of what I’ve been though and what I learned there”, although he knows it will be difficult because “I lived there for almost all of my professional career, and having to face my old colleagues is something different.”

Professionalism versus sentiments

But he has to stay professional about it. “You have to work in isolation from your emotions” he said, adding that “I hope I have a good game and that we get the three points.” He knows the opposition well, and is aware of their dangers, and especially Sevilla’s “play down the wings” and “the two forwards Luis Fabiano and Kanouté, two players that can shoot on goal at any moment.” To beat the Andalusians, Alves reckons Barça should stick to what they know. “We have our characteristics and our way of playing and I don’t think we should change anything … just as we are worried about how strong Sevilla are, I am sure that they will be worried about how strong Barcelona are”.

 
Barça’s Champions League stats this year are quite remarkable. They are the team that has collected the most points, won the most games, scored the most goals and are the only team already guaranteed top spot in their group.
The 5-2 win at the José Alvalade is the latest of Barça’s many fine achievements in Europe this season. They started out by beating Sporting Lisbon 3-1, then won away to Shakhtar (1-2) and Basel (0-5). Only in round four did they fail to register a win after the Swiss outfit held them to a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou. But that was just a minor slip, and they more than made amends on their trip to Portugal.

Amazing stats

That means Guardiola’s side now have 13 points, the only team in any of the eight first round groups to have that many. They are also the only side to have won 4 of their 5 games, are the highest scorers with 16 goals and are the only side has not only qualified, but also guaranteed they will do so in first place.

The whole of Europe has been stunned by Barça’s incredible attacking style. Nobody has a greater average possession of the ball (62%), and nobody has had as many shots on goal (43).

Messi the star

The team has done brilliantly, while on an individual level, Leo Messi has also been shining bright. He shares top spot in the leading goalscorers chart with Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard. Both have five, although one of the English international’s goals came from the penalty spot. The Argentinian has scored in every one of his last four outings.

But Messi is also third in the ranking for the number of assists. His killer pass to Henry that led to the goal against Sporting was his third of the tournament, a figure only surpassed by Ribery (Bayern) and Lampard (Chelsea), who both have 4.

 
In the game between Sporting Lisbon and FC Barcelona, Thierry Henry scored his 25th goal for Barça in what was his 100th Champions League appearance.
November 26, 2008 was a landmark day for Thierry Henry, as he scored the first of the five goals for his team at the José Alvalade against Sporting Lisbon, which was also his 25th goal in an official match for the side he joined at the start of last season. Divided by competitions, he has scored 16 in the League, 5 in the Champions League (including 1 in the qualifier against Wisla Krakow) and 4 in the Copa del Rey.

A goal every three games

The French striker has scored those in 63 appearances, which makes for an average of 0.4 goals a game. He opened his account in the Champions League on September 19, 2007 against Lyon at the Camp Nou. That night he grabbed the third and final goal of the night for the team, for whom he has since gone on to score almost a goal every three games.

100 Champions League appearances

Thierry Henry has spent several years playing in the footballing elite with the likes of Arsenal, Monaco, Juventus and now Barça, making a total of 100 appearances in the Champions League, not including different qualifying games he has played for his different clubs.

 
After the win against Sporting Lisbon, the first team returned to training on Thursday at la Masía. The squad was delighted to be able to welcome Eric Abidal back to work.
Pep Guardiola’s squad started work today on preparations for Saturday’s game against Sevilla at the Sánchez Pizjuán. The biggest news was the return of Abidal, whose recovery is going so well that he was able join his colleagues with training. The defender is still under scrutiny following treatment on a cyst in the meniscus of his right knee.

Initial meeting

During the first few minutes of the session, Guardiola gathered the group together, including the injured Iniesta and Milito and the rest of the coaching staff for a discussion in the centre circle. Once he had finished speaking Milito, Iniesta and Bojan all immediately left the training ground.

Bojan takes knock to Achilles tendon

The reason for Bojan’s early departure was a knock he took to his left Achilles tendon, and he was therefore sent to the recovery rooms. The youngster is expected to be able to return to normal training on Friday.

Two groups

After the usual warm-up drills and a bit of running, the squad was divided in two. The first group, containing Piqué, Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Alves, Cáceres and Gudjohnsen started with some stretching, after which Alves withdrew and the remaining players went jogging. The rest of the squad was in the other group, including Abidal and they started by playing the ball around in a circle, giving us our first chance to see Abidal making contact with the ball.

Jorquera and Pinto, meanwhile, worked out with the goalkeeping specialist, Juan Carlos Unzué.

 
Dani Alves has spoken about what it feels like to be returning to the stadium that was his home for six years and said that for that reason he is especially motivated ahead of the game with Sevilla.
As Sevilla v Barça draws closer, the media focus is on Dani Alves as he returns to his former club but now wearing a Barça shirt. On Thursday evening he spoke to the press, saying “it is very special to be going back to the Sánchez Pizjuán after all I experienced, grew up with and learned there … I can’t imagine what it will be like to go there, let alone score. But out of respect, I wouldn’t celebrate it.”

He added that he is thoroughly enjoying the way the team is playing and is hoping he gets a nice reception, because he feels “I achieved a lot there, a lot of people respected me. But I am ready for whatever comes my way.”

Motivated opponent

On a group level, Dani Alves predicts “a very important game for our aspirations … we will have to concentrate hard because we are up against a great team.” He knows they are strong in defence and “playing Sevilla is something very special, there’s tremendous motivation. I hope to cope with it and perform to my best, one hundred per cent.”

But the Brazilian also commented that “there are three points at stake, this is just as important as a game against Almería, Valladolid or Recreativo.”

Staring Everest in the face

Saturday’s game is the first of what the press is dubbing ‘Everest’ because it’s such a tricky run of matches (there are more matches to come against Valencia, Madrid and Vila-real). Alves is looking forward to it, saying “they are theoretically the four most difficult matches, nice to play in, but we will only be satisfied if we win all the points … At this club only winning counts and we go out for every game with our minds set on winning”.

 
Barça meet Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday night in the fifth round of games in the Champions League group stage. There is a lot at stake and the following is a selection of trivia associated to the crunch encounter.
- This evening’s game could decide first place in Group C. If Guardiola’s side win, they are assured the top spot. A draw would still leave them a point ahead of the Portuguese outfit, while a win for Paulo Bento and his side would give Sporting a two-point lead.

- Whatever happens, both these sides are already guaranteed a place in the knockout stages. For Sporting Clube it will be the first time they have made it so far in the Champions League in its current format.

- In the game played at the Camp Nou, Barça won 3-1 , the goals coming from Márquez, Eto'o and Xavi. Tonel scored for the visitors.

- Sporting Clube haven’t let in any goals in Europe since. They won 2-0 against Basel and have won 1-0 home and away against Shakhtar Donetsk.

- But that 2-0 win over Basel was the last time Sporting scored more than once in the same game, and that’s after nine games in different competitions.

- Barça have played nine official matches in Portugal. They won two, drew three and lost four, their last visit being for a 0-0 draw with Benfica in the season they won the trophy for the second time.

- Neither team has any players out through suspension, and neither are any players one yellow card away from missing the next game.

- But there are players missing through injury. Tonel, Pedro Silva, Abel and former Barça man Rochemback for the home side; and Abidal, Milito and Iniesta for the visitors.

- No fewer than 14 of the players on show tonight were involved in international matches last week – six from Sporting (Vukcevic, Stojkovic, Moutinho, Patricio, Carriço and Pereirinha) and eight from Barça (Puyol, Xavi, Busquets, Hleb, Henry, Cáceres, Alves and Márquez).

- If Thierry Henry gets to play, it will be his 100th Champions League appearance including games for both Arsenal and Barça, but not counting qualifying matches. He would be only the eleventh player to reach that number.

- The French striker, along with Valdés, Puyol and Xavi, are the only players not to have missed a Champions League game this season, but Puyol will miss tonight’s game as he has not been named in the squad.

- FC Barcelona lead several statistical categories in the Champions league: they have scored the most goals (11), shot most times (36) and also have one of the joint top goalscorers in Leo Messi, who is on four goals along with Gerrard, Del Piero and Berbatov.

 
Touré Yaya and Carles Puyol trained on the pitch in front of la Masia on Wednesday after being the only two outfield players rested for the Champions League game against Sporting Clube.
Along with Albert Jorquera the two first team players left behind took to the field at 10.30am and began to go through a programme of warm-up exercises and physical routines.

Warming up

Watched over by coach Paco Seirul•lo, both Puyol and Touré did strength training as they raced around a circuit continuously for over quarter of an hour.
Control and resistance

Their next task was focussed on the physical side as they went through another course that was designed to test control and resistance before ending with a shot at the keeper.

 
FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta was full of praise for the team’s ability to continue winning game after game this season.
Speaking before the Blaugrana take on Sporting Clube in Portugal, the Blaugrana supreme spoke about the game in the José Alvalade on Wednesday and reflected on the team’s league and the start made by Pep Guardiola as coach.

Full of praise

Laporta was full of praise for the trainer that took the reins at the end of last season. “He always tries to do his best and always sends his teams out to win,” the president explained. “We are playing very well with his renewed spirit that I have seen in each game and that her been recognised around the world, especially by our own fans.”

Playing to win

As well as evaluating the spirit of the team, Laporta said it was not always possible to win but it was important that “the team always tries to win”. The president went on: “Barça plays at a high tempo, but they must be alert and not let the rudder of the ship move.”

First in the group

The objective is clear on Wednesday evening as a victory would see Barça win their Champions League group. “We hope to finish it and then make the Shakhtar game not mean so much,” Laporta continued as he looked ahead to playing the Ukrainians in what will be “an important week in the league” as Barça play Valencia and then Real Madrid.

Staying focussed

“Now comes the time in the season when everyone must be paying attention,” he said. “We have to remain calm and ensure that at the same time everyone is motivated and focussed.”

Messi’s return

On the subject of the team depending on Lionel Messi, the president stated: “First this team is above individuals, but the incorporation of Messi is good news. Messi is the first to recognise that the team does not depend up on, but he has great quality. We have players of a very high level and while he is decisive, we have enough players to cope.”

 
Josep Guardiola had his own take on FC Barcelona impressive win against Sporting Clube on Wednesday as he stated that his side had been “very good” in the first half, but that the second period was “very strange”.
The Blaugrana coach had his reasons for describing the encounter like that as the scoreboard went from 0-3 to 2-4 in the space of just three incredible minutes. Guardiola admitted that Barça had been “lucky” to go 2-4 ahead thanks to the own goal and stated that the pitch made things difficult for his players “because they had to control and then re-control the ball and that caused us problems”.

Messi’s position

Lionel Messi returned to the side and started the game in the centre of the three attacking players for Barça in the José Alvalade, but then went to flanks after the team went ahead. Guardiola explained why the change was made. “Messi played in the number nine role because Sporting played with a diamond formation and I thought that if he was in the middle then he could take on their centre-backs directly,” the trainer said. “Playing out wide is more demanding and we wanted to protect him.”

Confidence in Bojan

After deciding to take Messi off, Guardiola was keen to give Bojan Krkic a run out and he went on in place of Thierry Henry. “I wanted Bojan to play in the middle and it was well,” he continued. “Our previous game was not so good, but on Wednesday things went well.” The coach then explained that he had nothing to do with the young forward’s decision to take the penalty that saw Barça go 2-5 ahead.

 
Bojan scored Barça’s fifth goal from the penalty spot in the impressive win against Sportinhg Clube after Xavi and Gudjohnsen told him to take it. “The gesture was really good and it shows that they are really great people,” he said after the match.
After not finding much space against Getafe at the weekend, Bojan enjoyed the game in Portugal and explained that “the other day things did not go that well for me, but on Wednesday I showed that I can play well and score goals”.

Below is what some of the other players had to say after the victory:

Messi

“The most important thing is that we win and that the team has done well despite certain things like the long grass, which did not help us when we wanted to move the ball around quickly.”

“It all happened very quickly. The game looked to be decided, but in two moves it was opened back up. Fortunately we came back.”

“I do not think that the team depends on me. We have enough players and we all work together. It is not important who is on the pitch.”

“I had a slight knock during the week, but I am fine. I will play, if all goes well, in the next few games and they will be difficult because now we are facing the top teams and it will be important to win to stay in first place.”

Sergio Busquets

“To win the group was our objective from the start and we have done that. We also now want to finish by beating Shakhtar.”

“They were out of it but then came back with two goals, although we knew that if we continued working hard then we would score again.”

“In the Last 16 every team will be difficult to play. The most important thing is to have home advantage second.”

Henry

“We controlled the whole game, although things were a bit tricky when it went to 2-3, but with the own goal from them we able to relax again and we continued to dominate.”

“There is not doubt. What happened against Getafe can be like that sometimes, but we did not lose the game and we did not play badly.”

“This was a game in a different competition. We wanted to be first and we did just that.”

Piqué

“They caught us unprepared and pulled themselves back into the game, but when it went to 2-4 it was all over.”

“Now we have to prepare for the next league games against the top teams and we have to take as many points as possible. Of course, we are also going to go out and try to win the last Champions League group game too.”

“We have not doubts that the victory has been good for the confidence of the team, but what happened against Getafe happened. We have shown that we can still play at a very high level.”

“I am pleased with the goal, despite the fact that it was a bit strange.”

Xavi

“We came away with what we deserved after a good first half and a great start to the second half. We have ended up topping the group, which is what we wanted to do, and we are all pleased.”

“We have no doubts about ourselves because games like the one against Getafe can be difficult, but the team has shown that nothing has changed and we have gone out with a positive dynamic again.”

 
Barça’s technical secretary Txiki Begiristain, has said that Wednesday’s game is the most important until now because it is one in which “things will be decided”. He is quite aware of the advantages associated to finishing top of the group.
FC Barcelona travel to Lisbon on Tuesday and before leaving, Txiki Begiristain spoke to the press about the vital importance of the fixture against Sporting Clube, in which the leadership of Group C is up for grabs.

Going for the top

“The games are now starting in which there are things to be played for” said the technical secretary, who added that a win against Sporting Clube would mean that “the last game [in the Champions League group stage] would be relaxed because we would not be obliged to win”.

Good league form

He is also pleased with the way things are going for Barça in the League, and was not disappointed by their performance against Getafe. “The tone, the intensity and the football were good, especially the way we got better as things went on, both in terms of the score and the play. The team reacted and that gives you a good feeling”.

No debate about Messi

The name of Leo Messi naturally came up, and Txiki made it clear that “He is the best player in the world and he evidently has an influence and it’s better if he can play” and also commented that the club hopes “he can play in 89 or 90% of the matches” but “we have seen that the team can win without him, and even when he plays, we have still lost matches”.

 
Barça centre back Gerard Piqué was the player chosen to speak to the press before FC Barcelona’s final training session on Portuguese soil.
The Catalan defender considers games like these are “much nicer to play in. Against Sporting, Sevilla, Madrid or Valencia, we can play our football, because the other team wants to play as well. It means we can develop our game better, play the ball around, which are things we couldn’t do, for example, against Basel and Benidorm … looking at it like that, I like playing against the so-called big teams”.

Going for the win

Asked about the importance of the match against the side from Lisbon, Piqué said “it is always important to win, no matter against whom and in what competition. Barça always have to win their games, and tomorrow the top spot in the group is at stake, and in terms of the second round draw, it is fundamental to get to play the return leg at home”.

The rival

The Portuguese press wanted to know what Piqué made of Paulo Bento’s two main strikers, Liedson and Derlei. “They are two great forwards. Not only that, but Liedson is on form. But I’m most impressed by the way Moutinho comes through from behind, and he shoots really well from outside the area”.

Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Asked which of the two players he would consider to be the best in the world, being somebody who has played alongside both this year, Piqué replied that “I think the favourite to win the Balon d’Or is Cristiano Ronaldo, because of what he won last year. But I have to say it’s a luxury to play with Messi in your side, it’s a real pleasure for me, and there are things Messi does that Cristiano can’t. The Argentinian tips the balance more than the Portuguese player”.

 
Josep Guardiola’s side made their first contact on Tuesday afternoon with Sporting Lisbon’s stadium, the José Alvalade.
Nearly 24 hours before the game kicks off between Sporting and Barça, the first team trained on the José Alvalade pitch where Wednesday night’s game will unfold.

The 18 players

With Messi and Márquez back in the squad, there were 18 players on the field for the session that started at 19.00 (20.00 CET). The first thing the players did was gather around Josep Guardiola in the centre of the field to listen to specific orders.

Messi looking fine

Leo Messi, who was rested against Getafe for precautionary reasons, didn’t seem to have any trouble coping with any of the activities. The first quarter of an hour was held before the media, in which the Argentinian passed the ball around, joined in with the drills and ran with his colleagues.

The players were also able to see for themselves that the José Alvalade pitch is in perfect condition.

Alves the protagonist

Dani Alves was one of the protagonists of the early moments of the preparatory session. The Brazilian full back arrived late, and his arrival was greeted by applause from his team mates.

 
Although he knows how important it is to win their Champions League group, Josep Guardiola is particularly interested in seeing some positive things from his players in Wednesday night’s game against Sporting Lisbon.
Josep Guardiola made it clear that he does not think FC Barcelona’s season depends in any kind of way on the way they perform in the Portuguese capital. “I don’t think it is our most important game until now” he said. “The preliminary game was, because without that we wouldn’t even be here. Tomorrow’s game is another chance to show we are a good team, and we’re taking things as seriously as we should. We’re coming here to win because that’s our duty to the shirt we wear”.

He added that they have come to Portugal to play a good game, and that finishing first or second will depend “on the way we play”. Guardiola also said that his main intention was for the team “to play well, be ambitious and search for goals … I want positive things.”

“Both teams have done their job well”

With two games yet to play, both FC Barcelona and Sporting Lisbon are already assured places in the second round draw. “Already being qualified at this stage is very fortunate, it means that both us and them have done our jobs well” said the Barça manager.

Utmost respect

Asked about Wednesday night’s opposition, Pep Guardiola is aware that they are up against a very strong team with some outstanding individuals. “If we examine both squads player by player, it is clear that they are both top quality. Their manager, Paulo Vento, orders them well as a group.” On one particular player, Moutinho, Guardiola said he admired his versatility because he is the kind of player “that can play in any of the four midfield positions.” One thing is for sure, to beat Sporting, Barça are going to have to “put in a very good performance”.

Messi might play

A lot was said about the way the team seemed to be missing a vital ingredient last weekend without Lionel Messi on the pitch. The Argentinian has travelled to Portugal because his manager says “there is a chance he will play … he is a very important, decisive player … Did we draw the other day because he wasn’t there? No. I can say with conviction.”

Playing as a group

No player is more important than the team as a whole. “Leo is a very important player, and the whole squad knows that. He knows he helps us a lot, not just through his football but because of his attitude. He knows he can’t do it on his own but that we are stronger with him. To play well, we need everybody. But if he was so important I would never have let him go to the Olympics. And we had a really important game back then. But of course, over the year there are going to be injuries, and we have to protect our players”.

Puyol with pubis trouble

Puyol was left out of the squad, and Josep Guardiola said the reason was “small problems with his pubis”.

 
This Monday the first team have begun preparations for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Sporting Lisbon and Saturday’s League fixture away at Seville.
This week Josep Guardiola’s men have two key away matches in their challenge for the Champions League and Spanish League titles. On Wednesday in Portugal, Barça could ensure top spot in their CL group, while on Saturday in Seville they will be looking to stay at the top of the League table.

Portugal first

After Sunday’s draw with Getafe (1-1), the Barça players were back training this Monday at 11 am behind closed doors at La Masia in their last session in Barcelona before Wednesday’s game. On Tuesday morning they will be off to Lisbon, where they will train at 7 pm in the José Alvalade stadium, venue for their match with Sporting Lisbon.

Then back to the League

The players will have little time to rest before they start getting ready for Saturday’s League fixture on Thursday at 5.30 pm. Training sessions are also lined up for Friday at Camp Nou at 11 am and on Saturday morning.

In a break with their usual routine, Barça will not go to Seville the day before the game. On Saturday they will train at 9.45 am before heading south. Training is also scheduled for 12.30 pm at La Masia on Sunday.

 
This Monday lunchtime the squad for Wednesday’s match in Lisbon was announced. Puyol, Touré Yaya and Jorquera have been left out, while Messi and Márquez are back.
Both the Argentine and the Mexican sat out Sunday’s game with Getafe (1-1). Now it’s Puyol and Touré’s turn, as both players had physical problems last week; the club captain couldn’t train on Thursday due to gastric problems and a headache, while the Ivory Coast international had to complete the 48 hour rest period which stopped him playing for his national team.

Fresh for Saturday

Josep Guardiola is thus resting two players who were in the starting XI on Sunday and who will be fresher than their team-mates for Saturday’s clash with Seville. Both Barça’s matches this week are away from home.

 
Víctor Valdés spoke about the Getafe game and the team’s preparations for their visit to Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. “Champions League games are always pretty tense affairs,” he said.
Despite playing well, this Sunday Barça let slip two points at home to Getafe (1-1). The team is still the League leader but the players know they missed out on a good opportunity to extend their lead. Speaking at a press conference, Víctor Valdés said that “we didn’t win and get the three points, but we have to keep going.”

Getafe were good

“Getafe were well positioned on the pitch, very disciplined and took advantage of any mistakes to hit us on the break,” said the Barça keeper. Messi being absent was not, however, the reason why a run of nine League wins on the bounce came to an end. “Leo’s really important and when he doesn’t play of course he’s missed,” commented Valdés. “But there’s no question of depending on individuals when all the players have the quality to lead the team.”

Media critic

As far as Víctor Valdés is concerned, the draw is no big deal. “We weren’t so great beforehand and we aren’t so bad now,” he argued. Talking about the media reaction, he commented that “People like to have a pop when you have a minor slip-up, when recently the front pages were full of praise.”

Champions League tension

Barça’s next game is on Wednesday away at Sporting Lisbon in Portugal in a crucial game to decide who tops Champions League group C. “Champions League games are always pretty tense affairs,” said Valdés. “We’ll be going head-to-head for top spot and we want to be first to get a theoretically better draw in the last 16.”

When asked about Real Madrid, he said they couldn’t be in a crisis as “they’ve picked up three points which means they must be doing something right.”

 
This Monday Andrés Iniesta went running again at Camo Nou to kick off the second stage of his recovery from injury.
The Barça midfielder picked up a thigh injury on 4 November in the Champions League clash with Basel and was forecast to be out for 6 to 8 weeks. Since then he has been receiving treatment and now, right on target at twenty days later, he’s beginning the second stage of his recovery programme.

Physical work

Iniesta will now be doing more physical work; this Monday, for instance, he did some tempo running on the Camp Nou pitch in the morning and in the afternoon. The second stage is expected to last between 15 and 20 days, after which he’ll move on to building up his strength and stamina and gradually getting back to training with the squad.

 
After training this morning, Sunday, Josep Guardiola has decided to call up all his available players for the game against Getafe. This means that before the match kicks off he will have to cut three of them from his squad.
First team coach Josep Guardiola has in the end called up all his 21 available players this Sunday. That means that before kick-off this evening three players, one of whom will have to be a goalkeeper, will have to be cut from the squad.

Only Iniesta, Abidal and Milito are sidelined with injury.

Last session

This morning the Barça players had their last training session before today’s home fixture with Getafe. The session, which began at 11.30, took place on the pitch at Camp Nou.

Messi in the squad

In spite of having a slight niggle in his right thigh muscle on Friday, Leo Messi is one of the 21 players in the squad for today’s game.

Pre-match hotel

The 7 pm kick-off means a change in routine compared with recent home games, when the players had the afternoon off before a 10 pm start. Today the players will go to the NH Constanza hotel at 1.15 pm after training.

There the team will have lunch, a siesta and tea before the team-talk and going back to Camp Nou at 6 pm, one hour before kick-off.

 
After the one all draw with Getafe, Pep Guardiola said he was pleased with the way his team had played. He thinks they dominated the game and is only disappointed by a lack of “precise finishing”.
Thanks to a Keita header in the 71st minute, Barça got a point out of their match with Getafe. Once again Josep Guardiola was full of praise for his players. “Overall I think we dominated the game and I’m happy with how it went,” he commented. “In general we played well.”

Happy with the team

Despite not winning the match, Guardiola said he was happy overall with how the team played. “Maybe we rushed things a bit in the last third and we didn’t quite get the final pass or cross right,” he said. “But we dominated the game, especially in the second half.”

Praise for Getafe

The Barça manager was full of praise for this evening’s opponents. “Getafe are a good team with excellent players,” he said, before adding that the side managed by Víctor Muñoz had played “extremely well” at Camp Nou.

Bojan’s performance

Bojan Krkic was in the starting XI again this Sunday. “I have to give him whatever he needs to grow as a footballer, and I’m convinced he’ll do that,” explained Guardiola. “He finds it a bit harder where he played but he’s always making a contribution and you have to keep pushing him so that he can do his very best. I’ll check tomorrow to see if he’s feeling a bit down, which I doubt, but if he is we’ll try to help him.”

Next up Sporting Lisbon

When asked about whether the team had missed Messi, Guardiola said that “Messi is a necessary player, a special player, a very good player, but I’ve got others. I can only talk about the game and the people who played in it as anything else would be pure speculation”. The Barça coach is already turning his thoughts to Wednesday’s Champions League clash in Portugal against Sporting Lisbon: “Now we need to rest a bit and get ready for Wednesday’s game to try to secure top spot in the group”.

 
The midfielder said after the draw with Getafe that Víctor Muñoz’s team had played really well.
Xavi Hernàndez recognised that Getafe had played well at Camp Nou. "Maybe we weren’t on top form over the 90 minutes, but we had a good attitude,” he said. “It’s more a case of they played well than we played badly."

Pedro:

"We always go out to win but Getafe played well and got ahead. In the second half we were stronger and managed to equalise. Pity we couldn’t get the winner."

“The gaffer asked us to open things up and press up to create chances. We did that and more chances came."

"Getafe’s a really good side and played well. We’ve got a point, which isn’t what we were looking for but we’ll take it."

"I’m pleased about playing with the first team. I always give 100% and I’m up for it whether it’s with the first team or the reserves."

Henry:

“A draw’s a good result bearing in mind how the game went. You can lose games like this one, but we battled until the end and got something out of it."

“I think we played better than they did but for some reason it wasn’t like other games. But we fought and we might have won, but then again we might have lost. A draw is the lesser of two evils."

"Now we’ve got to focus on the Champions League game with Sporting. It’s a long season and we’ll have more chances to pick up points and consolidate our hold on top spot."

Bojan:

"It’s a good result bearing in mind how the game went. Getafe were well positioned and had quick attackers. We never really got hold of the game and that made it hard for us."

"I’m not happy with the way things went because it was my first start in the League and I wanted to do well. Unfortunately that didn’t happen."

"We’ve got to take each game as it comes and now that means Sporting Lisbon to ensure top spot in the Champions League."

Keita:

"I’m happy personally about the goal as it got us the draw. The pity is we didn’t win, but it was a tough match."

"We can accept the result taking into account how the game went. We had chances to get the winner but it just didn’t come."

"I hope to score more, but the important thing is that we keep on creating chances and pick up 3 points. We always want to win."


Sylvinho:

"It’s great winning by 4 or 5, but that’s football. It was a tough game against a good side who pushed us and made it hard for us especially when they went ahead. But we still came back and might even have won."

"I think we played well in spite of not winning."

"Now we’ve got to think about Sporting Lisbon and then stringing together some results against the top teams. We’ve got to be on the ball."

Dani Alves:

“Getafe was well organised, they had their game plan and they took the lead. Then they pulled back and that made it hard for us, but we put on the pressure in the second half and got the equaliser, and we had chances to win."

"They pressured us a lot which made it hard to move the ball around. We didn’t feel comfortable and lost the ball. We turned that round in the second half and that’s why we played better. If we’d won it wouldn’t have come as a surprise."

"I’m happy I gave the assist, but I’d be even happier had we won the game. We’ve got to keep working, because it’s a long campaign."

Eto'o:

“Every time you get a point or points it’s good and we’ll see where we are at the end."

"It was a game in the way they wanted it. We did our level best."

"We only focus on what we do in the League and we don’t look at what the others are doing."

"You win the League in April or March, not now."

"The players out on the pitch gave their all and showed why they are Barça players. But Messi is Messi."

Piqué:

"We bounced back after the first goal."

“It’s good that the fans were with us even though we didn’t get the best of results."

"We could’ve played better in the first twenty minutes because we started a bit cold."

 
Leo Messi’s availability for tomorrow’s game against Getafe will not be confirmed until after Sunday morning training, as the Argentinean star tries to shake off a thigh strain.
The first team squad trained this morning and will be back at the Nou Camp for a further session tomorrow morning and only then will Josep Guardiola announce the squad for the game.

Following today’s session, Guardiola confirmed that Messi was still not ruled out for the Getafe clash: “he trained on his own today and he reckons he didn’t notice any problems. We’ll make a decision on him tomorrow“.

Pedro back with squad

Whilst Messi had a brief, light training session apart from the rest of the players, mainly centered on stretching exercises under the watchful eye of one of the club trainers, Guardiola welcomed back Pedro, who rejoined the squad after injury and training with the B team on Friday.

 
Josep Guardiola is impressed by the way Getafe play and also by their coach Víctor Muñoz as he’s always caused problems for Barça at Camp Nou.
Guardiola doesn’t want to think about four games in a row against the top teams, but instead wants to concentrate on Barça’s next opponents because “if you want to win the League you have to take all your games seriously”.

“Messi’s fine”

Josep Guardiola had a positive message for Barça fans when he said that Messi has “nothing serious”. “He had a niggle and today he’s trained on his own but he did a full work-out and we’ll see tomorrow whether he can play,” said Barça’s coach. “Whenever you play there’s always a risk of injury, always.”

Guardiola says that the Argentine is “in good spirits and really wants to play” though this time his problem is different: “So far it’s always been the back of the leg and yesterday he had a niggle at the front.”

All games are important

For Guardiola the vital match is always the next one because “all games are important”. The fact that many Barça players have been away on international duty this week is an added problem for Barça in a game against Getafe who have “lots of quality players”.

“I have a lot of respect for Víctor Muñoz; he’s got a great track record and has done really well against us here at Camp Nou,” said Guardiola about Getafe’s manager. “He always seems to have something up his sleeve for this game.” Getafe have only lost once away this season and recently “didn’t deserve” to lose to Seville and Valencia.

 
The internationals who had to travel furthest for matches this week, Alves and Márquez, are back in Barcelona and trained on Friday morning at the Miniestadi.
Josep Guardiola finally had all his squad together to start preparing for the weekend fixture. Only Pedro, who trained with Barça Atlètic, missed the session, which started at 11.00, apart from the injured Milito, Abidal and Iniesta.

From Brazil and Honduras

The main additions to the Friday training session were Alves and Márquez, who have finally made it back from Brazil and Honduras, respectively, where they have played internationals, and both have returned in optimum condition.

Carles Puyol, who was away on Thursday with stomach problems and a headache, was able to train as per normal with his colleagues.

 
Against Getafe, Barça are looking for what would be their tenth league win in a row, something the club has only ever managed twice before in its entire history.
Winning streaks don’t always mean titles, but certainly show that a team is in form and these things can count for a lot towards the end of the season. On Sunday, Barça will be looking to beat Getafe and confirm their place at the top of the table, but also to take their winning run up to ten games, which would equal the club’s second best ever run of victories, which dates all the way back to the 1955/56 season.

Four short of record

The highest ever number of consecutive wins for Barça was recorded under Frank Rijkaard in the 2005/06 season, when the side won an amazing 14 games on the trot, scoring 38 goals and conceding just 6 between games 8 and 21 of the season. Barça ended up winning the league by a margin of 12 points over second placed Real Madrid.

Records no guarantee of titles

But such good runs don’t always mean the team will end up lifting the trophy. If we go back to 1955/56, Barça had the likes of Kubala, Ramallets, Biosca and Seguer in the squad that racked up ten consecutive wins, yet the title ended up going to Athletic Bilbao. In the 2003/04 season, Barça won nine games in a row in Rijkaard’s first season, but finished second in the table behind Valencia.

Titles without major streaks

And just like records don’t mean titles, Barça have also been known to win the championship without recording any particularly dramatic feats. Good examples are the 1947/48 and 1948/49 seasons when Barça ended up champions but never strung together any more than four wins in a row. And under Terry Venables in the 1984/85 season, Barça never chalked up a winning streak any greater than five, but still collected the league title.

The Dream Team under Johan Cruyff delighted the world with its spectacular football and four consecutive championships, but didn’t set any major records when it came to winning streaks either. The best Cruyff ever achieved was seven in a row in the 1992/93 season.

 
FC Barcelona captain Carles Puyol sees no reason for euphoria and wants the team to stay cautious against Getafe and just make sure they maintain their excellent wining streak.
Barça’s next opponents, Getafe, have created all kinds of problems in recent encounters, so the captain knows this is no time to relax. “We have struggled to beat this team recently and so we have to stay alert” he said. “It will be a hard game and we’ll have to look out”.

No relaxing

Carles Puyol knows Barça cannot claim to be the best team in the championship “until we have won the title” and knows that his side will have to work just as hard as they have done until now if they want to keep winning games. “We have to carry on giving it everything we have on the pitch because if we start thinking we’re the best, we’ll start losing”.

Relaxation is a word that doesn’t enter into Puyol’s vocabulary. “When you’re winning, you start relaxing and that would be a mistake. We have to play and work at the same rate and above all, not get cocky”, he said, before adding that he feels fully fit and ready for the game.

Nice kick off time

The Barça defender has been with the club for a decade, so he understands the fans better than anyone. So, he fully respects all the opinions he hears, and also knows that the more support the team gets, the stronger they are.

“Of course it’s nice to have a full stadium and everybody supporting the team, that makes us stronger. On Sunday we are playing at seven in the evening and that’s a nice time. Let’s see if it means more people will come” he said.

 
Lionel Messi left Friday’s training session with a pain in the quadriceps in his right leg. After several tests, it was revealed that there is no damage to the muscle.
The Argentine international picked up the injury in the final moments of the Thursday morning training session , and several medical tests were carried out to make sure there was no serious injury.

Uncertain for Sunday

The Club Medical Services announced that the tests “counted out any muscle injury”, but his availability for future matches “will depend on the way these problems develop, because we do not want to subject him to any major risks”.

Regular starter

The Argentinian star is one of the most important parts of Pep Guardiola’s first team plans. He has played in 10 of the 11 league games so far, scoring seven goals, and has also scored four in the Champions League and one in the Copa del Rey.

 
Before the Christmas break, there are five days of football in which all of the top teams will be going at it face to face, and the shape of the Spanish Liga could change completely.
The 2008/09 championship has started with five teams edging ahead of the rest of the pack: Barça, Vila-real, Valencia, Real Madrid and Sevilla, in that order. Over the next five weeks, many of those teams will be meeting each other, and we could either see teams extending their leads or dropping away from the leading group.

Barça have all four in a row

After playing Getafe on Sunday, FC Barcelona have back to back games against their four main pursuers. Next up are Sevilla, then its home to Valencia, a week later Real Madrid at home and before Christmas they still have to tackle Vila-real.

Josep Guardiola knows they need to make sure of the three points against Getafe and have something of a safety net as they go into the toughest part of their league schedule yet. A margin for error will be comforting, yet even if Barça won all of their next games it will still be too early to celebrate anything with half the league programme still to go.

Sevilla first

The first of the big guns to face the league leaders will be Sevilla. Manolo Jiménez’s side will first receive Valencia this Saturday at 22.00 and after that they too play the big teams in Barça, Madrid and Vila-real, in that order.

Valencia, bit by bit

Valencia follow their game with Sevilla with a game against Betis, and after that they’ve got Barça. Valencia then get to ‘rest’ for a week against Espanyol before facing Vila-real. Valencia will end their run of games against fellow leaders on the weekend of January 10 and 11, 2009.

Real Madrid, with Christmas in between

Real Madrid also have four games in a row against their fellow leaders, but have the Christmas break in between. In two weekends time they have Sevilla, in three weeks time it’s Barça and in four its Valencia. They then have a fortnight off for Christmas, and return to their difficult string of matches by entertaining Vila-real.

Finally, Vila-real

Pellegrini’s side will be the last of the sides to take on a run of games against the other top teams. By Christmas, Vila-real will have only played Sevilla and Barça.

 
Despite losing to Honduras on Wednesday, Rafa Márquez’s Mexico qualified for the to the final round of qualifying in the North, Central American and Caribbean Zone, while Dani Alves appeared for Brazil in their emphatic victory over Portugal.
Mexico and Brazil were the last two teams that included Blaugrana stars in their line-ups to play in midweek. For the former there was a sweet and sour outcome as they were beaten 1-0 by Honduras but still managed to make it through to the last stage of the World Cup qualifying process. Sven Gorän Eriksson’s team made it after Jamaica failed to beat Canada by enough goals, winning just 3-0.

Márquez plays for 90 minutes

Márquez played for the full 90 minutes against Honduras and performed well. The only goal of the game, which took place in pouring rain, was an own goal scored by Ricardo Osorio in the 51st minute. Mexico, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Costa Rica and El Salvador will all participate in the next phase with the top three going to South Africa and the fourth place taking on the team that finishes fifth in the South American qualifiers.

Alves helps Brazil to victory (6-2)

Brazil put on a spectacle in the Walmir Campello de Bezerra as they eased to a 6-2 victory against Portugal. After 19 years without beating the Portuguese they did so in style on Wednesday as both sides went out looking to score goals and win the game. Luis Fabiano starred as he netted a hat-trick while Maicon, Elano and Adriano all scored, while Danny and Simão replied for the visitors. Dani Alves went on as a substitute in the 77th minute when he replaced Maicon.

 
Pep Guardiola welcomed back several players from international duty at training on Thursday afternoon, leaving only Rafael Márquez and Daniel Alves to make their return on Friday.
After the midweek break for friendlies and World Cup qualifiers, the Blaugrana reported back for duty on Thursday with the first team squad and there were only two absentees. Márquez played for Mexico against Honduras and Alves was with Brazil for their game against Portugal with both matches taking place in the early hours of Thursday, European time.

In the Miniestadi

The session took place in the Miniestadi at 17:30 with Carles Puyol, who played for Spain against Chile on Wednesday night, did not go out on to the pitch and instead remained inside to be treated for a stomach upset and a headache.

Xavi, Aliaksandr Hleb, Thierry Henry and Martín Cáceres, who also all played in midweek, they did make it and enjoyed an easy run-out-.

Specific training

Xavi, Hleb, Henry and Cáceres joined Sergio Busquets, who played for Spain Under-21’s on Tuesday, in a warming down training routine that was shorter than the rest of the players’ session. After stretching, the five stars then went through a specific programme for them.

 
FC Barcelona stars Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernández and Lionel Messi were all presented with their rewards for being named included in the FIFPro Ideal XI for 2008 in the press room at Camp Nou.
The prizes were handed out by the agency that represents players all over the world and it is those players that vote for their favourites over the past 12 months, with the winners making up a select side of the best performers.

Puyol and Messi again

Last year Puyol and Messi were included as well and were presented with mementoes to cherish, while a year early there was only one winner as Ronaldinho scooped all the FIFPro awards for his outstanding displays throughout 2006.

Other winners

In the ideal XI along with the Barça trio are Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres (Liverpool) and Kaká (AC Milan).

Out of that impressive line-up, Ronaldo was the player that received the most votes and he was also named as the FIFPro Player of the Year.

The most players

FC Barcelona is the club with the most players in the Ideal XI with three, while Real Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool all had two representatives each, while Chelsea and AC Milan had one apiece.

 
Bojan Krkic is confident that he will become a success with FC Barcelona and recognised that it is still very early days for him.
Keeping his feet on the floor as usual, the Blaugrana youngster told a press conference on Thursday that he has “only just begun” in the game and that he is not concerned about playing “less minutes than last season because I know my chance will come sooner or later”.

“I have not gone backwards”

In his first campaign, Krkic admits that he was given so many minutes as he was just 17 at the time. It was very “unexpected” and for the reason he does not believe that playing less so far this term should considered something “bad”.

“I have only just begun in the world of football and I do not believe that I have taken any steps back,” he said. “I have to be calm and I am conscious that I am with one of the best clubs in the world. I really want to prove myself when I am given some time.”

Bojan then started that his “progression is on the right track” because he has been called into the squad for nearly every game and has been given some chances.

Pleased for Busquets

The atmosphere within the Barça dressing room was another subject that Boajn relflected upon: “The arrival of players such as Gerard Piqué has helped me to integrate more into the team. We have a squad full of great players.”
Every youth team product that earns a call up to the first team squad, like Sergio Busquets, also pleased Bojan. “I am very happy with Busi’s rise,” he explained. “He is a player that has done very and I am always pleased when boys from the youth teams are promoted.”

 
No fewer than eight FC Barcelona players have international matches this Wednesday. Only Márquez is involved in a World Cup qualifier, the others are all friendly matches.
Xavi, Puyol, Henry, Márquez, Martín Cáceres, Hleb and Alves all have international fixtures this evening. All but one of the games are friendlies, for Rafa Márquez and Mexico face Honduras in a qualifier for the South Africa World Cup in 2010.

Big game for Mexico

Mexico meet Honduras at the Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula, and it’s an important fixture for the side managed by Sven-Göran Eriksson. The Mexicans are top of their group, but Honduras are hot on their trail in second place. A win or a draw for Mexico would guarantee passage into the final qualifying round. But if they lose and Jamaica can win by a wide enough margin against Canada, Mexico would be heading for a shock exit. The game kicks off late Wednesday, early Thursday at 2.00 CET.

Puyol in doubt

Spain have Barça’s Xavi and Puyol in the side that faces Chile in Villarreal (22:00, TVE). Vicente del Bosque is not sure whether he can count on the services of Carles Puyol, who has muscular problems in his abdomen, although the Catalan has been able to train normally with the rest of the squad.

Henry v Cáceres

There is also one direct encounter between FC Barcelona stars. Henry and France will face Uruguay, and Martin Cáceres, and the Saint-Denis, Paris, at 21.00.

Hleb also has a game, with Belarus playing an exhibition match against Cyprus in Nicosia at 18.00.

Alves in Brazil

Finally, Alves has been named in the Brazil side that entertains Portugal tonight (01.00 in the early morning).

 
The first team returned to training on Wednesday afternoon. Several internationals might be away, but there were nevertheless 13 of the first team available, including Samuel Eto’o, who has not travelled to Cameroon after all.
After winning at Recreativo Huelva on Sunday, Barça returned to training on Wednesday afternoon. Eight players are off on international duty, meaning Pep Guardiola had 13 first team players to work with at the Miniestadi. Samuel Eto’o had originally been destined for a Cameroon friendly in South Africa, but in the end, has stayed at home.

Four reserves as back-up

So the players that started preparation for the game with Getafe on Sunday were Víctor Valdés, Pinto, Jorquera, Piqué, Gudjohnsen, Messi, Bojan, Pinto, Keita, Sylvinho, Touré Yaya, Eto’o, Pedro and Víctor Sánchez. They were joined by Barça Atlètic’s Córcoles, Verdés, Vázquez and Xavi Torres.

Sergio Busquets, who played an under 21 international on Tuesday against Portugal, did recovery work in isolation in the gym.

 
Seydou Keita is improving as a footballer at Barça and feels he can perform even better than he did at Sevilla. The Malian is also thoroughly impressed with the way his team is performing in defence.
Seydou Keita spoke to the press on Wednesday and said he is hoping “to do things better” and is confident he can perform even better than he did in a Sevilla shirt. The midfielder feels he is getting over “a process of adapting to a new system of playing”.

Keita’s first goals

The midfielder from Mali got his first goal for his new team against Recreativo, and said he was delighted to have got off the mark because “goals mean the difference between winning and losing”. He also added that “it is important for midfielders to score as well” as that’s an added bonus for the team.

Great defending

Barça are letting in very few goals this season, and that’s got a lot to do with the fact that they aren’t giving their opponents many chances. Keita explained that “we are working well in defence and that’s important, because we know it’s dangerous to let teams take shots against us.” He is also impressed with the amount of possession his side gets to enjoy. “I think one of our strong points is that when we lose the ball, we fight to get it back quickly, because as long as we have the ball, it’s so much harder for our opponents.”

Keita and Touré

Much has been said this season about whether Touré and Keita are compatible. The Malian has no doubts about this. “I don’t think comparisons should be made between us. We are different players, we play different football and everyone contributes in his own way to the team. We are compatible and we also complement each other” he said.

 
Xavi Hernández and Carles Puyol helped Spain to victory over Chile on Wednesday evening while Thierry Henry and Martín Cáceres were on opposite sides as France and Uruguay drew a blank in Paris and Aliaksandr Hleb tasted defeat against Cyprus.
One victory, one draw and a loss was the tally from the three games involving Barça players early on Wednesday. Spain continued their good run of form as they recorded another win against the Chileans in el Madrigal.

Winning run

Puyol and Xavi started the game, but the Blaugrana captain was replaced by Carlos Marchena at half-time and the Catalan club’s vice-captain was substituted by Fernando Llorente with 20 minutes remaining. Both players looked confident and impressed during their time on the pitch as Spain went on to win the game 3-0 thanks to goals from David Villa, Fernando Torres and Santi Cazorla gave them victory in front of 19,000 spectators.

Xavi sets up Torres

Villa had put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot in the first half after Albert Riera had gone over in the area and Torres then netted a second to put the outcome beyond doubt with a glorious effort as he turned in the area and swept the ball past Real Sociedad’s Claudio Bravo in the Chile goal after being picked out by Xavi. The third goal arrived soon after when Cazorla’s effort ricocheted off Carmona’s foot and beat the keeper.

Goalless in Paris (0-0)

Henry and Cáceres met up in Paris as France took on Uruguay in the Stade de France, but the game was not a classic. The home side were whistled at the end for their performance in a game that saw the Barça defender play the full 90 minutes and the forward depart with 18 minutes remaining.

Henry and Cáceres

In the first half, the French dominated possession and created all the chances in front of goal as Henry, playing out o the left, combined well with Nicolas Anelka. One of the most intense duels of the game saw Cáceres mark Franck Ribéry so tightly that he earned himself a yellow card five minutes before the break.

Hleb loses in Cyprus

Bielorrusia were defeated in Cyprus in a game that saw Hleb play. Demetris Christophi and Avraam both scored to put the hosts in command in Nicosia before Leonid Kovel reduced the arrears.

 
Barça hit the woodwork three times at Nuevo Colombino, which means they have now been denied by the post or the bar twelve times so far this season in just eleven games.
Barça would be entitled to rue their luck with the woodwork this season, as the Catalans have now hit the post or bar twelve times in eleven League fixtures. The last three instances came in Sunday’s game away at Recreativo with Henry (twice) and Bojan the unlucky players. However, the team has still racked up the pretty impressive figure of 36 goals scored at an average of 3.2 per game.

Henry and Alves unluckiest

Thierry Henry and Dani Alves are the unluckiest players, seeing their goal attempts come back off the woodwork three times each. Next comes Iniesta, who hit the post twice in the thrashing of Atlético de Madrid (6-1). Finally Eto'o, Messi, Xavi and Bojan have all hit the woodwork once.

Woodwork dozen

D MATCH NAME MINUTE 1 Numancia-FCB Eto'o 16 1 Numancia-FCB Messi 90 2 FCB-Racing S. Alves 46 4 FCB-Betis Alves 87 5 Espanyol-FCB Xavi 15 5 Espanyol-FCB Henry 68 6 FCB-At.Madrid Iniesta 28 6 FCB-At.Madrid Iniesta 30 9 Málaga-FCB Alves 67 11 Recreativo-FCB Henry 71 11 Recreativo-FCB Henry 82 11 Recreativo-FCB Bojan 93

 
Joan Laporta believes that negotiations about renewing Xavi Hernández’s contract at the club are “going along the right track” and he is confident that a deal can be done with the influential midfielder.
The FC Barcelona president explained that he is satisfied with the way the talks are progressing and thinks that there is good will on both sides to see an agreement reached. “Our technical secretary, Txiki Begiristain, is updating me regularly on how the negotiations are going and I believe that they are on the right track. I also think that things will go well because both parties want Xavi to continue with FC Barcelona,” he explained.

A key player

Laporta is in no doubt about the importance of Xavi as a player to the club. “For us, he is a key player and is an example to every youngster that we have in the youth ranks,” he continued. “He is one more example of how Barça promote their players from within and shows that with hard work and determination anyone can make it in to the first team and become renowned in the game.”

 
Samuel Eto’o and Fernandao are the top scorers in their respective teams and leagues with 13 goals each this season.
There is not between the two hotshots, despite the fact that they both play different sports, and the pair have a similar objective which is to try and find a way to the opponents’ goal as quickly and as many times as possible.

Two Blaugrana top scorers

The two forwards are lethal in front of goal and have a real hunger which has helped them make great starts to their respective seasons and there appears to be no sign of them letting up. With 13 goals each, they are not only top scorers for their teams but also in the leagues in which they play.

Eto'o doing well

Eto’o’s 13 goals have come in eleven matches this term, giving him an average scoring rate of 1.18 goals-per-game. The Cameroonian striker has started in ten of the eleven league matches played so far this term and has netted four times in one game, when he helped the Blaugrana to an emphatic win against Real Valladolid earlier this month. It is those statistics that have made him one of the players that opponents watch out for the most.

Fernandao has 1.44 goals-per-game

Fernandao also has 13 goals to his name this term as he has become a key player in Marc Carmona’s team. The Brazilian has started eight of the nine futsal games for Barça this season and he has an average of 1.44 goals-per-game. Like Eto’o, he has also scored four times in the same game, when he netted a quadruple against Pinto on October 26.

 
This week some of Barça’s internationals will be away playing for their countries. Xavi, Puyol, Busquets, Henry, Márquez, Cáceres, Hleb, Alves and Eto’o have all been called up for international duty.
After the eleventh round of League matches, Barça are taking a short break due to midweek international fixtures. The players will not be back training until Wednesday afternoon, with Xavi, Puyol, Sergio Busquets, Henry, Márquez, Martín Cáceres, Hleb, Dani Alves and Eto’o all being away on international duty. The fixtures are friendlies except for Mexico’s World Cup qualifying match.

Short trips

Xavi and Puyol, who have been called up for the Spain versus Chile clash at Vila-real, have the shortest trips. Sergio Busquets will be travelling with the Spanish under-21 side to Cartaxo to take on Portugal on Tuesday; the rest of the games are on Wednesday. Thierry Henry and Martin Cáceres will also not be travelling far for the France against Uruguay game at Saint Dennis in Paris. 

Meanwhile Hleb is in the Byelorussia squad for the game against Cyprus in Nicosia.

Longer journeys

The longest trips will be made by Samuel Eto’o, Dani Alves and Rafa Márquez. The striker has a friendly with Cameroon at Rustenburg in South Africa, while the two defenders will be crossing the Atlantic. Alves has been called up for the Brazil-Portugal clash in Brasilia while Márquez will play in the World Cup qualifying game between Honduras and Mexico.

 
After the blow he received in the Recreativo game, Barça’s medical services have recommended that Touré Yaya should rest up for two days. As a result he won’t be playing for Ivory Coast this week.
In yesterday’s game the player suffered a bad blow to the head which left him groggy and required stitches.

The club’s medical services say that further tests today have ruled out any injury.

Nevertheless, the doctors have recommended no sports for 48 hours so Touré Yaya will not be travelling to Israel for Ivory Coast’s friendly on Wednesday.

In a statement the club said that "the player is expected to rejoin his team-mates for training on Wednesday after a final medical check”.

 
Messi opened the scoring at Nuevo Colombino with a rehearsed, training ground move, but it’s only one of the eight goals scored so far in the League from dead ball situations.
Amongst other things, training sessions behind closed doors mean you can practice goals like the one created by Xavi and Messi on Sunday at Huelva (0-2). “We’ve been working on it at training, but there are some games when it just doesn’t come off,” said Sergio Busquets after the match. “The other day we saw a video of Recreativo and noticed they didn’t have a defender where Messi came in.” They didn’t have one against Barça either.

Second time around

Busquets is undoubtedly one of the first team players most familiar with the move, as Guardiola used it last year in the Third Division when he was the manager of Barça Atlètic.

It was matchday 31 when an identical ploy garnered three points for the reserve team as Jeffren and Pedro created the only goal of the game against Cassà in a training ground move. The team tried the same move in games against Manlleu, Rapitenca and Barbastro though on these occasions they failed to score.

Training ground goal

Guardiola couldn’t conceal his delight after scoring with a training ground ploy. “I’m delighted for Messi,” he said. “The key things were Xavi’s pass and Messi’s ability to put it away. We’ve been practicing it for some time.”

“In a game as evenly balanced as today’s you need to surprise the other lot,” said Alves. “We’ve been working on it for quite a while,” added Márquez.

Five goals from free kicks

Messi’s goal in Huelva was the fifth from a free kick this season. The other four, however, were the result of direct shots on goal. The first one came when Messi took advantage of a lack of concentration in the Atlético de Madrid defence and scored when Coupet was lining up a wall which hadn’t been asked for.

Then two powerful strikes by Alves brought two more goals against Almeria and Malaga, while Xavi’s accuracy provided another against Malaga.

Four more from corners

Set piece plays don’t only come from free kicks. Corners can be dangerous as well, and Barça have scored from four of them. Márquez is responsible for two, against Sporting Lisbon and Atlético de Madrid, while two more came from Eto’o and an own goal against Sporting Gijon.

 
Gerard Piqué made his eleventh start of the season against Recreativo. The defender is carving out a place for himself in Guardiola’s side and is now the second most-used signing.
Gerard Piqué is certainly making his mark on his return to Barça. In spite of his youth and relatively lack of experience of top flight football, the ex-Man United player has become a key part of the Barcelona defence and has more than 1,000 minutes of game time with the first team.

Eleven starts

Eleven games and eleven starts are his record this season and he has only missed three of Barça’s last twelve fixtures. Seven of those games have been in the League, with three more in the Champions League and one in the Spanish Cup.

Good in attack and defence

Piqué has already shown his class. A committed defender, he is also more than willing to get forward where at 1.92 m tall he has proved particularly dangerous in the air.

Just one card

He’s also demonstrated that you can be a good defender without having to play dirty or aggressively. In fact he’s only picked up one yellow card this season, in the first Champions League group game against Sporting Lisbon.

 
With nine wins, a draw and a defeat in eleven games, Guardiola’s Barça have made the best ever start to the League having beaten the record set by Sir Bobby Robson’s side in the 1996/97 season.
There’s still a long way to go, but Barça 2008/09 have already earned themselves a place in the history books with a record-breaking start to their League campaign after winning at Nuevo Colombino. With nine wins, a draw and a defeat they have beaten the record set by Sir Bobby Robson’s side in the 1996/97 season, which until 16 November 2008 had made the best ever start in the history of the club with eight wins and three draws.

Rijkaard, Cruyff and Herrera

Other great starts include the one in the 1963/64 season, when Barça began with nine wins and two defeats under the legendary César Rodríguez. However, the side then lost momentum and were unable to hold onto top spot.

Almost as good were the starts made by Frank Rijkaard (2004/05), Johan Cruyff (1990/91) and Helenio Herrera (1958/59). Their teams began with eight wins, two draws and a defeat. In all three seasons Barça ended up as League champions.

Less fortunate were the sides managed by Franz Platko (1955/56) and James Bellamy (1929/30), who despite making two of the best starts in history – eight wins, a draw and two defeats – in the end were unable walk off with the League title.

Record for wins on the trot still some way off

Nine wins in a row is another fine achievement by the Barça of 2008/09. However, this is still five behind the record for most wins on the bounce set by Rijkaard’s team in the 2005/06 season at fourteen.

 
The eleventh day of league action could not have been better for Barça’s interests. Not only did they collect an important away win at Recreativo, but none of their immediate rivals gained three points.
Real Madrid and Valencia failed on Saturday, and Villarreal did too on Sunday. None of the sides that could have prevented Barça from coming away from the Nuevo Colombino as leaders were able to win this weekend.

Valladolid and Sporting cause shocks

The biggest surprises came on Saturday, when Madrid lost in Valladolid and Valencia went down at home to Sporting. Madrid were beaten by the only goal of their game, scored by Canobbio in the 48th minute.

Unai Emery’s side, meanwhile, were beaten 3-2 at home to Sporting Gijón, who were never behind, and thus inflicted the second consecutive home defeat on the side from Mestalla.

Barça are now five points ahead of both Real Madrid and Valencia.

Villarreal draw

Sunday saw yet another surprise as Villarreal were held in Malaga. The visitors went ahead twice, but the Andalusians responded both times with goals of their own. So Villarreal have thrown away two points they almost had in the bag and are now three adrift of Barça.

The other sides in the European zone, Sevilla and Atlético Madrid, did collect wins this weekend, against Getafe and Deportivo respectively.