Barça’s rival tonight, Levante, go into their sixth game of the season with no wins to date, the worst goal difference of any of the teams, and are currently bottom of the table.
It looks like FC Barcelona’s best chance of finally getting an away win this season, after goalless draws in Santander and Pamplona. But Levante are not a side to be taken lightly.

Most goal against and least goals for

The side from Valencia have the poorest stats in the first division. They have scored just two goals in three games and have conceded ten. Abel Resino’s side has lost all three of their away games, to Mallorca (3-0), Racing (1-0) and Osasuna (4-1). Only three of the players that started at the Reyno de Navarra are expected to play against Barça. At home, Levante drew 0-0 with newly promoted Múrcia and lost 1-2 against Bilbao.

Many changes

The Levante administrative council, presided by Julio Romero, brought in plenty of fresh faces this season. These included Georgian Arveladze, formerly of Ajax Amsterdam and Glasgow Celtic, who is the side’s main attacking reference, although due to injury he has yet to make his league debut. Much is also expected of Savio Bortolini, Emilio Viqueira and David Castedo.

Second season under Abel Resino

Brought in midway through last season to replace the sacked Juan Ramón López Caro, Abel Resino is coaching Levante for the second time. Until starting his new job, he was manager at second division Ciudad de Múrcia, a side he almost guided to promotion. He has also been assistant manager of Atlético Madrid under Radomir Antic and César Ferrando, where he was also director of football for three years. As a footballer, Abel Resino was a keeper, and holds the record for going 1,272 minutes without letting a goal in when playing for Atlético Madrid.

Good memories

The municipal owned Ciutat de València always brings back fine memories, for it was here that Frank Rijkaard celebrated his first league victory in 2005. Barça drew 1-1 with Levante to win the title with three games to spare. Rivera put the home side ahead, but Eto’o levelled affairs, which was enough to secure the title. The stadium, as it will be tonight, was full of red and blue, for Levante, of course, wear the same colours as Barcelona.

 
Leo Messi, Gabriel Milito and Ronaldinho have been called up for Argentina and Brazil, respectively, for the forthcoming first round of the South American World Cup qualifying campaign ahead of the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
The trio have all been named in their national squads as the road to the next World Cup Finals kicks off next month. Messi and Milito has been named by Alfio Basile in the Argentinian squad for the games against Chile, on October 13 in Buenos Aires, and against Venezuela, three days later in Maracaibo.

Dunga calls upon Ronaldinho

Even though he has not yet been given the green light to play for FC Barcelona, Ronaldinho has been named by Dunga in the Brazil squad to face Colombia and Ecuador. The Blaugrana superstar is still carrying a calf strain and has missed the last two league games for Frank Rijkaard's side, but he is expected to be back by the time that the international are due to be played. Brazil take on Colombia on October 14 in Bogotá and then three days later they meet Ecuador in Maracaná in Rio de Janeiro.

 
Carles Puyol has been named in the Barça squad for the first time this season, while Raf Márquez and Gianluca Zambrotta are out through injury.
Three months after undergoing surgery, the Blaugrana captain is back and has been included in the trip to Levante this weekend by coach Frank Rijkaard. The other new faces in the squad are Marc Crosas and Eidur Gudjohnsen. The trio are included while Márquez and Zambrotta are out after picking up knocks in midweek and Santi Ezquerro is omitted for technical reasons. Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Edmílson are all still out with differing injuries too.

Márquez taking no risks

Márquez was unable to train in Camp Nou on Friday morning as the Mexican international continued to feel pain in his right Achilles tendon after suffering the blow during the victory against Real Zaragoza on Wednesday. The club's medical team advised the defender not to train as a precautionary measure and also told the coach not to risk him at the weekend.

Ronaldinho continues comeback

Ronaldinho continued to train alone on the pitch in front of La Masia as he looks to overcome a calf strain that has alreday seen him miss the games against Sevilla and Zaragoza.

 
FC Barcelona have already shown this season that they are playing as a team with no less than six different players having scored in the first six official games of the campaign.
The goals have also come from all area of the pitch too, with defenders, midfielder and forwards chipping into help the side remain unbeaten in the opening weeks of the term. Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Rafa Márquez, Andrés Iniesta and Lionel Messi have all registered their names on the scoresheet and the list is sure to continue to grow.

Messi tops the charts

Out of the six, Messi hass been the most effective with four goals to his name to make him the joint top goalscorer in the Spanish top flight. Atlético's Sergio Agüero, Villarreal's Giuseppe Rossi, Sevilla's Frédéric Kanouté and Real Madrid's Wesley Sneijder also have scored four times so far. Messi has also scored in the Champions League too as he netted one of Barça's three goals against Lyon last week.

Two newcomers

Two of the Blaugrana's summer signings have bagged their first goals for the club withThierry Henry scoring in the Champions League win against Lyon recently, while Touré Yaya scored a superb effort against Athletic Bilbao in the league.

The same position

Two of the other goalscorers for the team have been Ronaldinho and Andrés Iniesta. Curiously, both players have registered their goals while playing in the same position on the left side of the three-pronged attack. The Brazilian netted twice against Athletic Bilbao, while Iniesta scored against Real Zaragoza on Wednesday.

Nine months later

Of the six players, Rafa Márquez is, perhaps, the most unusual as he had not scored at all for the Blaugrana since January. The Mexican international stole forward to head home the fourth goal against Zaragoza in midweek.

 
Touré Yaya has asked for forgiveness from Francelino Matuzalem after his tackle injured the Brazilian midfielder and has seen him ruled out of action for up to two months.
Talking to Barça TV and www.fcbarcelona.cat, the Barça star explained the incident during the win over Real Zaragoza in Camp Nou on Wednesday was "unfortunate".

"I let myself become caught up in the moment emotionally because of the intensity," Touré explained. "I did not want to hurt him at all, in fact, I tried to avoid that, but my trailing leg carried forward."

The two players have met before in the Ukrainian league as Touré played for Metalurg Dontesk between 2003 and 2005, while Matuzelam was with Shakhtar Donetsk from 2004 until this summer.

Seeking forgiveness

After the game against Zaragoza, Touré was keen to find out how Matuzalem was and instead of going to change, he went directly to enquire in the away team dressing room. "I went to find him in the changing room after the game," he explained. "I have not come to Spain to be dirty, but to play football."

Feeling sad

After hearing that Maztulzalem will be out of action for two months with a partial tear of a ligament in his left knee, Touré said: "I feel very sad for him. He is a great player and I ask for his forgiveness. I did not mean to hurt him at all."

 
Frank Rijkaard could not hide his delight at the upturn in every aspect of the FC Barcelona in recent matches that has led to three consecutive home victories and silenced the critics.
Wins against Lyon, Sevilla and Real Zaragoza in the space of a week has seen the Blaugrana's spirit return and their performances have been hailed by everyone, including the Dutch coach: "The team has trained well," he said. "The results have changed and so has the attitude and the play. The team is entertaining too, but the most important thing is to see the dynamics of unity and hard work. If we continue doing this then we will win the majority of our games."

Puyol’s return

Carles Puyol has been named in the FC Barcelona squad for the first time this season and Rijkaard is delighted for the club captain. "We are very happy because he has been told he can play again," the coach said. "The practice game with the youngsters went well and he had no problems. He is ready to come back and play." Asked whether Puyol will play this weekend, Rijkaard said: "It depends what we need. For example, Iniesta is a midfielder who can attack and is so intelligent that he can play on the right wing, the left and behind the strikers. It is great to have a player like this."

Márquez and Ronaldinho

Rafa Márquez, Ronaldinho, Gianluca Zambrotta and Santi Ezquerro are all out of the squad to face Levante on Saturday. Rijkaard spoke first about Ronaldinho saying: "He is very lively and what he needs it to recover from his injury and return to form." Reflecting on Márquez's absence, he stated that the defender has not ben included "as prevention measure" after the Mexican received a blow to his Achilles tendon in midweelk. "He has some pain and we dio not want to take any risks."

This weekend

After winning their last two league games at home, Barça now go in search of their first away victory of the campaign. Looking back at the draws against Racing and Osasuna Rijkaard explained: "We have not played how we have wanted to. I am not looking for excuses, but both those games took place after international breaks. The match at the weekend will be important for us to try and maintain the run we have started." Levante maybe in last place in the table, but the Blaugrana coach does not believe that means anything at this stage of the season: "You cannot think it will be asy. All our opponents deserve respect," he said. "We have to go out there with the right mentality and if we work hard then the quality will make the difference. But here are no easy games."

Touré’s strength

Rijkaard then defended Touré Yaya after he received a yellow card for a crunching challenge on Frnacelino Matuzalem in midweek. The Brazilian has been ruled out for two months with knee ligament damage, but the Barça coach stated that Touré "does not look to injure players. He went for the ball. He is so strong and to come up against him is different to other players. He has adapted quickly during his time here and is tactically very good."

Pleased with Henry

With only one goal in six official matches this term, Thierry Henry will be hoping to start hitting the net more regularly soon. Rijkaard is not worried though: "I am satisfied as he works hard for the team," he continued. "He looks to add depth and creates chances and it is only a matter of time. With a simple touch he set up the goal for Messi (against Real Zaragoza). Physically he is improving and in the final minutes against Zaragoza he had a great chance. He must learn to love the ball again. I am pleased because he can only improve."

 
The FC Barcelona captain has been given medical clearance after playing a game in which the players that didn’t get a full match against Zaragoza faced a group of Barça B players in the Miniestadi.
Carles Puyol was the main attraction of the 60 minute match on Wednesday morning. The Barça captain played at centre back during the first half alongside Thuram and in the second teamed up with Valiente. Puyol seemed back to his old self, and after playing the game at 100 per cent was given the medical all-clear.

Three months out of action

Puyol tore ligaments in his left knee in the last game of last season, at Mamelody Sundowns of South Africa on June 21. Doctor Ramon Cugat operated on his leg and he has been working apart from the group for three months. But the wait is over, and he is now free to rejoin Rijkaard and his squad.

Young reinforcements

Apart from Carles Puyol, the blue team coached by Johann Neeskens also featured Jorquera, Fali, Thuram Sylvinho, Crosas, Dimas, Gudjohnsen, Giovani, Bojan and Ezquerro. Marc Valiente, Víctor Vázquez and Espasandín came on after the break.

The opposition was coached by Pep Guardiola, and included Pau, Víctor Sánchez, Botía, Jeffrey, Toribio, Xavi Torres, Busquets, Rueda, Urbano, Gai and Iago, with Eneko, Córcoles, Abraham and Bolaños also appearing.

First team make a comeback

It was an entertaining game. Sergi Busquets put the B team ahead with a well taken free kick. In the second half, Gudjohnsen, playing further back than usual, tied level from the penalty spot. Marc Valiente immediately added another for the first team as he headed home a corner. Bojan sentenced affairs with an individual run in the final seconds of the game, and was then taken straight off as a precautionary measure following a slight knock to his left knee.

Frank Rijkaard, Txiki Begiristain, José Ramón Alexanko and other members of the club’s coaching staff watched the proceedings from the stands.

 
Ronaldinho is well on the road to recovery from the injury to a muscle in his right leg. He trained on Thursday morning at La Masia, while the players that played against Zaragoza last night had a short recuperation session.
Ronaldinho appeared at La Masia at around a quarter to eleven, in the company of his fitness coach. He worked out alone, and his time on the pitch overlapped for half an hour or so with the activities of the bulk of the squad that had played in last night’s win over Real Zaragoza..

Ronaldinho did a series of different exercises that lasted about an hour. After a short warm-up, the Brazilian international tackled an obstacle course, followed by another exercise that involved ball work and shots on goal. The session ended with the Brazilian demonstrating that although he might be injured, he certainly hasn’t lost any of his shooting accuracy.

Gentle activity for the rest

The other members of Frank Rijkaard’s squad trained a usual, although as is typical after matches, it was not over-strenuous, especially for those that started against Zaragoza. For about half an hour Henry, Abidal, Xavi, Deco, Iniesta, Touré, Messi, Milito, Oleguer, who came on for the injured Zambrotta, and Valdés exercised in pairs. The only missing first team player was Marquez, who was in the gym.

 
Frank Rijkaard’s side has started the season with three comfortable wins at the Camp Nou, and the games were watched by an extraordinary average of 75,580 spectators.
Barça had a tricky challenge ahead of them this week. No fewer than three top class teams were due at the Camp Nou in French champions Olympique Lyon, UEFA winners Sevilla and the always dangerous Zaragoza. They have responded in style, with 9 goals scored and just 2 conceded.

Messi tops scoring

Thos eight days have been enough for Leo Messi to move to the top of the scoring charts with four consecutive goals in the stadium (the two against Sevilla followed by the first two against Zaragoza). This is proving to be the Argentinian’s best season yet, and he is tied at the top of the ‘pichichi’ chart alongside Kanouté (Sevilla), Rossi (Villarreal), Agüero (At. Madrid) and Sneijder (Real Madrid).

Average crowd of 75,580

The turnstiles have been clicking too. Both in Europe against Olympique (78,689 spectators), and in the League against Sevilla (77,399) and Zaragoza (70,676), the crowds have been spectacular this week.

Awkward times

The large crowds are especially good considering the fact that it is quite some achievement to get 70,000 people to come along to see a midweek game that did not kick off until 22.00. It is interesting to note that the last time Barça played a midweek league match at that time (v At. Madrid on December 21, 2006, 1-1), a considerably lower crowd of 53,685 people showed up.

 
Xavi Hernández feels Barça are back on the right track after the brilliant win over Zaragoza. The Barça midfielder said in a press conference that the team has found the championship winning formula again, but that they can’t drop their guard.
Xavi Hernàndez has said that ”attitude, fitness and above all mentality when we go onto the pitch are the reasons for our good form and results. We play in the opposition’s half, we go for it from the first minute and we have recovered the kind of pressure football that made us great. This is the Barça we all want and against Zaragoza both the fans and players were delighted”.

Winning dynamic

Winning games, says Xavi, has been the ideal tonic to get the team’s confidence back after taking a knock in some early encounters. ”The draws away to Racing and Osasuna affected the team’s confidence. When the results started coming, we entered a positive dynamic and our attitude and mentality improved. When the results are good, we become more confident”.

Messi the star

Xavi wished to underline the tremendous form of Leo Messi. He has scored 5 goals in official matches this season, including 4 in the league, making him the team’s top scorer. ”He is having some incredible games. He’s scoring goals, he’s making amazing plays and working for the team. He has an innate talent that, along with his speed makes him almost unstoppable. He is a natural talent and is maturing as a footballer at Barça. I think he is at the best club he could be at to display his skills. If he carries on like this, there are no limits to this player”.

Fans no surprise

As usual, Xavi was grateful to the fans for their constant support. ”The Camp Nou supporters are intelligent and generous, though also demanding. If the team gives them reason for the fans to cheer them on, by showing mentality, effort and commitment, then they will always support us. That was nice what they did for Ronaldinho. Perhaps he is not having the best of times and so it is important for the people to be there to support him. He is a very important player for us and the team needs him. He has given it a lot and I am sure he will continue doing so”.

 
Deco played his 100th league game for FC Barcelona against Real Zaragoza on Wednesday, and said today that his dream is to continue playing games and winning titles for Barça.
He was speaking on the Zona Mixta programme on Barça TV, and said “I have had three nice seasons with wins, twice in the league and once in the Champions, and now I want to carry on winning titles and playing games for Barça. That’s my dream, in this and in any other year.”

Happy at Barça

“The 100 game mark is always important for a player at a club like this, for me it is a pride and honour to be able to celebrate that with a game like yesterday’s. We were far superior but it was important to score early. They then pulled level, but we reacted well to that.”

He went on to say that “wins give us more confidence and tranquillity in our work and I think the most important thing is for us to keep getting better and playing well…We are improving in terms of defensive consistency and playing at a fast pace. That guarantees that we have a future.”

Messi and Ronaldinho

He also praised his colleagues, starting with, Leo Messi. “He is on great form but for those of us who are with him every day it comes as no surprise, although one thing is knowing what you are capable of doing, and another is actually doing it on the pitch” said Deco.

The Portuguese international then moved on to Ronaldinho. He said “Ronaldinho has made history at Barça; he changed the club’s history and just for that he deserves respect. He was the best player in the world and with a bit of work, he still can be.”

 
The Italian full back was injured against Zaragoza and as was confirmed today by the medical services, will be sidelined for about a month.
An echography and magnetic resonance test on Gianluca Zambrotta this Thursday morning has diagnosed the damage to the player sustained against Zaragoza. He has torn muscles in his right leg and will be out of action for about four weeks.

Unfortunate incident

Zambrotta was injured in the 18th minute of the match after attempting to win the ball off Ricardo Oliveira. He immediately asked to be taken off and was replaced by Oleguer.

 
FC Barcelona take on Real Zaragoza in their fifth league game of the season on Wednesday evening in Camp Nou and the visitors will be keen to cause a surprise and take something from the encounter.
Víctor Fernández's side have won just once in their opening four league fixtures this term as the season has not started as well as expected. After losing at Real Murcia in the first game, Zaragoza earned a point from a 1-1 draw at home against Racing Santander. The Aragónese outfit then produced the same scoreline as they garnered a share of the spoils in San Mamés against Athletic Bilbao, before finally winning their first match of the campaign when goals from Francelino Matuzalem and Diego Milito gave them a 2-1 victory over Osasuna in La Romareda.

New faces

Like many teams in la Primera, Rea Zaragoza had a busy summer in the transfer market as they bought and sold several players in a bid to improve their squad. Among the more high profile signings were Roberto Fabian Ayala from Villarreal, Gabi from Atlético de Madrid and the two Brazilian forwards, Ricardo Oliveira and Matuzalem, who came from AC Milan and Shakhtar respectively.

Same system

The departures of players such as Gabi Milito, Ewerthon and Gerard Piqué meant that new players were required. Despite the change in personnel, Fernández has not chnaged his system and Zaragoza still line up with the 4-1-3-2 formation that brought the side a lot of success last term. Ayala, Matuzalem and Oliveira are already regulars in the team, while Diego Milito has been handed the captain's armband following the exit of his brother, Gabi, to FC Barcelona.

Previous meetings

Since winning promotion back to the first division in 2003-04, Real Zaragoza have failed to win in Camp Nou in the league. Barcelona have won three of the matches and one ended in a draw in the four games since. The Blaugrana secured all three points last season in the fixture thanks to a late free-kick from Ronaldinho, after Thiago Motta had earlier been sent off.

 
Ronaldinho continued on the road to recovery on Wednesday morning as he trained on the pitch in front of La Masia under the watchful eye of a fitness coach.
Following a similar routine to the one that he carried on Tuesday , the Brazilian superstar went through his daily programme on his own, but always with a coach standing by to see how he is progressing as he looks to shake off the calf injury that kept him out of action at the weekend. After an easy warm-up session, Ronaldinho carried out different exercises with the ball before the pace was stepped up as the session continued. He finished by doing runs at varying pace and then took shots at goal.

Gudjohnsen and Puyol

Eidur Gudjohnsen and Carles Puyol also went out to the training pitch, but with different aims in mind. The pair went through different physical circuits with the ball, all of which ended with a shot at goal. Gudjohnsen has been omitted from the squad to face Real Zaragoza for technical reasons, while Puyol is in the final stages of his recovery from injury.

 
Rijkaard believes that the key to FC Barcelona's emphatic triumph against Real Zaragoza was the unity shown by his side as they hit four goals in the opening 45 minutes to clinch victory. "I have seen a great team and a real togetherness," he said.
The Dutch coach congratulated his players after their third straight win at Camp Nou was secured thanks to two goals from Leo Messi and one apiece from Andrés Iniesta and Rafa Márquez. "I was impressed by the work-rate, mentality and pressure shown by the team that allowed us to play some great football," he continued. "The team worked well together and the fans reacted with enthusiasim. I thought the relationship between the players and the crowd was great to see. When the team plays well the technical side of the play is more noticable and everything has made this a very good night for Barça."

A good mentality

One fine example of the players working with each other during the game was "their capacity to react after (Alberto) Zapater had equalised", Rijkaard said. "Also when we were 4-1 ahead, we continued to try and extend our lead. Everything start with a good mentality, how we work and how we play together. "Hard work and talent went hand-in-hand tonight."

Messi and Henry

Reflecting on another strong performance from Lionel Messi, the Blaugrana coach said that the youngster "was oustanding". He then spoke about Henry's unfortunate luck in front of goal. "The most important thing is that he is creating a lot of chances and playing a big part in the game," Rijkaard said. "It is just a question of time. He did hold the ball up very well for Messi's first goal."

Praise for Ronaldinho

During the game the Barça fans chanted the name of Ronaldinho, despite the Brazilian not being in attendance on Wednesday evening. "That encouraged the players," Rijkaard said. "Showing unity is what everyone wants. We more people are together, we are stronger."

Zaragoza’s qualities

Finally, Rijkaard wanted to make it clear that despite the convincing victory "it was never easy". He continued: "Zaragoza is a team with a lot of quality and if you give them space then they can punish you at any moment. It is a pity that we did not score more though."

 
Andrés Iniesta is delighted that FC Barcelona improved even further in the victory against Real Zaragoza on Wednesday evening and believes that the team can continue to build on the good run of form.
All the Barça players were buoyed by the emphatic win as Frank Rijkaard's side chalked up their third consecutive victory at home, having beaten Olympique Lyonnais and Sevilla in the past week at Camp Nou.

Below is what some of the players had to say:

Andrés Iniesta:

"The team is in great form and winning gives you more confidence. We are maintaining our form which is most important."

"I feel very good. When you feel like this everything works better."

"If we want to win trophies then we have to win our home games as well as the away ones."

Rafa Márquez:

"We have to carry this on and maintain our good run."

"The important thing is to finish games with a good taste in your mouth. The team kept up our work in both halves."

"I have a good understanding with Milito, he is a great defender. Defensively I thought that we played well and worked as a unit with Éric Abidal, Touré Yaya and Gianluca Zambrotta."

"Now we face Levante and we have to maintain our equilibirum and agressiveness."

Leo Messi:

"The team showed that we have continued playing as we did in our last couple of games. We have enjoyed all of them. I only try and do well for the team and to try and help."

"We did not start the season how we wanted to but we knew we could play like this."

Gaby Milito:

"It was a special game for me. I was very focussed on playing my best for the team. I enjoyed the the match."

"Zaragoza are quite an offensive team, but generally we have controlled the game. We were strong when it mattered."

"The three straight wins are important. They were against difficult opponents and were hard games but we have played well."

Oleguer Presas:

"Slowly but surely the team is finding its rhythm. We have to continue working hard because there is still a long way to go. The league has a long way to run."

"We have asked people to be patient. We have not yet reached our best, but if we continue to play like that then the results will continue to come."

 
Ezquerro is the only addition to the squad for the trip to Zaragoza. The Basque player comes in for the dropped Eidur Gudjohnsen, while the injured Ronaldinho misses another match.
Frank Rijkaard has named 18 players for the midweek league match at Zaragoza on Wednesday night (22.00, Barça TV and PPV). He has picked an almost identical team to the one that faced Sevilla, except that it is now Gudjohnsen, and not Santi Ezquerro, who has to sit the game out.

Ronaldinho still out

Apart from Gudjohnsen, Ronaldinho will also miss the trip to Zaragoza. The Brazilian is still suffering from a pulled muscle sustained in his right leg. He exercised at La Masia this morning and in the Camp Nou this afternoon as part of his recovery programme.

On Tuesday, Frank Rijkaard held the last training session before the players set off to the Aragonese capital. The session was held behind closed doors in the Miniestadi.

 
Speaking at the last press conference before Wednesday’s league match against Zaragoza, Frank Rijkaard told reporters that the team is committed to win: “When you work together, it’s easier for the quality to come out and to see attractive football”.
However, Rijkaard insisted that Zaragoza is a very good team: “Zaragoza always play well against Barça. We always have to respect our opponents and this is no exception. It’ll be a difficult match and we’ll have to work hard to win”.

He revealed that he’s very happy with the way the team is working: “All the players are looking fit and they’re really committed to winning the matches together. When that happens, it’s easier for the quality to come out and to see attractive football”.

Oleguer a good example

Rijkaard made special mention of the role of Oleguer in the team: “He’s a very important player for us, because of the humility with which he plays and also for his performances. We have to bear in mind that it’s been pretty hard for him to play the entire pre-season and to play really well, and then have to sit on the subs bench once or twice. When he comes on, he always behaves with a humility that is an example to everyone. He’s a player that doesn’t make mistakes. We need him because he balances the team and allows the creative players to shine”.

Respect for Ronaldinho

Most of the reporters’ questions were focussed on the form and his fitness of Ronaldinho. Frank Rijkaard was blunt in his defence of the Brazilian and insisted that he was being unfairly treated: “People forget very quickly that Barça is where it is thanks to him and his connection with the fans. In the world of football, the present is whoever is scoring and you can’t live in the past. But when he gets back to full fitness he’ll be the same as before. He’s got all my support and confidence to recover from his injury and be with us again. He’s a very important player for us and he’ll continue to be so”.

 
Víctor Valdés and Éric Abidal are the two players who’ve put in most minutes for the first team so far this season. Touré Yayá is next on the list, having featured in every game, missing just 24 minutes after being subbed.
Signed over the summer, Éric Abidal is already making the left back spot his own and his performance against Seville in snuffing out the threat from Jesus Navas and Dani Alves, one of Europe’s top right sided attacking units, was an excellent display of defending. It’s not just at he back that the Frenchman has proved his worth though, he’s also shown great adventure going forward and helping out in attack.

Valdés

Of course, it’s not unusual for a keeper to be ever present, but Valdes continues to stay injury free and in top form and there is no doubt that he’s earned his spot as Rijkaard’s number one stopper, a position he’s made his own over the last few seasons.

Over the last three seasons, with the exception of the game he was sent off in at the Nou Camp against Valencia in the 04-05 season, Valdes has figured in every minute for the team, whilst they were still in contention for a title, only making way for another keeper in the final league game two years ago once the title was won, and when qualification from the Champions League group was already assured.

Touré Yayá

Rijkaard’s other favourite this season is another summer signing - Touré Yayá, who has figured in every starting 11 so far, although he was subbed on 69 minutes in Santander and was also taken off in the dying minutes against Seville –needless to say to a standing ovation from the Nou Camp faithful.

Touré Yayá has taken over in one of the most difficult positions, running Barca’s midfield, ensuring there’s a link between attack and defence and acting as a first line of defence for the back four and his quick adaptation to the team is especially meritorious given the key role he’s been asked to fill.

 
The Brazilian took to the Camp Nou turf this afternoon to evaluate how his leg injury is standing up.
Ronaldinho appeared on the Camp Nou pitch in the company of his fitness coach at 6.00 and exercised for 30 minutes. The short session was designed to put the player through his paces and test what progress has been made as the player tries to get match fit as soon as possible.

Different exercises

Ronaldinho missed the weekend fixture against Sevilla, and will not be making the midweek trip to Zaragoza either. His individual session concentrated on coordination movements and running at different speeds, with a particular focus on the way his body is supported.

The Brazilian also did some work with the ball, although this was kept to the minimum and was never too strenuous for fear of provoking further damage.

 
This Wednesday, Gabi and Diego Milito will meet on opposite sides when Barça take on Zaragoza in the Camp Nou. This will be the first time they have played against each other since the 2002-03 season.
Diego and Gabi Milito had to wait 15 tears to see their dream of playing together in the same team come true. In Argentina, Diego (the older of the two brothers) made his debut with Racing de Avellaneda in 1999 while Gabi did so at the age of 17 but with fierce rivals Independiente. Any match between these two teams is one of the classic rivalries of Argentine football and the Milito brothers were involved in some passionately disputed encounters. Independiente’s 4-1 win in the 2002-03 season was especially hot-tempered.

Together in Zaragoza

In the summer of 2005, Zaragoza pulled off a transfer coup by bringing the two bothers together in the same team, where they stayed for two successful seasons. Gabi led the defence while Diego scored the goals – he scored no fewer than 23 last season

Starring roles

The matches between Barça and Zaragoza during the last two seasons have had everything – emotion, spectacle, goals and players sent off. And the two Milito brothers have consistently played a major role. Last season, Gabi scored Zaragoza’s only goal in the Camp Nou while Diego while Diego scored in the Romareda.

In the Camp Nou clash in the 2005-06 season, Gabi and Diego put Zaragoza two goals ahead with one apiece. However, Ronaldinho, from the penalty spot, and Samuel Eto'o rescued a point.

 
Ronaldinho was at the Nou Camp this morning to continue with his treatment for the calf strain that ruled him out on Saturday. The rest of the squad will train this evening.
Ronaldinho missed the game against Seville with calf trouble, but he was at the ground this morning to receive treatment and the club’s medical services reported: “we’ll see over the next few days if the progress he’s making means he’ll be available for the upcoming games”.

Evening training

Ahead of Wednesday evening’s game against Zaragoza, the rest of the first team squad are due at the stadium for training this evening at 18.30. Tomorrow’s training will be behind closed doors as Rijkaard prepares his squad for the midweek game.

 
Leo Messi had scored goals from all over the pitch before Saturday, but the game against Seville saw him bag his first ever penalty for Barca and show he’s just at home scoring from the spot as from anywhere else.
Palop, who’s quite an expert at penalty stopping, dived to his right for the Messi penalty, which the Argentinean coolly slotted in at the opposite corner. That was the Argentinean youngster’s first penalty in an official game for Barca, but he looked calm and collected as he hit his low shot into the corner for the second against Seville on Saturday. With Ronaldinho, Barca’s regular penalty taker, who scored from the spot in the last home game against Bilbao, missing through injury, Messi took on the responsibility and made no mistake.

29 goals and rising

That strike for Messi was his 29th goal with the first team, 23 in the league, 3 in the Spanish Cup and 3 more in the Champions League. His debut goal for Barca was on 1st May 2005 against Albacete when he became the youngest ever goal scorer for the club.

 
The senior squad had a light training session on Sunday morning after the previous night’s win against Sevilla. Ronaldinho, who is having treatment for a calf problem, did not train with the group.
There's no time to dwell on Saturday’s win against Sevilla ( 2-1 ) with the next league match coming up next Wednesday against Zaragoza in the Camp Nou. Today’s session started at 11 am and was focussed – as usual after matchdays – on recovering tired muscles.

Oier with the first team

Barça B keeper, Oier Olazábal, joined the senior players for training on Sunday. The Basque player, who took part in Barça B’s 3-2 win on Saturday, also trained with the senior squad on Monday.

The players began with warm-up exercises and continued with ball control work, except for Zambrotta, who did some jogging. Puyol joined in with the ball control exercises after warming up apart from the group.

Ronaldinho having treatment

Ronaldinho was the only player not to appear on the La Masía training grounds. The Brazilian, who missed the match against Sevilla, has a problem with his right calf muscle and is having specific treatment .

Circuit training

After the ball control exercises, Touré Yaya returned to the changing rooms while the rest of the players – plus Frank Rijkaard himself - did some circuit training focussing on speed. The players that took part in last night’s match then returned to the changing rooms while the rest continued with the exercise, this time with the ball.

Training match

Finally, the players that did not feature in last night’s starting line-up took part in a training match on a reduced pitch. One side was made up of Bojan, Sylvinho, Puyol, Gudjohnsen and Valdés and the other by Thuram, Oleguer, Giovani, Jorquera and Ezquerro. Meanwhile, Oier Olazábal worked apart with goalkeeping coach Juan Carlos Unzué.

 
Barca’s Ivory Coast midfielder Touré Yaya is as impressed as anybody by the performances of his brilliant young teammate Leo Messi and told reporters at the Nou Camp this morning: “he has to be a firm candidate for the FIFA player of the year.
It’s not just the Nou Camp fans who have been thrilled by Messi’s impressive start to the season, insisting: “he’s an exceptional player. He’s a wonderful player to play with and the best thing is that he’s really only just started to show us what he can do”.

Settling in

Touré himself is settling in well as the anchorman in midfield and in his four official games so far this season, his ball recovery and short passing have impressed: “I’ve found it easy to adapt to the group. It’s so full of top class players that it makes it very easy to slot into the system”.

Ronaldinho

Youré also had words of encouragement for Ronaldinho who turned up at the Nou Camp on Saturday night to support the team, despite missing the Seville game: “we saw him when the game was over. He had a little niggle in his calf, but I think he’ll be okay for our next game. I’ve been surprised by some of the comments made about him – he’s a great player and I think all of this will pass over soon”.

Room for improvement

The last couple of games have seen Barca overcome two tough opponents in Lyon and Seville, but Touré remains cautious about the future: “we put in a good game against Seville, who are close rivals for the title, but we still need to improve in putting away our chances. It’s still too early to draw many conclusions though, we’ll have to see at the end of the season if this team are at the level Barça teams have set over the last few seasons.

 
Ronaldinho will miss tonight’s clash with Sevilla due to a calf problem in his right leg, leaving Frank Rijkaard with a squad of 18 players.
Ronaldinho has been sidelined by a calf injury for Saturday night’s match against Sevilla in the Camp Nou. According to the medical bulletin released by the Club: “The player finished Friday’s training session with discomfort due to a pulled calf muscle in his right leg, and this has continued today. The Brazilian player is out of the match against Sevilla and in the next few days we’ll see if his progress will allow him to be available for the upcoming games”.

With Ronaldinho now out of the squad, Frank Rijkaard has 18 players available for the Sevilla match as he named 19 on Friday.

 
Frank Rijkaard was delighted with his team’s 2-1 win against Sevilla and stressed: “We deserved the win”.
Rijkaard reminded reporters of his comments before the match: “It was vital to keep growing as a team. We’ve beaten a very well organised opponent and taken three very important points. Anyone that saw the match has to say that we deserved the win”.

Praise for Messi

Lionel Messi, who scored both of Barça’s goals, was undoubtedly the star of the match. The Argentine striker dedicated his first goal to team-mate Ronaldinho, who was ruled out of contention at the last moment due to a calf problem. According to Frank Rijkaard: “Messi is playing really well. I very much liked the fact that, after the first goal, he remembered his team-mate. It shows that he’s got a cool head because when you score a goal you normally only think about celebrating”.

Pity about the Sevilla goal

Frank Rijkaard preferred not to draw any comparisons between the performance last night and the one against Lyon: “I don’t want to compare matches”. He congratulated his players while at the same time regretting the Sevilla goal in the 90th minute: “The last goal was a pity. It gave us some anxious final moments”.

Praise for Touré Yaya

Finally, Rijkaard assured reporters that he was not worried about Ronaldinho and then singled out Touré Yaya for a special mention: “Touré comes as no surprise. He’s adapted very quickly, reads the game really well and has plenty of tactical discipline. He makes life difficult for any opponent”.

 
The Barça players were happy with the 2-1 vital win against Sevilla 2-1.
Apart from Leo Messi, Andrés Iniesta was one of the stars of the match. He caused a lot of headaches for Daniel Alves in the Sevilla defence and stopped the Brazilian international from making his usual charging runs down the wing. Speaking in the Camp Nou studio of Barça TV after the match, he told us: “I’m feeling good. I’m confident. It was one of those matches we had to win. They are a good team”.

Team improving

Iniesta was satisfied with the win and also with the performance: “We’ve seen an improvement. It’s the beginning of the season and it’s important not to drop points”. Referring to Lionel Messi, he said: “It’s great to have him with us”.


Leo Messi:_

“We knew the attitude would be key because we certainly have the football”

“There’s no dependency on Messi”

“It’s wonderful when they chant your name. The fans have always given me their support”


Bojan Krkic:

“We have to build up our rhythm but you can see that we’re progressing”

“People can see that Giovani and I are young and they appreciate the effort”

“Messi is out of this world”


Giovani Dos Santos:

“The team played well. I’m happy with this win”

“It was a definite penalty”.

“We played a serious game with a lot of concentration”

“We’ve beaten one of the best teams in the league”

“I’m working hard, the boss is showing me his confidence and I’m trying to take my opportunities”.

 
Thierry Henry has thanked the Barça fans for all the support they have shown him, especially after scoring his first official goal for the club against Olympique Lyon.
FC Barcelona striker Thierry Henry has explained how he feels after scoring his first official goal for Barça. Speaking at a promotional event in the Poble Espanyol along with Real Madrid keeper, Iker Casillas, Henry recognised the importance of scoring against Lyon. ”It felt great although what was really important was the fact the team won” he said. “I am very happy to have scored at the Camp Nou in front of our fans. After trying in so many other games, I scored at last.”

Praise for the fans

Henry also said that “the fans have treated me well at all times. The truth is, I like the Barça supporters a lot.” The supporters are aware that he put in an awful lot of effort since joining the club, and Henry claims “I have always given it one hundred per cent in all matches. I have always played that way.”

Messi and Ronaldinho

Henry also spoke about two of his team mates, Ronaldinho and Messi. The Brazilian is “a fantastic player, special. He is still one of the best players in the world, if not the best.” But Messi was his man of the match against Lyon. “Messi carried the team in attack although the most important thing is not who plays best but that the team plays well as a whole and wins matches.”

 
Frank Rijkaard has leapt to the defence of Ronaldinho after the Brazilian's form was criticsed recently and stated that the player does not need to prove anything and will continue to be a key member of the FC Barcelona squad.
"Ronaldinho is showing that he is one of the best players int he world and I do not think he needs to hear any advice from me about that and neither does need to hear how he can improve," the coach explained. "He is working hard to be at peak fitness and his quality should never be doubted. He is incredible at set pieces and that is a very important weapon for us and I think that Ronaldinho is capable of doing what we all know he is capable of. He is a truly magnificent player and he has to come back and we are working to ensure that he does."

Making changes

Rijkaard then moved on to explain why he chose to substitute the Brazilian in Barça last two games. "There are a lot of games throughout the season and it is quite normal to make these changes," he said. "Everyone here are good players and we have to think about everything that we do and decisions have to made likethis from time to time. It is just as difficult to replace any one player as it is another."

United front

"Barça is dependent on everyone being together, hard work, a good mentality, a great attitude and for all the players to know each other and be friends and it all comes together when they go out and play well on the pitch," the Dutchman continued, as he reflected on his beliefs about how to make the team stronger.

An important encounter

Looking ahead to the game against Sevilla at the weekend, Rijkaard said: "It is a very important match as Juande Ramos' side are always very competitive. Even though it will not be easy, everyone is looking forward to it and the motivation is there to go out and earn a good result. In order to win we have to be aware of their individual qualities and how they work as a team and that they have great united. They are a team that plays close together."

One too many

Rijkaard has named 19 players for the squad, one more than is actually allowed and he explained that "some of the squad are carrying knocks, but they are not serious injuries and we will wait until the morning before we decide who is to be left out".

The trainer then stated that he did not believe the rumours of Ronaldinho going out partying the day before a game. "The rule is that for 48 hours before a match the players are not allowed to go to certain places," he said. "We have to believe in the honesty of the players and if he says that it is not true then I believe him."

 
Frank Rijkaard has named all of the players he has available apart from Santi Ezquerro for the game against Sevilla.
Eidur Gudjohnsen is the only addition to the set of players chosen to face Sevilla with respect top the last game against Olympique Lyon. Frank Rijkaard has chosen 19 men, but Santi Ezquerro has been left out.

Barça will also face Sevilla without the injured Eto’o, Edmílson and Puyol. The captain has not been given the medical all-clear, although he trained as normal in Friday’s session behind closed doors. After the war-up, Puyol joined in with a series of drills.

 
The team captain took part in Thursday morning’s training session with the rest of the squad. The focus was on recovering tired muscles.
The mood was upbeat at the La Masía training ground on Thursday morning. On the one hand, there was general satisfaction with the result against Lyon while on the other Carles Puyol rejoined the group for the first time since his serious knee injury.

Steady progress

Puyol appeared before the rest of the group and warmed up by himself. However, when the rest of the players started the session he immediately joined them and was greeted by loud applause. The players did some jogging, passing practice and finished with a practice match. The signs were good for Puyol, who appears to be making steady progress in his recovery from the right knee ligament injury he suffered in June.

Light training for last night’s victors

The players that took part in the match against Olympique Lyon followed a rather lighter session than the rest and did not take part in the practice match. However, Henry and Abidal remained behind for a relaxed passing session.

Five-a-side

The practice game was played between two teams of five players: Puyol, Gio, Sylvinho, Ezquerro and goalkeeping coach Juan Carlos Unzué against Thuram, Bojan, Iniesta, Jorquera and Gudjohnsen. The Icelandic striker took a heavy collision and was advised by Club doctors to cut short his participation to avoid any further problems.

 
After last night’s stellar performance, Barca star Leo Messi is refusing to let the plaudits go to his head and he insisted to reporters at the Nou Camp today: “I’m still growing as a player and I’m just one more in this squad”.
Leo Messi is clear that the fortunes of the squad are more important than any personal achievements and when asked about his chances of wining the Golden Ball award this year he made his feelings quite clear: “I’m not even thinking about that, it’s not onmy agenda –all I want is the best for Barca”.

Important win for the fans

The win against Lyon last night was the main point of discussion at the press conference and Messi stressed: “the result was specially important for the fans, since we’ve perhaps not been putting in the performances of late and last night just shows we are in fact on the right track. If the team clicks and we have confidence in ourselves, there’s no question but that we can carry off a victory against anyone”.

Ronaldinho, “the best in the world”

Ronaldinho has been substituted in the last two games, but Messi doesn’t reckon the Brazilian’s star is in any way on the wane: “he’s still the best in the world and a key player for the team. No player enjoys being taken off and I can understand his reaction.” Messi went on to admit: “the team obviously plays better when he’s on song – he gives us a lot more mobility”.

 
Bojan became the youngest ever Barca player to figure in a European match when he came on late in the game against Lyon. The youngster is just 17 years and 22 days old.
With his appearance, Bojan outdid Barca’s previous youngest player Leo Messi, who played against Shaktar Donetsk on 7th December 2004, when he was just 17 years, 5 months and 13 days.

On for Messi

Fittingly enough, it was the Argentinean striker who came off on 88 minutes to allow Rijkaard to make his change and give Bojan his chance to live out what he called his “second big dream” by playing at the Nou Camp, after making his first team debut in Pamplona at the weekend. In just four minutes on the pitch, Bojan was certainly lively enough, winning back balls and forcing what would have been a very dangerous free kick on the edge of the box, had the ref not failed to see the foul on him.

Two more under 18s

As well as Messi and Bojan, two other Barca players have figured in Europe before reaching their 18th birthdays - Pedraza and Nano. The former played against Silema Wanderers of Malta in the 80-81 UEFA Cup, when he was just 17 years, 11 months and 12 days old, whilst Nano, who’s now with Cadiz, made his debut on 27th October 1999 against AIK Solna in the Champions League when he was just 17 years, 6 months and 7 days old.

Giovani and Milito make UCL debuts

As well as Bojan, Milito, who was named in the starting 11 and gave an impeccable performance at the heart of the Barca defence and Giovani, who came on for Xavi on 78 minutes, also made their UCL debuts.

 
Frank Rijkaard thanked the fans for their support during the match against Lyon and highlighted the union between fans and players, something he had called for just 24 hours earlier.
In the final press conference held before the match, Frank Rijkaard called on the fans to give their wholehearted support to the team and that’s exactly he got: “I’m happy that the team played well and the fans supported them. That’s what we need. There was a good understanding between the fans and the team”.

Praise for the players

Rijkaard had plenty of good things to say about the performance: “They played as a team and we have to congratulate each and every one of the players, including the ones that were substituted” - referring to Ronaldinho, who was taken off after 65 minutes.

Debuts for Bojan and Giovani

Bojan and Giovani got their first taste of European football last night and Rijkaard dedicated part of the press conference to praising their performance: “Giovani has already shown very clearly that he can help the team at any moment. He’s a great player, young; he works hard and creates danger. He could even be in the starting line-up”.

Bojan Krkic also became the youngest Barça player to play in a European match: “He’s another talented player with a lot of quality”. Referring to both Bojan and Giovani, he said: “It’s important for them to train and whenever possible, to participate with the first team”.

 
The players were delighted with the comfortable 3-0 win against Olympique Lyon and told reporters it was a real morale boost ahead of a busy domestic and European schedule.
There were plenty of smiling faces in the changing room after the match. Lionel Messi returned to the team and scored while Milito, Bojan and Giovani got their first experience of the Champions League. The general feeling was that the win is the perfect way to prepare for Saturday’s vital league clash with Sevilla. The players were pleased with the all-round performance and felt they’d put on a good show for fans.

Xavi Hernández:

“The result was very good and the goal average could be important. It doesn’t reflect how much we had to work, but we played well”.

“The team demonstrated that it has bounced back and we’re gradually improving”.

“The defensive system worked very well and in midfield we didn’t let them control the ball”.

“We’ve always had confidence in the boss. We have a lot of challenges and we want to meet them”.

“I continue feeling important in the group”.

“Let’s hope we win our third Champions League”.

“We mustn’t drop any points at home”.

Lionel Messi:

“It was very important to win tonight because we weren’t getting the results we wanted and the fans weren’t happy with us”.

“The team made a good impression against a great opponent”.

“The goal I scored was almost entirely Iniesta’s work”.

Andrés Iniesta:

“It wasn’t an easy game. The team got in front and dominated a good part of the match”.

“We were up against a great team and they didn’t make life easy for us”.

“Every game will be like a Cup final and it’s important that the team has started with a win. It gives us confidence”.

“The most important thing is that the team has the right attitude. We have to be united”.

“If we all pull in the same direction, it’ll be Barça that comes out winning”.

“The Sevilla match will be very tricky. They’re a compact team”.

”We want to keep on winning in the league”.

Gianluca Zambrotta:

“We played well and created a lot of chances”.

“We could have won by a bigger margin but we’re happy with the way Barça played”.

“When we play at home the matches are easier for us. We worked well as a team today and created a lot of chances”.

“Once again we found a winning mentality”.

“This result will boost our confidence for the matches ahead, starting with Saturday’s game against Sevilla”.

Gaby Milito:

“I felt good on the pitch, very comfortable. I’ve fulfilled a dream against a difficult opponent”.

“Tonight’s result is very important for us”.

“We pressed them hard and we didn’t let them play their game”.

“A win is always good for your confidence”.

“We all enjoyed ourselves tonight”.

Giovani dos Santos:

“I’m delighted to have made my Champions League debut for Barça”.

“It’s a dream come true”.

“I’ve been working for this moment. Now I have to take advantage of the opportunity and keep the boss’s confidence”.

“We have a great team and both Bojan and I are determined to succeed and win medals”.

“The team was serious right from the kick-off. We worked well in every area”.

“The fans supported us the whole match. It’s important to stay on the same wavelength all season”.

 
It is all systems go for the 2007-08 Champions League campaign as the top 32 clubs in Europe kick off the first round of group games as they start on the long road to the final in Moscow next spring.
Today and tomorrow see the opening games in this year's competition as groups A to D play on Tuesday and then the teams in groups E to H play on Wednesday. AC Milan are aiming to become the first team since the event changed its name and format to retain the trophy. They were the last club to lift the European Cup on two successive occasions and, having beaten Liverpool in Athens last season, have already stated their desire to win it again.

The 32 teams are divided up into eight groups of four teams, with the top two progressing to the first knockout phase. Those 16 clubs will then battle through the automatic elimination rounds until two of them reach Moscow for a date in the final on May 21.

Tough draw

After the draw in Monaco recently, four main groups stood out from the rest and were considered to the hardest to qualify from and the most difficult to predict.

Chelsea, Valencia, Schalke 04 and Rosenborgs

A clear example of this is Group B. Chelsea, Valencia, Schalke 04 and Roseborgs will all fancy their chances of earning a top two place. The Blues are one of the favourites to win the whole tournament, but they will not have it easy as Schalke finished as Bundesliga runners-up last term and are looking strong again already this season. Valencia may not have made the best start to their Spanish league campaign, but they could click into gear at any time, while Rosenborgs are always unpredictable.

Barça, Lyon, Stuttgart and Rangers

Barça also do not have it easy in Group E where they have to face Olympique Lyonnais, VfB Stuttgart and Rangers. All four clubs have a strong European history, while Lyon and Stuttgart are the current champions of France and Germany respectively, while Rangers are currently in first place in the Scottish Premier League. All three of the Blaugrana's opponents are also strong at home.

Manchester United, Roma, Sporting and Dinamo

Group F has thrown together four tough sides as Manchester United, AS Roma, Sporting and Dinamo Kyiv will all be vying for a qualifying place. Roma are currently first in Serie A, while Manchester United are defending their Premiership crown, which they won at the end of last term. Sporting and Dinamo will also provide strong opposition and and a trip to Ukraine will not be one that any of the other sides will be relishing.

Madrid, Lazio, Werder Bremen and Olympiacos

Real Madrid have not been handed an easy passage into the knockout phase as Lazio, Werder Bremen and Olympiacos will all be looking forward to defeating the reigning Spanish league champions. Werder have not had a strong start in the Bundesliga but are capable of beating any of the other sides in the group, while Lazio are strong this term and Olympiacos are always difficult to play on their own ground.

First night of action

On Tuesday, September 18, the first group games will all take place at 20:45, with the following teams playing:

- Porto - Liverpool (Group A)
- Marseille - Besiktas (Group A)
- Chelsea - Ronsenborgs (Group B)
- Schalke 04 - Valencia (Group B)
- Real Madrid - Werder Bremen (Grupo C)
- Olympiacos - Lazio (Group C)
- Milan - Benfica (Group D)
- Shakhtar - Celtic (Group D)

 
Lilian Thuram believes that Olympique Lyonnais' overwhelming success in the French league is a constant source of confidence for the French side and they will believe in their chances against FC Barcelona.
The Blaugrana defender has watched closely as Lyon have swept to six consecutive Ligue 1 titles and has been impressed as the team has never lost form despite a constant change in personnel as their stars attract big money bids from across Europe. Thuram believes that success has continued to make the club strong and that the reigning champions will not be arriving at Camp Nou to defend. "Together as a team they are very competitive," he said. "They have a lot of faith in themselves as they are always at the top of the table. Their players have had several years of success and that has maintained the confidence that they have and they have learned to fear nobody. I think that they will be coming here looking to earn a good result."

Unpredictable

Due to a summer of change at Lyon, however, Thuram believes that nobody can predict what can be expected from Alain Perrin's side as they have a number of new players once again. "It is difficult to talk about this year because players such as Abidal, Malouda and Tiago have left," he explained. "So analysing their game is hard, but I think that they have a very interesting team, especially in attack with the youngsters.

"For example, Benzema is a player that I know very well in fact as with the French national team," Thuram continued. "I think that he is a very good player and can be very dangerous. Govou is also a great player for the French team. Then there is Juninho behind them who is deadly at set pieces."

No favourites

Despite their experience in European competition, Thuram does not believe that Lyon and Barça are the two favourites to qualify from Group E, which also includes Rangers and and VfB Stuttgart. "The truth is that I not believe in favourites at this level of the game as every team is difficult to beat," he said. "But I expect Barça to qualify and Lyon as well, because I am French and it would please a lot if they made it. It is true that I think it would be great if we both went through together."

 
After losing two of their first three games in Ligue 1, Olympique Lyonnais have put together a run of four consecutive victories to push themselves back towards the top of the French table and they travel to Camp Nou in fine form.
In the opening seven games of the French season, Alain Perrin's side have recorded five wins and two defeats. Those two reverses came in back-to-back encounters against Toulouse and Lorient in weeks two and three of the campaign. Since then, the team has chalked up four victories, with the last coming at the weekend when Metz were swept aside as Lyon won 5-1. Perin's side are not second in the table and are hot on the heels of the leaders as they look to win their seventh straight league title.

All change

Perrin took as the coach of Lyon at the end of last season and has spent the summer rebuilding the squad after several key players were sold. Éric Abidal, Florent Malouda and Tiago all left the club, while Fabio Grosso, Cléber Anderson and Nadir Belhadj came in.

Key players

With Cris nursing an injury, Lyon's key players for the game against FC Barcelona lie in midfield where Kim Källström and Toulalan work alongside the team leader, Juninho Pernambucano. The Brazilian poses a danger from all over the pitch, but is especially deadly from set pieces as he has scored numerous spectacular free-kicks. Benzema and Ben Arfa will play up front and the dup have already shown how dangerous they can be having scored eight goals between them in the first seven league games of the season.

 
Olympique Lyon’s star player Juninho feels the best way to beat Barça is to prevent them from dominating possession. His manager, Alain Perrin agrees that Barça are the obvious favourites for tomorrow night’s opening Champions league clash.
Juninho Pernanbucano is wearing the Olympique Lyon shirt for the seventh season, and after several players left the side this summer, he is now the leader. The Brazilian midfielder is relishing the opportunity to take on the might of Barcelona at the Camp Nou. “We are used to playing at home and keeping possession of the ball. We need to get hold of the ball quickly. Possession will be the important factor.”

Barça most fancied

Both Juninho and his coach Alain Perrin believe Barça are not only favourites to win the match, but also to go on and qualify for the knockout stage. “They are the favourites to go through. Stuttgart and ourselves are the teams I think will be fighting over the other place.”

Alain Perrin, managing Olympique for the first time this season, explained that Barça have their history and the kind of players that make us believe they are favourites” but that is not counting out the chance of a surprise because “we have an attacking gameplan and one that means we will be able to make a good game of it.”

Differences between the two sides

Barça’s draw in Pamplona and Olympique’s demolishing of Metz (5-1) featured prominently in the questions asked in the Camp Nou pressroom. Juninho feels that Rijkaard “has not have enough time to train. They might not be playing at 100% but we have plenty of reasons to feel worried…we know each other very well, and we are going to have to find their weaknesses.”

Alain Perrin agreed with Juninho that Barça’s slow start to the season counts for little: “They are always going to a big team with big players.” The Frenchman also recognised that “I have not seen many weaknesses in Barça. They are a strong side that plays to 150%. They are clearly talented.”

Soaking up the pressure

The Olympique coach believes that Barça is under more pressure and so “we need to take advantage of being more free.” But most of all Perrin feels that out on the pitch “we have to try to create some kind of balance. We need to defend in the first half and then seek to go out and attack and not lose the ball.” And with players like young striker Karim Benzema in the side, there can be no denying that the French outfit has the potential to do some serious damage.

 
24 hours before his Champions League debut in a Barça shirt, Éric Abidal has said he doesn’t like the idea of playing his old club, although he is approaching the game like any other.
“I don’t like playing my ex-team. That’s only normal” said Éric Abidal when asked how he felt about facing the team he left just a few months ago, Olympique Lyon , at the Camp Nou. Nevertheless, he claimed he is “approaching the game like any other”.

Benzema the new star

Asked about the new Lyon striker, Benzema, who Abidal remembers from his time in France, the Barça player said “he got the chance to show his quality when Fred was out injured, he is a more mature player now.”

First up, Lyon

The Champions League, he says “is important and any player would like to lift it.” But these are early days and Abidal feels they should focus on the game tomorrow and not worry yet about what might happen in later rounds.

Rijkaard and the players united

Éric Abidal was asked what he feels about the fierce criticism from the press following the disappointing draw in Pamplona. “They always criticise the manager the most, but Rijkaard is working so that the group can work well, and I think that if anything needs criticism it’s the team as a whole. We are a group, the manager too, but if things go badly, the manager gets the criticism.”

 
Ahead of Barça’s Champions League 2007-08 debut against Olympique Lyon, Frank Rijkaard has asked for everybody to stick together and be confident about the game.
It hasn’t been the best start to the season, just one home win and two away draws, but the Barça manager wants to make sure that the players and fans stay united, and also called upon the media for their support. Frank Rijkaard knows that the build-up to such a crunch match as Wednesday’s against Olympique Lyon at the Camp Nou is not the time for stirring up trouble, and also asked people to stop referring to last season.

Call for unity

“I get the feeling that both people and the press are still talking about last year. The team is working well and I sense a good dynamic. It is as if people want Barça to lose or draw, and the squad don’t deserve that. Every season there are moments when you have to suffer, and that is when we need our fans more than ever, because if we are united, we are stronger.” Strong words from the Barça manager.

Frank Rijkaard feels that it is more important for his team to put on an impressive performance than the actual result. The Dutch manager of FC Barcelona commented that “at the start of the season we have not been up to the tasks set before us and we need to work on an image of being hard-working and united.”

International commitments

Frank Rijkaard was never a big one for making excuses, but he did feel FC Barcelona were at a disadvantage before their 0-0 draws with Racing and Osasuna, because “they came straight after a large number of our players had been away on international duty, and that does affect things…I’m not looking for excuses but these are things that have to be taken into account. Some players have travelled a lot, and that takes away their strength and energy.”

How to beat Olympique

Going back to the Champions League debut, Frank Rijkaard feels his team needs “desire, eagerness, companionship, unity and help” to beat the opposition, Olympique Lyon, “who are strong and can make things difficult.” Speaking about the French side and the fact that they are better prepared at this stage of the season, the manager said “that’s something to be taken into account, but at the same time we can hardly say that we aren’t into our rhythm. That is no excuse, we have to make sure we are prepared to play against a great side.”

 
Frank Rijkaard has named the 18 players for the Champions league opener against Lyon. Messi and Márquez come into the side, while Gudjohnsen and Ezquerro miss out.
Messi, who didn’t travel to Pamplona as a precautionary measure, and the suspended Márquez, return to the Barça squad to take on Olympique at the Camp Nou. The players the manager has opted to drop are Gudjohnsen and Ezquerro.

Bojan picked

Bojan Krkic has enjoyed his first ever call-up for European action with Barça, as have Giovani dos Santos and Gabriel Milito. For all three, the game against Lyon could provide their first tastes of Champions League football.

The full squad

The full squad features: Valdés, Jorquera, Abidal, Sylvinho, Oleguer, Zambrotta, Milito, Thuram, Márquez, Touré Yaya, Xavi, Iniesta, Deco, Ronaldinho, Bojan, Giovani, Messi and Henry.

 
The Barca squad were back in training this morning following the draw in Pamplona. It was a gentle session, with the players happy to welcome Messi back after the Argentinean missed the Osasuna game.
With Wednesday’s tie against Lyon on the immediate horizon, the players decided to put the disappointment of last night’s draw behind them and prepare for the opening of their Champions League campaign.

All present

The whole squad turned out to train, with Messi, who missed the game in Pamplona as a precaution, joining in after working out on his own to start off with. Third choice keeper Oier Olazábal was the other new face in the session, whilst club captain Carles Puyol worked out on his own, as did Lilian Thuram, who did some stretching exercises with one of the club trainers.

Gentle work out

After some ball control work, the players did a series of sprints and running before the players who figured last night called it a day and the rest of the squad, with Marquez and Messi did some circuit training and shooting practice.

 Touré Yaya knows all about Olympique Lyon, Barça’s first opponent in the group stage of the Champions League. The former Monaco midfielder highlights the teamwork of the side managed by Alain Perrin.
He was only in the French Ligue 1 for one season but Touré, who played 27 league matches, knows all about Barça’s next opponent. Olympique Lyon have won the last six league titles and played Monaco twice last season. Monaco did pretty well, with a 1-0 win plus a goalless draw against a Lyon side that finished 30 points above them in the league table.

Champions League debut

The Ivory Coast international midfielder is looking forward to making his debut in the UEFA Champions League with Barça and admitted to www.fcbarcelona.cat that the opponent would make that possible debut even more mouth-watering: "It’s rather ironic. I’ve only just arrived at Barça and already I have to face the best team in France. I believe it’ll be a good match”.

Touré, who missed the second league clash with Lyon last season, believes that Lyon have lost some of their individual quality: “The team is a bit weakened by the departure of a number of important players, such as Thiago. Despite that, I believe that Olympique is still a very good team. I believe it’ll be a very difficult match”.

Caution

However, Touré stressed that the departure of some of the Lyon stars should not create any overconfidence on the part of the Barça players. Olympique are still a strong outfit and currently lie in second place in the French league with 16 points: “I know all the players, including the ones that have signed recently, but I believe that the strength of Lyon lies in the collective, and you can’t take them for granted”.

 
Deco insisted today that there was no need to panic after Barca’s unspectacular start to the season, making it clear that after just three games it was far to early to start drawing any conclusions.
The Portuguese midfielder spoke to the media at the Nou Camp today and pleaded for patience from the fans: “it’s a long season and trying to draw conclusions so early on isn’t good. There’s no need to get desperate about things”.

Keep on working hard

Following Sunday’s goalless draw in Pamplona, there’s been a fair bit of criticism, but Deco believes: “we were just missing a bit of definition up front. We know we have to work hard to put that right, which is what we are doing in training”. It’s on the road that Barça have had most problems so far and Deco reckons: “teams just defend well and try and hit us on the break. We’re looking to build a team that doesn’t allow the opponents to create many chances and is more aggressive in attack – that’s what we working towards”.

Ronaldinho

Deco also dismissed any speculation about Ronaldinho following his substitution on Sunday night, reminding reporters: “Ronaldinho played in both Brazil’s games and is one of the players who had to travel furthest for his international games. The boss has to think not only about winning the game in hand –in this case against Osasuna –but also about the next one and just how tired his players are . That’s not an easy job”.

Put last year behind us

Deco also refused to be drawn into comparisons with some of last season’s errors: “ we can’t keep looking backwards, let’s analyse, criticise if need be and talk about this season”, an attitude he echoed when questioned as to Real Madrid’s start to the season: “we just have to concentrate on our game. If we’re worried about them already, we might as well not even turn up”.

 
Bojan Krkic made his official debut when he came on for Barca in Pamplona last night and told reporters today: “It was a privilege just to play for 10 minutes – it’s a dream come true”.
Bojan, at just 17 years and 20 days wrote his name in the club’s history when he came on for his friend Giovanni Dos Santos and insisted: “I’m very happy indeed. It was a special day for me”.

Debut sensations

“Once you are out there on the pitch, you don’t worry about the score or making your debut, you just get on and do what you are supposed to do as well as you can.” He certainly did that and even though he was only on for 10 minutes, he had a couple of chances: “as a centre forward, you know that the longer you play, the more chances you’ll get, but I had a couple of occasions in the ten minutes, it was just a pity I couldn’t do more with them”.

Next aim

Bojan will surely never forget his debut, but he’s clearly got his eye on further aims: “my first dream was to play for Barca, now it’s to play at the Nou Camp – that’d be great”. Bojan’s meteoric rise –from youth team to first team in just one season – means he’s now playing with some of the best players in the game and he knows he can learn from them: “I’ve always had players who I tried to follow, but this is different, I’m in there with some of the World’s biggest stars and I’m determined to learn all I can from them”.

Pressure off

The club have insisted time and again on the need to protect their young star and allow him to play in a pressure free atmosphere and Bojan himself is clearly in agreement with the approach:. “both myself and Giovani have come up to the first team this season and we have to show the boss that he can count on us, but without putting too much responsibility on us – I think it’s good that they are keeping the pressure off us. I’m here with the first team squad now and the possibility of going back to the second team is completely discounted. I’m training with the first team and I want to show just why I’m here”.

 
Osasuna have undergone some major rebuilding during the summer as they had a busy time in the transfer market, although the philosophy that has brought the club success in recent seasons remains the same.
FC Barcelona head to the Reyno de Navarra for their second away game of the current season on Sunday knowing that the stadium, formerly known as El Sadar, has not been a happy hunting ground. Coach José Ángel Ziganda is starting his campaign in charge of Osasuna after guiding the team to the semi finals of the UEFA Cup and a 14th place finish in the league last term. Very few players are left from then, however, as the club has bought and sold various players in the summer months.

Ins and outs

The economic situation at Osasuna means that the club has to sell players before they can buy, in order to balance the books. Players such as Raúl García, Iñaki Muñoz, Roberto Soldado, Savo Milosevic, Valdo, Berardo Romeo and Pierre Webó have left since the end of last season. With the majority of Ziganda's first choice team leaving, the club has looked to bring in several replacements. Walter Pandiani, Hugo Viana, Xavier Margariaz, Nicolás Medina, Javier Portillo, Jaroslav Plasil, Javi García, Dady Fernandes and Carlos Vela have all joined

Only one game

Osasuna have played just one league game so far this season. They drew 0-0 with Athletic Bilbao on the opening day of the campaign and had difficulties against los Leones in San Mamés. Their second match, against Sevilla, was postponed after the death of Antonio Puerta last month. The Andalucian club were due to play Sevilla three days after the Andalucian team appeared in the European Super Cup.

Ziganda also has to cope with two long-term absentees as Hugo Viana is out for a few weeks, while Javad Nekounam damaged knee ligaments after returning from the Asian Cup in the summer.

Keeping the spine

Despite the number of new faces in the squad, the coach and his assistant Jon Andoni Goikoetxea have remained faithful to the spine of the team from last term. Ricardo is still in goal, while Izquierdo, Cruchaga and the Flaño brothers are in defence and Juanfran, Patxi Puñal, Delporte and Héctor Font can play in midfield. Up front things are different as Pandiani, Portillo and Vela are fighting for the two striking roles.

Defensive strength

Osasuna employ a 4-4-2 system that has produced many encouraging results. Ziganda likes to to focus on havng a strong defence with a powerful attack at the other end. Those features are paramount to the team when they play at home and make them very difficult to beat.

 
The Barça manager has admitted that the team lacked freshness against Osasuna in much the same way as they did in Santander. He also felt that the international games his players had just played had a negative effect on the team.
Barça picked up one more point from the trip to Osasuna (0-0). Frank Rijkaard feels the result “doesn’t reflect the work we are doing” and referring to the negative impact of the various international commitments, commented that “we haven’t been able to work with the full squad for two weeks and it’s not easy that way”.

Different image

The Dutchman knows his team needs a change of face. “We want to play better” he said. “When Barça are on form we present a different image, and we weren’t able to do that today”. Barça now have five points and are four points adrift of the leaders.

Rijkaard is not worried about the distance between his side and Real Madrid: “The league has only just started. We just have to concentrate on getting points and getting fitter. There are plenty more games to come. In the end, we will find out whether this point was important”.

Changing Ronaldinho

Asked why he took Ronaldinho off in the 65th minute and replaced him with Xavi, the Barça boss said it was to do with the fact that he had been doing so much travelling with his national side in recent days. He added that “when we make changes we have to analyse and protect our players”. He is quite aware that on Wednesday Barcelona have another important match, this time against Olympique Lyon in the Champions League.

 
Barça failed to win in Pamplona. Deco, who started, said “we have to find solutions from within the team” and added that “on a playing level we were better than we were in Santander".
The Portuguese midfielder is aware that his team "created few chances" in Pamplona, but is confident his side can get better.

Desire to improve

Deco made his ambition to see changes clear, saying "We always have to improve, even when we win. We know that we can’t afford to drop points, but neither is it time for desperate measures".

Asked about what it feels like to be trailing Real Madrid by four points so early on in the season, the Portuguese player explained that "what matters is that we have to improve and we should not over concern ourselves with Madrid, there’s a lot of league still to play."

Ronaldinho thinking of Lyon

Ronaldinho, meanwhile, said "we need to think about the next game” and believes there is no need to worry too much about tonight’s draw. "After all the international games, it was tough to have an away match and against a team that wanted to play on the counter attack".

With his Brazil games behind him and Lyon to come, Ronaldinho was not surprised he was taken off for Xavi in the 65th minute. "It was the boss’ decision and there is a midweek game about to come” he commented.

 
FC Barcelona's medical team have decide that Lionel Messi should not be included in the squad for the game against Osasuna as the risk of making his injury worse remains.
After examining the problem, that the Argentinian star picked up on international duty in midweek, doctors advised that it would be better if the did not travel to Pamplona for the match in thr Reyno de Navarra on Sunday. Messi will continue with a specific recovery programme in order to be ready to be included for the Champions League game against Olympique Lyonnais on Wednesday.

Messi returned from Argentina's friendly encounter against Australia in Melbourne with a calf strain and has been unable to train with the rest of the squad this week.

 
Bojan Krkic has been included in the first team squad for the first time by Frank Rijkaard for an official game as the Dutchman named all 18 players at his disposal for the trip to play Osasuna this weekend.
Following the break in the league for international games, Barça travel to Pamplona for the encounter on Sunday in the Reyno de Navarra. Rijkaard has named all the players that are fit and the list includes Krkic as well as Eidur Gudjohnsen, who has been named for the first time this season after recovering from an injury.

New faces

Krkic's inclusion sees the 17-year-old travel with the first team for the first time to an official encounter. The club's youth team product returned from the Under-17 World Championship this week, after spending almost six weeks in Korea with the Spain side. Krkic did participate in the Blaugrana's mini tour of Scotland in early August and impressed.

Gudjohnsen is another new face for the game as the Icelandic international was only given the green light to play again on Monday after recovering from the knee injury that saw saw him sidelined in pre-season.

Five players out

One player who is missing is Leo Messi as he returned from playing in Argentina's friendly against Australia in Melbourne with a calf injury. Samuel Eto'o, Edmílson and Carles Puyol are the other three players missing. While the rest of the squad enjoyed a final training session on Saturday, Messi continued working on his individual recovery programme.

Rafael Márquez could also not been included in the squad after he was sent off in Barça's last league game against Athletic Club two weeks ago, having received two yellow cards. The Mexican did participate in training, however.

 
Frank Rijkaard is confident that his FC Barcelona squad are ready for the exciting encounter against Osasuna in the Reyno de Navarra on Sunday evening as he explained: "We are prepared, we know what the atmosphere will be like".
Following the break from league action last weekend due to the international commitments, Barça return to action this weekend at a ground that does not hold many fond memories in recent seasons. Rijkaard is keen for his team to put on an entertaining performance, but the three points are even more important. "There is no pressure, just motivation," he said. "A player needs the tension and be able to always cope with the expectations because that is something that can be used positively."

Osasuna rested

During the break for international games Rijkaard has had to work with a skeletal squad, as only five first team regulars stayed behind and were able to train with the Dutchman. Because of that, the Barça boss has only had a couple of days in which to truly prepare for this encounter. Osasuna coach, José Ángel Ziganda, has seen his side only play one game this season as their encounter with Sevilla was postponed after the death of Antonio Puerta. He has therefore had ten days in which to ensure Osasuna are prepared. "We have experienced this situation many times before," Rijkaard said. "It is an advantage for any team to be prepared. We have had less time, but our duty is to everything that we can to obtain a good result. We know that they will pressure us and will look to use the counter-attack to hurt us. We have to be ready for anything."

Giovani and Bojan are ready

Bojan Krkic and Giovani Dos Santos have both been included in the squad for the trip to Pamplona. While Dos Santos played in the last league game against Athletic Bilabo, Krkic will be experiencing an official game at the highest level for the first time. With Leo Messi reporting back from international duty with an injury, Rijkaard called upon both youngsters for the game. "They are ready," he stated, before responding to being asked whether either would start in the match. "You know my philosophy, but if we need them then I will have no problem."

 
Giovani, Ronaldinho, Márquez and Gudjohnsen, the international players that did not arrive back in time for Thursday’s training session, are back in Barcelona. All four