http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.com/Newsrss.php www.barcelona-tickets-store.comnews Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) (C) Copyright 2010 Powered with RSSFeed en http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77464 has been in the Barça first team, officially, for only a short time. Up to now he hasn't got to thoroughly know all the members of the squad. They have all really impressed him. "Everyone surprised me with their humble attitude. You would think that, in a dressing room where players have won so much, there may be a less familiar atmosphere, but it's not so", he said in his first press conference, where he acknowledged that " he was a bit tense".Continual LearningCuenca admitted that he looks at all his teammates so he can learn more each day. "I try to use them as an example, and I try to watch them in matches and training sessions so I can learn more", he said. The winger, who wanted to thank Guardiola for giving him the opportunity to play in the first team, didn't reject the parallel cases of Busquets and Pedro, although he confessed that "every story is different".Injuries ... and talentIn his case, his opportunity came early, because of injuries at the start of season to Afellay, Alexis, Pedro, and later, Villa. "It's better that the team doesn't have any injuries, but maybe that's what gave me the minutes at the start. But I prefer that everybody is fit, to compete at 100%", he said. His talent, of course, helped him to succeed and establish himself in the first team.About their chances in the League, he expressed himself along the same lines as his teammates: "We know it's difficult and complicated, but we must try to win every game to keep the Title alive, in case Madrid stumble". Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77464 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77465 In an interview with Barça's official media office, Thiago Alcántara talked about his personal feelings on the season so far, and what's currently happening to the team.What's Thiago's personal evaluation of these first two thirds of the season?"So far I've enjoyed every second, every moment with the first team. It was amazing what we have experienced so far, winning the World Club Cup, which for me which for me was the best moment. The pre-season was key to our success. The World Under-20 Championship was very important for me, and enabled me to play pre-season with the first team. So far my evaluation is positive for the titles won and the minutes I've played".Are you satisfied individually?"It's my first year. I think what I've done so far is very good for a rookie. I'm playing more than myself and the people expected, and I'm very happy what I've done so far".Do you remember the last advice your father gave you?"To enjoy every minute of every moment, because it won't come back. Every game you play, every pass you make when you're playing, will never come back. It's unique. You can play a game a certain way and another one a totally different way. You must take advantage and enjoy the moment".And as a team, how do you think the season has gone?"I think it's been a good season. We players are not totally satisfied because we want all three titles that are at stake. We know that the League is more complicated due to the points we are behind the first placed team, but I think it is a good season. The fans have been accustomed to the fact that the team have won so many titles in so few years".You still think you can win the League?"I think we've shown so far that we can do anything and we'll continue to do that".These days there is much talk of the future of Guardiola. Does it create some uncertainty amongst the players?"At the moment we're not uncertain, because te manager who has gien us all so many good things at Barça is still with us. We are enjoying him, his way of coaching, the way he sees football. Later, when the season ends, we'll see if he carries on or not. Of course, what everybody wants, me included, is that he stays at the Club".How do you feel playing in the first team alongside young footballers like Tello and Montoya?"It's great because with teammates like Tello, Bartra, and Montoya we've been together since I came to the Club at 15 years of age. Having the pleasure of playing with them in the first team, I don't think we ever thought would be possible. It's something you value highly, that only happens at Barça. Throughout the history of football it's only happened at Barça, and we must take advantage of that. The young players have to fight for a place up there in the first team". Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77465 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77466 Over and above the decision that Guardiola must make, wished to thank him for everything he's done as a manager. "Guardiola has put the smile back into football, for the fans and people who like real football", he said during the presentation of his , in Cornella. "I think he'll renew his contract, without him we are nothing" he added, aware of what Guardiola has given the Club over the past three and a half seasons: 13 out of 16 possible titles.Eternally grateful ... if he goesAlves repeated time and again his thanks to Guardiola. "Thanks to him I'm here and I've achieved so many things," he said. "I think in this life one should always be grateful. If he makes the decision not to continue, what he's already done will stay with us. Although football has no memory, we do remember. If players started to leave we would have part of the blame. We should be grateful to Guardiola, not only as a player but also as a manager" he said. However, he predicts the Manager's contract renewal "I am convinced that Guardiola will stay with us, if not it'll be a big surprise for me. He makes this League greater."Fight to the endIn addition to Guardiola's renewal, Alves gave his opinion on Barça's chances of winning the League Title: "Barça haven't said the last word yet in the competition. We know that it's tough and that their lead is considerable, but not impossible to peg back. We'll compete to the end, and if we lose, we'll congratulate the winners....If we're this far behind, then we've done something wrong. If we look how both teams are playing, I believe the lead is very great" he said about the 10 points difference. However, he's of the opinion that "the balance of the season should be looked at in June, the road is still long".About his individual performance, he's very calm, "I'd worry if my teammates or my manager were criticising my performance, but they have no doubts. Rumours don't bother me, and the Club has no doubt whatsoever about my professional attitude". Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77466 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77467 Pep Guardiola and Diego Pablo Simeone, this Sunday, will transport their battles from the pitch to the benches. The current Barça and Athletico Madrid managers met six times in the league as players, between 1993 and 1997. Against 'Cholo', Guardiola won his fourth League Title and scored his first goal in the Championship.The night that Djukic missed his penaltyThe first two Simeone - Guardiola battles were games against Sevilla, and ended with two goalless draws (1992/93 and 1993/94). The third meeting on 15th May 1994, could only be dreamed about: Barça were playing for the League Title against the Andalusians on the last day. They had to win and hope for Deportivo to slip up against Valencia. It happened. The Barça victory, combined with the draw in Galicia, where Djukic missed a penalty in injury time, gave the Dream Team their fourth consecutive League Title. That was the last game for Simeone at Sevilla. A goodbye with a goal included.Right in the top cornerSimeone's next destination was Athletico Madrid. In 1995, in one of those crazy games between Barça and Athletico, Pep Guardiola scored his first goal in the League in a 4-3 win. It was a fantastic goal, with his left foot, right into the top corner. The last two games between them were in the 1996/97 season and were full of goals: 3-3 at the Camp Nou and 2-5 at the Vicente Calderon. Guardiola, a great organiser, and Simeone, the lungs of the team, will meet again fifteen years later on Sunday. Now, however, they'll greet each other from the bench. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77467 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77468 Speaking to Barça TV, Gerard Piqué has revealed much about current goings on at FC Barcelona. After thrashing Valencia in Sunday's league match, the centre back spoke about Barça's situation in that competition. "I think the difference in the league is excessive. We're playing great football. There have been a lot of points we have dropped in the last few minutes". Piqué thinks they now have to deal with things in the short term. "We shouldn't think about the distance right now. We have to go game by game. Try to enjoy ourselves, try to win and let's see if in a couple of months we are better positioned to close in on the leaders and make the league a bit more exciting".He added that "we try to treat all games the same and it is going well for us in the Champions League. But we're finding it harder in the league. I think we've played well away from home, but the opposition also plays, they tend to keep things tight at the back and it's always hard to break down these defences, especially if they score first. There have been some great games, like the one at the Bernabéu, and others like the one in Pamplona, where things didn't work out so well. You start dropping points and end up in a situation that's not too good".No problem with GuardiolaA lot has been said of late about the relationship between Piqué and Guardiola, but the centre back insists "there aren't any problems; we've been working together for years. I know what he wants from me and I don't think there are any problems in that sense. We have always spoken to each other face to face whenever there's been anything to be said and if there is anything wrong, then he wouldn't have any problem with coming up to me and saying it ... At the end of the day, if you listened to everything people say, you'd go crazy. You just have to concentrate on what you have to do and try to ignore what people are saying".Manager's renewal"I don't think it depends on us. The manager has always said he is proud of our performances and how we behave on the pitch. I think his biggest doubts are related to his family and his personal life. He has to dedicate 24 hours a day to football, and that's too much sometimes. We are doing all we can for him to renew. All the players have stated what we want and we are doing all we can on the pitch to show how much we would like him to stay with us. But it's his decision, and we have to respect it". Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77468 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77469 This is the first time that Barcelona have had a full week in which to train for a match. Such a packed fixture list has involved 43 official matches so far, meaning there has not been one instance of the players having a full week to prepare for a league game. Of the last ten times that this had happened, eight of the following games have been won, and two ended in draws.5 wins and a draw last seasonThe team had six weeks off last season. And the results straight after were almost always positive. There was a huge win at Almeria (8-0) and another at Espanyol, as well as wins against Mallorca (3-0), Getafe (2-1) and Malaga (3-1), the last league game before going to Wembley. The only time they slipped up was drawing away to Sporting (1-1).Atlético Madrid last lossThe two years before have also shown that a little rest works wonders for Barça. In 2009/10 they made no mistake against Valladolid (4-0), Valencia (3-0) or Racing (4-0), and drew with Almeria (2-2). They haven't lost a game with seven days to prepare since February 14, 2010. That was against Atlético Madrid, the only defeat in the 99-point season, and coincidentally the next team Barcelona plays this time round. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77469 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77470 The best of Puyol is back. Now that his injury is behind him, which sidelined him for a half a year, the centre back is back on top form and once again playing a key role in Guardiola's plans. He has started the last eight games, since the cup return leg against Real Madrid (2-2) through to the 5-1 win over Valencia. Only Messi, with eight starts, has a longer record.Versatility and guaranteeThere is nothing unusual about Puyol starting games, but he rarely plays as many as eight without some kind of rest in between, as is the case with most players. But the fact that he can also play at left back means he is useful cover for Alves when he's out, which has led him to start 16 of the last 18 games. These have resulted in 11 wins, 5 draws and just one defeat, the one that marked the end of a run of 56 matches unbeaten with Puyol in the side.Three and a half years agoPuyol hasn't played so many consecutive games since the run between the end of 2007/08 and the start of 2008/09. He played the last six games under Rijkaard (Deportivo, Manchester United, Valencia, Real Madrid, Mallorca and Murcia) and the first six of the Guardiola era (Wisla, Wisla, Numancia, Racing, Sporting Gijón and Sporting Lisbon). In total, 12 games in a row. Can he equal that number this time? Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77470 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77471 With Barça and Madrid battling it out for the top two places and Valencia seven points clear of the fourth placed team, the fight for the last Champions League spot and the other European places is really tight at the moment, with just two points separating fourth place Bilbao from 10th placed Osasuna.Espanyol and Bilbao overtake LevanteEspanyol's point away to Getafe on Saturday was enough to see them overhaul Levante, who lost 3-5 at home to Rayo on Sunday, but Athletic Bilbao have a slighter better goal average – though not on head to heads – and stole ahead of Pochettino's men with a 3-0 win over Malaga. Espanyol keeper Kiko Casilla put in a great performance to save a point for Espanyol after a Miku penalty had cancelled out Alvaro's fourth goal of the season. The Catalans also lost Galan to his second yellow late on and Pochettino admitted: "it was a fair result". Bilbao made sure of the three points at San Mames with three goals in four minutes to beat Malaga, whose boss Manuel Pellegrini reckoned his team had done enough for a draw and claimed: "there are still a lot of points to play for and this team has got the skill and intensity that is required". Malaga are now down to eighth, on 31 points, two behind Espanyol and Bilbao.Atletico concede a goal and drop two pointsAtletico Madrid also failed to take full advantage, conceding their first league goal of the year and dropping two points in Gijon in their 1-1 draw with Clemente's Sporting, whose keeper Juan Pablo put in a brilliant performance, and are now in sixth on 32 points. Simeone also lost Diego Ribas to a muscle injury that will probably rule him out of next weekend's game against Barça. Levante drop to sixth, level on points with Atletico, after an extraordinary game at the Ciudad de Valencia against Rayo. The Madrid team went in one up at half time, Levante equalized soon after the break and then the visitors put four more past their hosts, for whom Ruben Suarez grabbed two late goals to finish it off at  3-5.Rayo enter the frayRayo's win takes them into European contention, as they are now up into eighth, level on points with Malaga and Osasuna, who were unable to follow up last week's heroics against Barça in Seville, where Michel got his first points with a comfortable 2-0 win that lifts Seville up to 11th, now just two points behind the Pamplona team. Seville's neighbours Betis are level with them after they put another nail into Zaragoza's coffin with a 0-2 win at La Romereda on Monday night. That leaves Manolo Jimenez's team 11 points off safety and was big disappointment following last weekend's win against Espanyol. With Sporting taking a point, Racing and Villarreal could ill afford their heavy 4-0 defeats at the hands of Real Madrid and Mallorca, as indeed could Real Sociedad, who lost heavily(4-1) in Granada. Real are now in 16th on 27 points, one ahead of Villarreal, with Racing third from bottom on 23 and Sporting a further 3 points adrift. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77471 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77472 Edson Arantes de Nascimento ‘Pelé’ Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77472 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77473 “it’s a very difficult [challenge] and Madrid is very strong, but in football you never know. You can’t give up on La Liga. We’ll keep going until the end.” Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77473 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77460 Since 1997, several players have moved from Milan to Barcelona or vice versa. Michael Reiziger was the first to leave Catalonia for Lombardy, and Ibrahimovic was the last to move from the Camp Nou to the San Siro.Photo: Archive FCB Other shared stars Ronaldo, Edgar Davids, Demetrio Albertini and Van Bommel are other players that appeared at some time for both clubs, although none of them moved directly between the two. In 1997, the first deals were struck betweenAC Milan andFC Barcelona, and the practice has continued to the present day. In fact,Barça have shared players with Milan more than any other European club, a total of 13. Some came toBarcelona having turned out previously for the red-and-blacks, while others moved the other way. From Milan to Barcelona The first arrivals at theCamp Nou fromMilan were DutchmanMichael Reiziger and FrenchmanCristophe Dugarry in the 1997/98 season, the first underLouis van Gaal.Reiziger starred for the club for seven seasons, whileDugarry made considerably less impact. Another Dutchman arrived from Italy the year after,Winston Bogarde. In 2001/02,Francesco Coco arrived on loan, but failed to win a regular place in the FCB defence and didn't win any titles in his time at the club. From the Camp Nou to the San Siro The first transfer in the other direction was that in 2002 ofRivaldo, who had delighted the Camp Nou for several years. In 2008, another Brazilian striker,Ronaldinho, departed in one of the highest profile deals in recent football history. He was joined byGianluca Zambrotta, who had been at Barcelona from 2006 to 2008. The last player to leave Barça for Milan wasZlatan Ibrahimovic in the summer of 2010. On Wednesday he will face off against his former colleagues. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77460 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77444 Leo Messi is the top scorer in the Champions League this season, with 5 goals in 4 games. Another match-ball to add to his collection. He now has 13, or 14 if you count the 4 goals he scored against Arsenal. Messi is inexhaustible, always wants more, and destroys every record. In Prague he reached 202 goals for Barça, and of these, he's scored 160 with Guardiola as manager. It's a demonstration that the arrival of Guardiola changed the life of the best player on the planet. The insatiable productivity of the Barça striker places him, once again, as top scorer in the Champions League. 5 goals away from the Camp Nou In the league he tends to score at home, but in Europe, in away matches. That's Messi, who has now scored 5 goals in 4 games in the Champions League. The first two he scored in Minsk, to tie Kubala's goal-scoring record, and the 3 against Viktoria bring him increasingly closer to Cesar's all-time record (235 goals). With his hat-trick against the Czechs, Messi overtakes Seydou Doumbia, the CSKA Moscow player, who has 4 goals in the competition. It's worth remembering that Messi has been top scorer in the Champions League in the last three seasons. First hat-trick in Europe 6 goals in 4 days. It seems easy but it isn't. To score two hat-tricks in a row is only possible for the selected few, so much so that Messi has done it for the first time. In fact, if we don't take into account the 4 goals he scored against Arsenal in the 2009/10 Champions League quarter final, this is Messi's first hat-trick in European competition. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77444 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77445 The Chilean, who returned to action in Prague after nearly two months injured, played his first game in the Champions League, not only for Barça, but also in his career in the world of football. Barça TV tonight, 'Alexis, the Wonder Kid' On Wednesday, at 21.30, Barça TV will premier a new 'Porta 104' in which Alexis Sanchez is the star. Alexis, the Wonder Kid' is a documentary produced by the program 'Contact' from Channel 13 in Chile, which takes a journey through the life of the Barça player. Alexis Sanchez is again a happy man. It's been 52 days since the day that he was injured playing for FC Barcelona against Real Sociedad, in the third game of the season. On Tuesday, in Prague, Alexis got the all-clear before the game, started on the bench, and finally was able to play some minutes. They were special minutes, as this November 1st 2011, Alexis Sanchez played his first game ever in the Champions League. It was in the 73rd minute when he replaced Abidal, and he showed during the just over 20 minutes on the pitch that he's 100% recovered. Before, the UEFA Europa League Until Tuesday Alexis had never played a game in Europe's top competition, not even with his previous club Udinese, the other European team where he has played. The injury sustained on September 10th against Real Sociedad prevented him from making his debut in the Champions League before Tuesday. The only European experience that the Chilean previously had was in the UEFA Europa League. In his first year at Udinese, the 2008/09 season, the Italian team reached the quarterfinals of the competition, and Alexis played a total of 9 games. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77445 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77446 Pique, Cesc, and Messi, teammates in the Barça B youth teams, found themselves in a Barça starting line-up, at the Eden Stadium in the Czech Republic, many seasons later. So far, they had only played 27 minutes together this season. It was many years ago that Gerard Pique, Cesc Fabregas, and Leo Messi, last appeared together on the pitch. It was almost ten seasons ago, in the Cadet B team first, and later Cadet A, in which all three played together. Since then, many things have happened. Messi has evolved into the best player in the world, while Pique and Cesc both left the Club, and then came back to have success with the first team. In Prague, for the first time this season, the three of them were in the starting 11. Injuries to the defender and midfielder, and the odd game on the bench, had prevented this from happening before. Perfect Understanding, perfect evening So far, all three had shared only 27 minutes of play , spread between the return of the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid (3-2) and the 5-0 win over Athletico Madrid. Against Viktoria Pilsen they played together for 90 minutes, with an understanding better than ever, clearly demonstrated in the last move of the game, when Pique back-heeled the ball to Messi, who made it 4-0. Before that, Messi had scored two more goals and Cesc also scored. In short, a perfect reunion for all three. A 5-0 run With all three on the field, in these 117 minutes together, Guardiola's team has a favorable balance of 5-0. To the four goals scored in the Eden Stadium in Prague one can add the Messi goal against Madrid at the Camp Nou, which helped to win the first trophy of the season. With Pique, Cesc, and Messi, together on the pitch, the team hasn't conceded a single goal. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77446 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77425 Tonight the FC Barcelona manager has been on the bench for the 200th time since arriving at the club. He has won 72% of the games and seen his players score 500 goals. Josep Guardiola will manage the team for the 200th time in Prague tonight, only the fifth time a Barça manager has reached that figure. But none have such an extraordinary win rate as he does - in fact, his statistics are quite simply stunning, as we show here: ► 72% wins: Of the last 200 matches, Barça have won 143, drawn 39 and only lost 17. That 72% is somewhat better than the achievement of the second man in the list, Helenio Herrera, who managed a 70.6% win rate in 143 games. Next comes Ferdinand Daucik (60.7% wins in 150 games), Frank Rijkaard (58.6% wins in 273 games) and Johan Cruyff (58.1% wins in 430 games). ► Only 17 losses: Of these 200 games, Guardiola and his players have only lost 17, two of which came at the end of the 2008/09 season when the league title was already in the bag. This season, the team has not lost any of its 17 official matches. ► 500 goals for: There has been plenty of action in these games. The team has almost scored half a thousand goals, 500 to be precise. That's an average of 2.50 goals a game. Leo Messi, with 160, is the highest goalscorer under Guardiola. ► Nearly 100 goals in Europe: Of these, about a fifth have been in European matches. Barça have scored 99 goals in 44 Champions League matches, the most productive season being 2008/09 (36 goals in 15 matches). ► 143 goals against: The Barça defence has also been fantastic, leaking just 143 goals (0.71 per game), and in the Liga (84 goals conceded), this has been enough to ensure Víctor Valdés won three consecutive Zamora Trophies. ► 306 points in Liga: When it comes to points won in the league, Barça are clearly record breakers under Guardiola. In 124 matches, the side has collected 306 points. Guardiola finished his first three seasons at the club with 87, 99 and 96 points respectively, which was always enough to win the title. This season, they already have 24 points. ► 12 titles out of 15: The 200 games have involved Guardiola's side winning 12 titles out of the 15 that were at stake. These were 2 Ligas, 3 Spanish Supercups, 2 Champions Leagues, 2 European Supercups, one Clubs World Cup and one Copa del Rey" - Barca have won three ligas. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77425 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77426 Llevant's great winning run came to an end in Pamplona where a brave Osasuna team withstood losing two defenders to injury within the first half hour and playing the last 30 minutes with ten men to hold onto their first half two goal lead and keep their own unbeaten home record intact. With Real Madrid narrowly winning against Real Sociedad(0-1 with Higuain again on target), Llevant are now third, a point behind Barça ahead of next week's derby game with fourth place Valencia, who beat Getafe 3-1 thanks to a brace from Feghouli and a third from Aduriz. Granada shock Seville Getafe's defeat means they sit bottom with just 7 points after Granada pulled off one of the season's shock results so far, beating Seville 1-2 on Monday night. Granada came back with two late goals from Geijo and Rico after going a goal down in the first minute with Manu finding the net again. The win, their first top flight away victory in over 25 years, came thanks in large part to a fantastic performance form their keeper Roberto, though the three points only lift them one place, with Racing getting their first win of the campaign, condemning Betis to their sixth straight defeat, with a 1-0 win in Santander. Granada, Racing, Sporting, who drew 1-1 at home to Bilbao, and Real Sociedad are all on 8 points with Zaragoza, who went down 3-1 at Atletico Madrid, on 9 alongside Mallorca. Villarreal are up to 10 points following their much needed 2-0 win over Rayo and Betis are now in 12th place, just 4 points above the drop zone. With Seville staying in fifth, Malaga occupy the sixth European spot after beating Espanyol 2-1, leaving Pochettino's team a point and a place behind. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77426 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77427 8 of the 23 candidates for the FIFA Balon d'Or 2011 play for Barça, the team with most names on the list. They are Abidal, Alves, Cesc, Iniesta, Messi, Piqué, Villa and Xavi. And Pep Guardiola is on the shortlist for the manager of the year. A year after FC Barcelona had all three players on the Balon d'Or podium, the club has once again dominated the shortlist for the 2011 edition issued by FIFA and the magazine France Football. Leo Messi (winner of the last two editions) is joined by Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernández, Éric Abidal, Dani Alves, Cesc Fàbregas, Gerard Piqué and David Villa. The other candidates are Agüero (Manchester City); Benzema, Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ozil and Xabi Alonso (Madrid); Eto'o (Anzhi); Forlán and Sneijder (Inter); Müller and Schweinsteiger (Bayern); Nani and Rooney (Manchester Utd); Neymar (Santos) and Luis Suárez (Liverpool). Guardiola up for top coach Like last year, when he was a finalist, Pep Guardiola is one of the nominees for the FIFA Men's Football Coach of the Year 2011 along with Del Bosque (Spain), Ferguson (Manchester Utd), Rudi Garcia (Lille), Klopp (Borussia Dortmund), Low (Germany), Mourinho (Madrid) Tabárez (Uruguay), Villas-Boas (Chelsea) and Wenger (Arsenal). Announcement January 19 Now that the candidates are known, the national captains and managers and representatives of the world's press chosen by France Football will be voting for the winners. The awards will be presented on January 9, 2012 at a gala in Zurich. On December 5, FIFA and France Football will announce the three finalists in each of the categories. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77427 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77428 Find out some trivia about the fourth game of the Champions League group stages to be played on Tuesday in Prague. ► FC Barcelona have played five games on Czech soil in the past. They have won twice, drawn once and lost twice. ► Guardiola's side has won their last three away games in Europe: 0-1 in Donetsk, 0-2 in Madrid and 0-5 in Minsk. They beat Porto 2-0 in Monaco. ► Barça have let in 395 goals in all European ties in the past. ► No team has scored more goals than Barça in this year's edition (9). The Catalans have also won the highest number of corners (29). ► David Villa is the only player that has scored in all three group games played to date. ► Leo Messi has had the most shots on targets (8). ► Viktoria Plzen are unbeaten at home this season. In their four European fixtures they have won three (all in the preliminary rounds) and drew with BATE (1-1). ► Dani Alves is one yellow card away from a suspension. ► Barça have not lost an official game for 22 matches, the last time being on April 30 away to Real Societat, 2-1). ► Tonight's referee is Austria's Robert Schörgenhofer, who is in charge of his third ever game in the competition. He has never officiated in a game involving either Viktoria Plzen or Barça. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77428 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77447 The manager has spoken about how important it is to have qualification for the second round secured, and also about going to Milan to ensure his team finishes top of the group. Rosell: "You couldn't ask for more" Messi scoring his 200th goal for Barça, Guardiola managing the team for the 200th time, Valdés breaking the record for not conceding a goal and mathematical qualification for the next round of the Champions League... It has been an amazing night for Barça in Europe, and Sandro Rosell says "you couldn't ask for more" adding that he and his board feel proud to be in charge of such a club. "It's incredible, it is like asking for everything at Christmas and getting it" he added. The president was also happy that his team has made it into the next round. "The sooner the better, for everybody, without a doubt. Now it will be easier to go to Milan, where a draw would be a good result." Leo Messi's hat-trick was decisive in the win over Viktoria. Rosell described the player as "amazing. There are no adjectives to describe him. He's the best in the world. I don't know what his limits are." Having won 4-0 against Viktoria, FC Barcelona are sure of a place in the last sixteen of the Champions League. Josep Guardiola said that "the players are thrilled to have qualified out of the group with two games in hand … knowing that we will still be in the Champions League in February gives us lots of peace and tranquillity." All that remains to be done, he says, is to go to Milan and win the right to top the group. Valdés' record Among the many positives to be taken out of tonight's performance, Víctor Valdés broke a record dating back to 1972/73, namely Miguel Reina's 824 minutes without conceding a goal for Barça. "He does a great job. He won the record thanks to the save he made [off Ptrzela]. I am sure he's excited to have surpassed the legendary Reina. I congratulate him and all his colleagues". Also, Leo Messi claimed his second consecutive hat-trick, and also scored goals 200, 201 and 202 of his Barça career. "Messi will overtake César as the top the scorer in club history, that's a fact, and I wouldn't count out that happening this season. And he's only 24 … that says everything" he said. The Argentinian only has 33 goals to score in order to meet that target. Analysing the opposition Asked about the game this evening at the Eden Stadium, the FCB manager said "when it was 0-0 the game was still alive, until the penalty and red card. It is always hard to play against ten, because they still didn't stop playing on the counter attack. Viktoria impressed me, and I wish them luck in the future … I am satisfied to have beaten this team, who showed in the first few minutes that they are intense and strong". Guardiola also explained that Villa was dropped so that he could get some rest after playing in a lot of games, because "we have Sunday on the horizon. Now we have to think about the next game, which is at San Mamés. It'll be another good test." Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77447 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77448 The Argentinian scored his 200th goal plus two more for Barça against Viktoria, but modestly said afterwards that "I am happy to have reached such an important number of goals, but I am here to help my team mates." Group leaders The 1-1 draw between Milan and BATE means FC Barcelona are mathematically through to the next round of the Champions League, as are the Italians. Ibrahimovic put Milan in front, but Bressan equalised from the penalty spot. BATE Borisov and Viktoria Plzen are therefore knocked out, and will fight out a place in the Europa League. Barça have a day off on Wednesday and will return to training on Thursday. It was a record breaking night for Barça. Guardiola enjoyed his 200th game as manager, in which time the team has scored 500 goals. Valdés broke Miguel Reina's record and has now not picked the ball out of the net for 877 minutes. And Leo Messi has set his umpteenth record, having made it to 200 goals for the club and scored two consecutive hat tricks for the first time ever. The Argentinian said "we knew the Milan score and we wanted to win, but it was a very difficult game because of the pressure created by Viktoria. They are not such a famous team, but all the teams in the Champions league are very strong". Piqué, Cesc and Messi, all members of the famous generation of 87, had only played 23 minutes together for the first team, but finally shared the field for 90 minutes in the Czech Republic, and the connection between Messi and Cesc was once again plain to see. The players made 40 passes between each other, 17 from Leo to Cesc and 23 the other way. Messi also mentioned the B team's Isaac Cuenca. "He is a different player to what we've got. He contributes many things, he loses his man, he's good in the one-on-one and he also provides great crosses". Valdes "I am very happy with the record, which I dedicate to my parents". "We have already qualified, not the aim is to finish top". Dani Alves "I am really happy for Víctor, he has won it through hard work and doing things well". (On his suspension) "They're refereeing decisions, there's no going back, you have to take it on the chest. Guardiola already told me to go carefully". (On Messi's records) "It looks like this kid shows promise" (laughs). Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77448 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77449 In Prague, the goalkeeper has broken the club record for going unbeaten that dated back to the 1972/73 season, 824 minutes. Pep Guardiola, Leo Messi and Alexis Sánchez were also protagonists tonight. Víctor Valdés is now the FC Barcelona goalkeeper who has gone the most games without conceding a goal. Following nine clean sheets, he has now gone unbeaten for 877 minutes, more than the 824 minutes established by Miguel Reina in the 1972/73 season. As the game ended 4-0, Valdés can still extend his incredible record. Monumental save He had to work to earn that record though. In the 16th minute Viktoria's Petrzela was through on goal and Valdés came out better in a one-on-one situation. That save could have changed the course of the match, for shortly after Cisovsky was sent off for a penalty offence. Not since Pablo Hernández scored against him at Mestalla in the 23rd minute of the Valencia v Barça match has Valdés been beaten, and he has since kept clean sheets against all of Atlético Madrid, Sporting, Racing, Sevilla, Granada and Mallorca in the League and BATE and Viktoria (twice) in the Champions League. Guardiola and Messi make 200, and Alexis back Other names involved in the win in Prague were Pep Guardiola, Leo Messi and Alexis Sánchez. The coach was in charge for his 200th match, where he was able to enjoy the 144th win and 500th goal. The Argentinian scored goals 200, 201 and 202 of his Barça career in his second consecutive hat-trick. And the Chilean was back in action after an absence of a month and a half through injury. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77449 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77429 The 21 players that have travelled to the Czech capital have trained normally in the stadium to be used for tomorrow evening's encounter, the Eden Stadium. More info This was the last time the team will train before taking on Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday night. Josep Guardiola had all 21 players in perfect condition and was able to familiarise himself with a new venue for the club, Prague's Eden Stadium. Three dropped Guardiola will have to strike three of those names off his list before tomorrow's Champions League match. He has taken 19 first team players plus Barça B's Cuenca and Oier. Of these, Alexis Sánchez is the only one who has not yet been given medical clearance to play. Guardiola meets Srnicek again Before training, Josep Guardiola met a former team mate of his from his days at Brescia: Pavel Srnicek. He was the reserve goalkeeper for the Italian outfit in the 2000/01, 2001/02 and 2002/03 seasons, the same time that the current FCB manager was in Lombardy. The former player travelled to Eden Stadium to say hello to his old friend Guardiola. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77429 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77430 The manager doesn't want his players to miss out on the chance to secure a place in the last sixteen of the Champions League againstViktoria, and says that the next objective will be to top the group. Three keepers in Europe Josep Guardiola explained that he has picked a third goalkeeper in his squad, Oier to accompany Valdés and Pinto simply because he doesn't want any nasty shocks on European road trips. The Barça manager knows that a win in the Czech Republic "would mean we would have definitely qualified with two games in hand in a competition that will start again in February". He feels that the chance they have at the Eden Stadium "should not be wasted". He then added that "after that, against Milan and Bate, we'll try to finish top of the group". In a similar vein, Barça will hope to do at Viktoria Plzen something they have never done under Guardiola - win the fourth game in the group stage and also do the double over the team that they meet in back-to-back matches in the middle of the schedule. "We have always found things harder in Europe than anywhere else and we have to take this chance. Qualifying is the main objective, and the sooner you have these things sorted, the better" he insisted. Good test Barça's manager then said that Viktoria Plzen is one of the teams ""which has made us run the most", but admitted that already having played them once made it a lot easier to prepare for this match. Guardiola said that "it helped to interpret the possibility that we have ahead us… The teams are stronger in Europe, they're more physical, more powerful and I suspect tomorrow will be no exception. We have always struggled against teams from the north. This game will be one more test of what we need to do to move onward, to play better, more consistently, and to become a better and better team". 200 games in charge Tuesday's game will be Guardiola's 200th as Barça manager: "I am proud to have been here so long. I am proud to have trained these players, from the first to the last. They have made me better as a manager. When you win 12 titles out of 15, it's because you haven't lost many games." But he says it's too early for evaluations: "While you're still here, it's not a good idea to look back at such a long process. There are times things went wrong and they were difficult. Of course I'm proud to have been here so long, to have had some good games and to have made the people happy. When I'm not here any more there will be more time to think about what has happened." As for Xavi missing the recent game with Mallorca, Guardiola pointed out that "two years ago, in Villarreal, he was worse than he was the other day and he played … He's not injured, but his soleus is suffering from fatigue and is causing him some trouble. He's got better. We'll look at him in training and decide tomorrow". Alexis, "a bad patient" Finally, he was asked why Alexis Sánchez was in the team when he had not yet been declared fit. The boss aid it was "so that he can be with the rest of his team mates … Alex is a bad patient. He is very good at what he does but he really doesn't need to be out of action for so long. The way he plays is the way he lives. It was a very serious injury, and he's been out for two months …. We don't want him to get hurt again but his recovery is very positive". Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77430 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77431 The central defender says he is ready to "play the 90 minutes" if Guardiola so decides against Viktoria Plzen in a key game for FCB. "The three points are super important because we have to aspire to topping the group, which is important for possible match-ups in the next round" he said. Tough start to the season Piqué has already suffered two injuries this season, and says "it has been a tough start because I haven't been able to help the team, I have been working at a different pace and that's not good mentally." But in his absence, the team has been doing brilliantly in defence thanks to Mascherano and Abidal. "They are playing spectacularly at the moment. The statistics say that and as the boss says, he's the best centre back at the moment" said Piqué in reference to his Argentine colleague. Messi and Valdés The team is 38 minutes from beating its own record for not conceding goal and Lionel Messi is one shy of his 200th goal for the club. Piqué spoke about both these circumstances. "Messi only just made it to 100 goals and has got to 200 really quickly, which shows how he has taken on more responsibilities and is on another level … As for the record for not conceding goals, that's everybody's achievement, although mainly Valdés'. He's having an amazing time as a keeper and deserves much more recognition". Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77431 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77432 The sports manager for professional football believes that a win on Tuesday in Prague will give the team the chance to relax a little, as they will be mathematically through to the last sixteen of the Champions League. Before setting off for Prague, where the team will play its fourthChampions League fixture,Andoni Zubizarreta spoke about the importance of getting a good result at theEden Stadium: "Before the group stage, the main aim is to qualify. The second is to finish top, but the most important thing is to qualify and go into the hat for the second round. So, a win will mean we can relax a little". Getting on the map Zubizarreta warned that the game won't be as easy as people are saying. "The crowd generates a lot of pressure. And the opposition have a challenge, because beating Barça is a way of putting themselves on the map. Viktoria showed that they are not a team that shows fear. They take risks, they look for the opposition's goal and try hard. We had a lot of chances at theCamp Nou, but that didn't scare them much either" he remembered. No doubting Messi On Leo Messi, who scored a hat-trick in last Saturday's 5-0 win, Zubizarreta said "His value and talent shouldn't be doubted. If we look at things in terms of mistakes, he's the man who makes the fewest in world football right now". Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77432 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77416 The Chilean striker is back in the 21-man squad for the Champions League match against Viktoria Plzen.Cuenca and Oier are also included for the trip to the Czech Republic. More info Alexis Sánchez has been added to the squad for the first time since picking up his muscle injury on 10th September. He will travel to Prague on Monday despite not yet having been given the all clear by Club doctors. The players will train on Monday in the Eden Stadium and then a decision will be taken on the South American star's fitness. The squad is made up of the 19 available first team players plus Isaac Cuenca and Oier Olazabal from the reserves. Olazabal has been taken along as a precaution against last minute injuries to the senior goalkeepers during Monday training, as connections between Barcelona and Prague would otherwise make it impossible for him to join the squad in time for the match. Pedro and Afellay miss the game through injury. Reserves join session The players were back in training on Sunday morning after their 5-0 drubbing of Mallorca. As usual after a match, it was a light session for most of them. They were joined by 11 players from Barça B: Cuenca, Montoya, Deulofeu, Soriano, Gustavo, Espinosa, Sergi Gómez, Rosell, Rodri, Armando and Masip. Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77416 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77417 The midfielder prefers to keep his feet firmly on the ground and is not getting carried away after the 5-0 win against Mallorca.Speaking to Barça TV after the match, Busi told us: "It's never easy. We know that we've got people so used to winning". After over 150 appearances with the first team,,Sergio Busquets already seems like a veteran when discussing these exhibitions by the team and is calling for caution: "We've got people so used to winning. We know that we can't always win 5-0. The main thing is to know what we're doing well and what we're not, and try and improve. He told Barça TV, "The team did its homework" (against Mallorca) and insisted that the victory has boosted the players' confidence ahead of next Tuesday's match inPrague. "We're not machines" The win against Mallorca on Saturday was the 14th time the team has won 5-0 underGuardiola. However, Busquets emphasised that the team is bound to have its off days, like the match against Granada: "It's never easy. We're not robots or machines. Sometimes things can turn out better or worse. Scoring five goals and keeping a clean sheet is very nice"."Messi is the one who makes the difference" Messi, despite how it might seem, isn't a machine either, andBusquets has never had any doubts about him. "We know that Messi is the best player in the world, that he's the leader of this team and the one who makes the difference. But he's not a machine and there'll be matches when he can't score". Cuenca and Deulofeu The other big news of the match was the contribution of talented youngstersCuenca and Deulofeu. "It's important to bring the young players on. A manager like Guardiola has a lot of faith in the reserves, where they're doing things really well. I'm sure a lot more players will make it through to the first team. We all try to help and relax them but they come well prepared. Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77417 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77418 With his hat trick against Mallorca, Leo Messi confirmed his place as La Liga's leading scorer with 13 goals and gave a convincing reply to those who had been alleging he was suffering a dip in form of late. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77418 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77419 After the 5-0 win at the Camp Nou Pep Guardiola expressed his satisfaction that the team was again back in the goals following the results against Seville and Granada earlier this week. Bartomeu: "whether he scores or not, Messi makes the difference" Speaking after the game, the Club Vice-President reckoned that Guardiola's team had "once again shown what a great team they are". Sr Bartomeu also singled out hat trick hero Messi for praise: "he shows in every game what an incredible player he is. There was never any question about it. He makes the difference player whether he scores or not". Josep Maria Bartomeu was also happy with the contribution the B team players Isaac Cuenca and Gerard Deulofeu both made: "they showed that when they play, they can play at the same level as the first team players". Visibly pleased with his team's demolition of Mallorca, Guardiola praised their "penetration -both out wide and through the middle", as well as explaining his satisfaction with "the work we have put in over the last four years and the fact that the youngsters from the B team have shown they can come through and help us and that is down to the hard work of a lot of people". Proud if the youngsters Guardiola went on to explain: "we have a very small squad and in the B team there are players like Dos Santos, Sergi Roberto, Bartra, Muniesa or Montoya, who are able to come in and play for us. We have plenty of players with knocks and they know that when that happens we will go out and bring the B team players in". Guardiola also referred to the two B team players who featured on Saturday -Isaac Cuenca "Isaac is a winger who knows when he has to take his man on", whilst congratulating Gerard Deulofeu on his debut, though warning: "he still needs to progress and needs time to grow". Alves Dani Alves put the icing on the cake for the fans at the game with a fantastic fifth goal and Guardiola was full of praise for his Brazilian wing back: "I want to thank him for the effort he puts in. He's a player who gives everything. I really do have to thank him because he gives us the option of playing in so many different ways. Let's hope he continues to play like that". Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77419 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77420 It was a great night in the Camp Nou for two players who have risen through the Barça academy ranks.Isaac Cuenca got his first senior goal while Gerard Deulofeu made his first appearance. Apart from yet another hat trick from Messi, who continues to head the ranking with 13 goals, the match against Mallorca also witnessed Isaac Cuenca score his first senior goal and Gerard Deulofeu made his first team debut. Cuenca made the starting line-up for the second match in a row after playing his first game against Viktoria Plzen. The presence of home-grown players against Mallorca was fairly light - only 5 players. Iniesta, Cesc, Piqué and Puyol were on the subs bench while Xavi, Fontas and Pedro all watched from the stands. Carmona takes his chance Early in the second half, Carmona received a great pass from Adriano, dribbled past Aouate in the Mallorca goal and scored his first senior goal in only his second appearance. Speaking to reporters after the match, Guardiola highlighted the part played by Carmona: "Isaac played very well. Out on the wing he knows when he has to run and when he has to pass the ball. We're very happy about the goal". Five-month wait for Deulofeu It was a good night for the reserves. Shortly after Carmona's goal in the 63rd minute, the Barça fans were able to welcome Gerard Deulofeu on his first team debut. Coincidentally, Iniesta played his first senior game on the very same day as Deulofeu 9 years ago against Bruges in the Champions League. Fans may remember that Deulofeu was on the point of making his first team breakthrough last season away to Real Sociedad but the injury to Milito made it impossible. Now, he has become the 19th Barça academy product to reach the first team in just three and a half years under Guardiola. The juvenil A squad, where Deulofeu played last season, heard the good news while returning by coach from their match in Zaragoza (1-3). Manager Oscar Garcia told us that Deulofeu's former teammates applauded loudly on hearing the news on their way back home. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77420 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77402 The manager says neither as a player or a coach has he known "a footballer that demonstrate the level Messi shows every three days …Nothing that we do would be possible without him". Reserve team Josep Guardiola was also asked for his opinion about Eusebio Sacristán's B team. "There is a lot of talent in the reserves" he said. "They've got off to a slow start, but you must remember that they hardly had a preseason because there were hardly any players. Now they're all coming back. I think the team will have a good season. What they have to do is stay up, and finish as high as possible, and they have to learn concepts, get to play and move onwards. They have just got two wins that will do them the world of good". Speaking to the press ahead of the league game at the Camp Nou against Mallorca, Josep Guardiola has singled out Leo Messi for praise, saying that he has never worked with anybody who can produce brilliant football with such consistency as Messi. The special one "I don't think there has ever been a player in history that can do what he manages to do every three days. It's unthinkable. People buy tickets just to see him play and he is doing something unique. To find a player that has managed to be so consistent for four years. Who is so fit, who fights so hard as him. I've never seen anything like it, such consistency … perhaps I'm too young, but I never played with anybody like him and I have never coached a player like that either. He is a better player than anybody else, he has a gift", said Guardiola to the reporters in the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper pressroom. Guardiola added that his star striker "knows very well what we all think, all of the coaching staff, the people that look after him, and the other players … We are all delighted with what he does, has done and will do. And of course nothing that we have done would have been possible without him. He is a different kind of player, his stats make him different and he lets you win games at all levels … There is never a game in which he doesn't generate play. It's undebatable as far as we're concerned. If there is any debate, then so be it, but it doesn't weaken him and it won't weaken him". Dangers of Mallorca On Mallorca, who FCB play on Saturday, Guardiola said "they have their weapons. Mallorca is a team which character, which Caparrós gets into the players, and they're a difficult opponent. We will have to play with our heads if we want the three points … We will have stick to our way of generating a lot of chances and making sure they don't". Guardiola will have both Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué back in the side now that they have been declared fit. He said that "it is always good news because the more we are the better. Whether they'll get to play is something we'll decide tomorrow". Nothing foolish Asked about the tendency to only judge the team in the short term the manager answered that "that doesn't matter. I go by what I see in the matches. We may play well or badly, but we never fail to respond. Generally, they're playing more than excellently and I'm more than satisfied. We are on good form and I'm delighted with what the team is doing. We have never been made to look like fools in four years, and that's not easy in sport. That's the greatest value of this team, and without that we would never have won 12 titles out of 15." He added that winning by huge margins is not always a good thing because it can lead to confusion. "Sometimes it can be positive not to be so brilliant. It is not always good for us to win games by high scores because then people tend to start thinking that that is what should always happen". Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77402 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77403 Piqué, Messi and Cesc, who all played together for the youth team ten years ago, have played just 27 minutes of football on the same pitch this season. With all three on the field, the team has scored one goal and conceded none. WhenCesc arrived last summer, a lot was said about the generation born in 1987 that are now together in the first team. Almost three months later,Piqué, Cesc andMessi have only played together for 27 minutes, not counting time added on for stoppages. Injuries to the midfielder and defender have meant that the players that first played alongside each other between 2001 and 2003 (while Piqué and Cesc also played on together for another three years) have not shared much time on the pitch. Barça v Madrid: 8 minutes together The first time they played together was on August 17 in the second leg of theSupercup againstReal Madrid, Cesc's first official appearance for the club. He came on in the 81st minute, with the score 2-2, and played a part in Messi' deciding goal that won the first title of the season. Eight minutes of football, and he already had a winner's medal. Barça v Atletico, 19 minutes Piqué's injury meant they wouldn't play together again until September 24, againstAtletico Madrid (5-0). Piqué and Messi both started and Cesc came on in the 53rd minute, 19 minutes later, with no goals scored either way, Piqué was substituted. Piqué was suspended for the game withBATE Borisov, and then Cesc and Piqué were both sidelined through injury, meaning they have not appeared together since. Piqué has just been declared fit again, so we once again have the chance to see all three former youth players on the field at the same time. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77403 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77404 Both the Barça centre backs will be able to play against Mallorca after being declared fit at the end of today's training session. That means Guardiola has 19 players to pick from including the reserve team's Isaac Cuenca. More info The team got back to work today after Pep Guardiola had given them Wednesday off. The players met up at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on a rainy morning for the second to last session before playing host at the Camp Nou to Mallorca. The good news was that both Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué have been declared fully recovered from their respective injuries. Two welcome returns That means Guardiola now has a lot less to worry about in defence, after having to make do without his captain for two league games against Sevilla and Granada due to his pubic trouble. Meanwhile, Piqué has been struggling with a hamstring injury sustained against Racing. The only injured players are now Pedro, Ibrahim Afellay and Alexis Sánchez. The Chilean is also well on the road to recovery and was able to join in with some of today's training exercises. Isaac Cuenca trains All 18 of the first team players were on the pitch today, and were joined by Isaac Cuenca, the youngster who started the game at Granada, and has been asked to continue training with Pep Guardiola.The team will train again on Saturday morning inside the Camp Nou and behind closed doors at 11.30. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77404 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77405 Llevant stay top after the midweek matches, but only just-after an injury time winner against Real Sociedad. Llevant left it late on Wednesday night with a 93rd minute winner from Ruben Suarez after Real Sociedad had put up a brave fight, going one up early on and coming back after Llevant had scored twice in the second half to leave it at 2-2 on 90 minutes. Llevant boss Juan Ignacio Martinez said after his team's seventh successive win: "this is a nearly impossible run we are on". Real Madrid also kept up with the pace, seeing off Villarreal with three first half goals from Benzema, Kaka and Di Maria and remain a point behind Llevant and one ahead of Barça. Villarreal troubles deepen That defeat for Villarreal sent them down into the bottom three, with just seven points and only one win in the last eight games. To make matters worse, they have also lost striker Giuseppe Rossi for the rest of the season after the Italian was operated on for a knee ligament injury on Thursday. Villarreal are third from bottom on seven points, with Granada in last spot on five, level on points with Racing, who got an unexpected point in Seville with their 2-2 draw. Manu del Moral scored twice for Seville, with a 91st minute equaliser after Racing had scored twice in the second half to come tantalisingly close to their first win of the season. Jordi Alba gives Valencia the points After two successive draws, Valencia were back to winning ways with a late Jordi Alba goal giving them a 0-1 win at Zaragoza to lift them ahead of Seville into fourth place, three points behind Barça. Espanyol are sixth after their third win on the run, beating Betis 1-0 thanks to a Walter Pandiani goal, which means Betis have now lost five on the row and slumped down to tenth. Another of the early season pacemakers, Malaga also lost their third game on the run, going down 2-0 at Rayo, with Raul Tamudo on the mark for the hosts' second. Malaga are now seventh on 13 points, with Rayo on 12 in ninth place level with Bilbao, who thrashed Atletico Madrid 3-0 at San Mames with two goals from Fernando Llorente. Mallorca go down ahead of Camp Nou visit Mallorca didn't make the best preparation for their trip to the Camp Nou at the weekend, going down 1-2 at home to Sporting, despite taking the lead early on through a Castro goal. Bilic and an own goal from Joao Victor gave Sporting their win, which takes them out of the bottom three, ahead of Villarreal on goal difference and also level on points with Getafe, who were held 2-2 at home by Osasuna. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77405 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77397 Pep Guardiola seems to have the measure of Mallorca boss Joaquín Caparrós, with Barça having beaten Athletic Club when he was charge a total of five times out of six, with just a single draw. Following Michael Laudrup's departure from Mallorca, Caparrós took charge of the team earlier this month and this weekend will see him bring his team to the Camp Nou to meet up with a manager who he never managed to get the better of when he led Athletic Bibao. Two wins in the first season In Pep Guardiola's first season in charge, Barça beat Caparrós' Bilbao at home and away, with a single goal from Eto'o giving them the win in San Mamés and Sergio and Messi getting the goals in the 2-0 win in the Camp Nou. Draw and a convincing win The following season was the only time that Athletic Bilbao managed to get a point from Barça. Alves got an early goal and Toquero equalised in front of his home crowd, whilst in the return game Barça thrashed the Basques 4-1 at the Camp Nou. Two more wins Last season Barça found it a little harder to see off Caparros' team. On a rainy night in San Mames in September 2010, Barça found it difficult to break down the Basques' defence and after going 0-2 up through goals from Keita and Xavi, Bilbao hit back before Sergio finished the game off with a third. In the return game, Barca managed a 2-1 win with a late goal, but in truth the visitors could have taken at least a point from the encounter. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77397 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77406 Barça's young midfielder made his first team debut against this weekend's visitors to the Camp Nou, Mallorca, at San Moix in May 2009 and his career has been on an upward curve since then. Thiago was one of the youth academy's most promising talents -a player who shot up through the various youth team categories. As a Youth team player, he featured for Guardiola in the Barça B team and his creativity imagination and competitive attitude made him stand out. Eventually, two and a half years ago, he made his first team debut and since then the boss has nurtured his extraordinary talent to the point that he is now one of the first team squad stars. Fisrt match at San Moix On May 17th 2009, with the league title already won and with the Rome final just 10 days away, Pep Guardiola called up Thiago for the trip to Mallorca as he gave some of the first team regulars a rest. Thiago came on for the last 15 minutes to make his debut and from then on he became an increasingly familiar part of the first team training sessions at the Ciutat Esportiva. Debut goal against Racing After his debut, Guardiola refused to rush things though and he played just one league game and one Spanish Cup match the following season, with a debut goal against Racing in February 2009. Last season he began to make more regular appearances for the team. Full first team squad member This season he became a full first team squad member and has made a great start to the campaign, debuting against Villarreal and featuring in eight of the team's nine league games, starting seven of them to confirm his promise and reveal himself as another of the team's success stories. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77406 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77388 Cesc Fabregas came out in defense of Leo Messi and believes that he'll soon get back to scoring goals as usual: "He's very humble, always gives everything for the team, and loves the Club. There's nothing more to say". Messi hasn't scored for 3 games. Viktoria Pilsen, Sevilla, and Granada have escaped without conceding a Messi goal, which has led to the first arguments about his form. For Cesc, there's no debate: "I haven't heard any arguments. He's my age. If you see the progress he's made, I don't think I'll ever see it again. He's won everything, except the World Cup. He scores goals every game, makes them, always plays ... he's a fabulous player, physically and mentally. If there are doubts about Messi, I don't know how they see the rest of us. I've never played with a player like him, either at youth level or professionally. He's humble, never hides, always gives everything for the team, and loves the Club. There's nothing more to say" he added. Bet on another Golden Ball for Messi On the same lines, when asked about the Golden Ball trophy, he said: "50 of us have been nominated for this award. Nobody will remember the 5th to the 50th. I'd put my hand in the fire that Messi will win it. It has a special meaning for him, but the next day he'll want to score more goals and that's the most important" he said. Regarding his own presence on the list, and the absence of Pedro, Valdes, or Busquets, Cesc said that "it's a pretty strange list. How can I be on it, when I didn't play for practically the whole of last season?". Self criticism after the match at Granada Regarding the game at Granada (1-0 win), in which he started after his injury, he recognised that it wasn't Barça's best game. "The movement of the ball was too slow, we didn't change the direction of play enough, we had too many players down the right, and we didn't have as much ball possession as usual, but we did control the whole match" he stressed, whilst praising Barca's current defensive form.On his own performance, he acknowledged that he's still recovering his best form, and feels more comfortable playing in attack than deeper in midfield. "I can play in both positions. As a midfielder I have to improve a lot of things. Tactically I have plenty of room for improvement" he said. End of discussion about Kanoute One of the topics of most interest in the press conference was the controversy that arose with Frederic Kanoute at the end of the match against Sevilla, which ended with Kanoute being sent off. "I've always been calm about it. I know what I said to him. Whoever leaked the story that I used racist words has got what they wanted, because it's been published worldwide. I spoke with Kanoute and we said what we had to say. I'm not a Saint, just like any football player, but I didn't say anything racist, and nobody is denying that. We all know how football works" he said. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77388 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77389 Tests this morning have confirmed that Pedro has strained the tendons in his left ankle. It is estimated that he will be out for between 2 and 3 weeks. Pedro Rodriguez turned up this morning at the Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper, where he underwent more tests to ascertain the extent of the injury sustained in the game against Granada in the stadium Nuevo Los Carmenes. Once the tests had been completed, Medical Services confirmed that the player has strained the tendons in his left ankle. He will be out for between 2 and 3 weeks, which will force him to miss the League games against Mallorca (October 29th) and Athletic (6th of November - date to be confirmed), the Champions League game against FC Viktoria (1st of November) and the Spanish Cup match against Hospitalet, scheduled for November 9th. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77389 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77390 The Barça midfielder scored the decisive goal in the win over Granada, his fourth in the League, on the day that he overtook Migueli's record number of matches for the Club. It's just one of the stats from a game dominated by Barça. ►Since match-day 35 of the 2009/10 League season, Xavi Hernandez had not scored from a free-kick, his last one being against Villareal, on May 1st, 2010. ►Xavi becomes the Barça player who has played in most league games (392), overtaking Migueli. ►In addition, Xavi has his best goal-scoring start to a season with four goals in nine games. ►With the 1-0 win Barça have scored in 25 consecutive away games, an all-time record. ►Victor Valdes continues to extend his unbeaten record. He's strung together 7 games, and a total of 697 minutes, without conceding a goal. ►Isaac Cuenca, after making his debut in the Champions League against Viktoria a week ago, also had his first start in the League. ►Barça's overall possession was 73%. ►Xavi was the player who participated most in the match, with 117 successful passes from 129 attempts. ►Barça had 17 shots at goal, against Granada's 2. ►Of the 23 fouls signalled in the whole game, 11 were punished with yellow cards. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77390 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77381 First examinations of Barça's Spanish international forward has shown he has not suffered any break, but has strained tendons in his left ankle. He will undergo further tests on Wednesday. Pedro Rodríguez was carried off in the 55th minute of the game against Granada tonight and was replaced by David Villa after he twisted his ankle. The Club's medical services' first examinations revealed he had not suffered a broken bone, but had damaged the tendons in his left ankle and is expected to be out for between 10 and 16 days. Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77381 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77382 There's another round of midweek games in La Liga this week and with Barça playing on Tuesday, they could go top with a win in Granada, as Llevant and Real Madrid both play on Wednesday. At the other end, Granada and Racing are both playing on Tuesday, with the bottom club facing a tough test at Seville, whilst Sporting are away to Mallorca on Wednesday. Llevant out to stay top Llevant will be hopeful of extending their six game winning run when they entertain Real Sociedad, who have failed to win in their last four games and will face Real Madrid at the weekend. Madrid themselves take on Villarreal at the Bernabeu, with last year's fourth place team struggling to deal with the demands of Champions League and La Liga football this year, sitting fifth from bottom, with just one win so far. Fourth place Seville have won all four home games so far -and drawn all their games on the road - and they will be expecting to keep up their 100% record when they take on Racing - who've yet to win this campaign- at the Sanchez Pijuan late on Tuesday night. Valencia and Malaga need to bounce back Valencia and Malaga both need good results after the weekend's games, with Emery's team travelling to Zaragoza and Pellegrini taking his men to Rayo, whilst Betis won't find it easy to halt their dramatic freefall when they face Espanyol in Cornella-El Prat on Thursday - the Catalans could move into the top six if they can get the three points. Below Espanyol, Atletico Madrid, on 10 points, face Athletic Bilbao, on 9 points, at the San Mames, whilst Osasuna, also on 10 points, are at struggling Getafe before two upcoming games against Llevant and Real Madrid. Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77382 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77391 Although he was happy to leave Granada with the points, Pep Guardiola admitted the team had lacked "fluidity" during the game. Barça put in a workmanlike performance to take a single goal win over Granada through Xavi's excellent free kick. After praising his players' ability to "close down the game", he admitted that they had lacked speed in moving the ball around. Slow moving the ball around "The truth is that we were slower than we normally are in moving the ball around, which is our strong point, but we did try to take control, which is something that happens when you are playing so many games".The boss was clear that with the score at just 0-1 "anything could happen. With a single goal and playing 11 against 10 and you still can't get the second, you play with a bit of fear because you feel you have to get that second. It's not that we played badly, but we were lacking fluidity - that happens sometimes." Granada's quality Guardiola also praised Granada: "I want to congratulate Granada on their return to the top flight after so long. It was nice to be here at this stadium with the atmosphere there was here. They played at a good level and have some very good players. I've been studying them a lot over the last few days and it's true that they have stood up to every team they've played". Asked about Touré Yaya's recent statements concerning his last few months at the Club, Guardiola commented: "the door to my office is always open. We spoke during his last year and I spoke to his wife and his agent . I speak to everybody and if we meet up in the Champions League I'll try and convince him of that". Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77391 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77373 The boss is well aware that his players "have put in a lot of effort in a short time" and that Tuesday's game will be "a good test for us", whilst alerting his squad to the threat that Granada pose. "Puyol will be available against Mallorca" Pep Guardiola wasn't too worried about the continued absence of his captain Carles Puyol and explained that the injury he's got "is not very much at all. He should be in training on Wednesday and available for the Mallorca game. It's only normal that he's had these slight difficulties after such a long layoff". Three days after the Seville game, Barça face another league match - against Granada on Tuesday night. The Andalucía team have not played Barça in the league for 35 years and are this season struggling in the bottom three, but Guardiola insisted at his press conference at the Ciutat Esportiva this lunchtime that Granada are "brave, willing to take risks and very dynamic - a number of their bad results haven't been deserved at all". Different game than against Seville "We think we will be in for a different game than we had against Seville", according to Guardiola, "it'll be a good test for us. We have put in a lot of effort in a short time and we'll have to see how we respond", However, the boss has no complaints about his players' attitude: "if all the draws and defeats we have get the same response from them, there will be no problem" and also insisted that there is still a long way to go in the league: "there are still 90 points to play for". All cleared up between Cesc and Kanouté Cesc Fàbregas and Frederic Kanouté announced on Twitter this weekend that they had spoken on the phone and resolved the incident that led to the Seville player's red card on Saturday night and Guardiola closed the door on the incident, insisting "it's been cleared up". Messi and Villa Guardiola mentioned a number of players during the press conference today, including Leo Messi and David Villa. About the Argentinean's reaction to the missed penalty on Saturday, he claimed: "the fans reacted fantastically. He's fine and getting his strength back . There's really no time to enjoy all the good things, or get down about the bad ones -it's all part of the game". "Thanks to Villa, we are able to play such good football -he's had to adapt to the team and the coaches here and he's had the humility to do that . Others wouldn't have done it after all the things he had achieved". Llevant leadership The boss also insisted that Llevant's position at the top of the table: "isn't just a coincidence" and he complemented them on their great start to the season: "they ve done things really well -that's why they are top. They did well last season and their defence is a key part of their success, it's spectacular". Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77373 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77374 Pep Guardiola has called up all 17 available first team squad members plus B team players Montoya and Cuenca for Tuesday's trip to Granada. Carles Puyol is again rested as a precautionary measure with a slight groin problem. More info Full squad to travel to Granada Valdés, Pinto, Dani Alves, Cesc, Xavi, Villa, Iniesta, Messi, Thiago, Mascherano, Keita, Sergio, Pedro, Maxwell, Adriano, Abidal, Fontàs, Montoya (35) and Isaac Cuenca (39). The 19 players who will travel to Granada for this Tuesday's game at the Los Cármenes stadium (20.00) will include two B team players, defender Martin Montoya and winger Isaac Cuenca, as well as the 17 fit first team squad players, with Puyol, Piqué, Alexis and Afellay all missing out. Squad to travel on Tuesday The players trained at the Ciutat Esportiva this morning with Puyol and Alexis both working apart from the rest of the group as they did on Sunday, whilst Pique joined in for part of the session. B team players Montoya, Bartra and Cuenca took part in the session. The squad will travel to Granada on Tuesday. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77374 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77375 Javi Varas is one of the few keepers who can boast that they have kept out Guardiola's team –under Pep's management, the team have only failed to score in 14 of the 188 games they've played. Pep Guardiola's team very rarely fail to score - and when they do the reaction tends to be pretty effective as Madrid found out when they lost 2-6 at the Bernabeu immediately following Barça's 0-0 draw with Chelsea. Just 7% of games without scoring Barça's attacking football is reflected in their stats since Guardiola took charge and the fact that they have only failed to score on 14 ocassions - 8 of them played away from the Camp Nou. Team bounces back The team have repeatedly shown that they can bounce back from problems and after the games in which they failed to score, Barça have won 9 games, drawn 1 and lost 3 games, with an average of 2.7 goals a game - perhaps the most spectacular result being that 2-6 win in Bernabeu. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77375 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77376 Llevant's incredible season continues and they are now out on their own in first place in the table, following their 0-3 win over Villarreal. The club with the lowest budget in the competition is a point clearat the top of La Liga.Foto: villarrealcf.es Llevant's great start contrasted starkly with last year's Champions League qualifiers Villarreal, whose defeat was their fourth of the season, leaving them struggling fifth from the bottom, with only Getafe, Granada, Sporting and Racing below them. Real Madrid's spell at the top lasted for just over 24 hours after their win in Malaga, whilst Seville stay fourth after their draw at the Camp Nou, with Valencia, who could only get a point at home to Bilbao, a point behind them in fifth. Sixth straight win for new leaders Two first half goals from Juanlu and a third from Koné after the break gave Llevant a convincing 0-3 win over Villarreal - their sixth on the run - which leaves them together with Seville and Barça as the only unbeaten teams in the league. Madrid's 0-4 win over Malaga on Saturday came courtesy of a Higuain goal and a Cristiano Ronaldo hat trick and leaves them second, a point behind Llevant. Valencia held by Bilbao With Seville fourth on 16, two points behind Barça, Valencia are fifth, a further point behind after failing to take advantage against Bilbao at the Mestalla on Sunday. Soldado saved a point for Emery's team with an 88th minute equaliser after Munuain had scored a great opener for the Basques. Bad news for both teams was the serious looking injuries suffered by Canales and Guirpegi. Betis go down again Betis' fall from grace continues - their 0-1 home defeat to Rayo on Saturday was their fourth straight loss, following their opening four wins and although they maintain their seventh spot, they are equal on points with the team they play in midweek, Espanyol who beat Racing 0-1 for their second straight away win with a Sergio Garcia goal. Racing are now bottom and are the only team without a win after Sporting overcame Granada 2-0. Both Racing and Sporting are on four points, with Granada on five and Getafe, who drew 0-0 against Real Sociedad, on six. Atletico disappoint again Behind Betis and Espanyol are Atletico Madrid and Osasuna on 10 points. The Madrid team again disappointed their fans and were only able to draw with Mallorca thanks to a Falcao penalty, equalling one scored in the second minute by Mallorca. Osasuna for their part, brushed aside Zaragoza 3-0, with ex-Atletico man Raul Garcia leading the rout and scoring the first of the Pamplona outfit's three first half goals. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77376 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77361 Dani Alves reckons that Saturday night's result: "is a clear demonstration that everything is hard and nothing comes easy", whilst insisting Barça: "are a great team, win lose or draw". Marco Simoncelli death The death of Marco Simoncelli in today's Malaysian Moto GP Grand Prix has come as a big blow to the whole sporting world and Alves commented: "it's very sad indeed. When you compete to the limit, that kind of thing can always happen. It's a terrible thing. It reminds you that you have to value life, because something like this can happen at any time. You have to live every day as if it were the last". Although they had plenty enough chances against Seville, Guardiola's team were held to a goalless draw against Seville and although Alves admitted the result left the players: "with a bitter sweet taste", he insisted: "everything that gives us something is positive. That's football and you have to get over it". In the same tone, the Brazilian explained that results like Saturday's don't create any doubts in the squad: "everything is hard and complicated, but there is no way that this will make us doubt in ourselves. We are a great team - win, lose or draw. We have shown that over the years and one result won't change that". Seville's defensive skills Dani Alves believes that Seville: "are one of the best teams in terms of defence that we've seen here. They did a fantastic job, keeping their lines close, closing down any space we might use for our short passing game. Even so, we made plenty of chances. That's football. Seville are one of the big teams in this league and they are bound to be in there at the end of the season. This won't be a two horse race because all the other teams fight hard and it's always going to be tough to win games, but we will finish top in the end, even though it will be very complicated". No racist insults by Cesc Alves also insisted that Cesc Fabregas certainly didn't use any racist language to provoke Kanoute's red card on Saturday: "they are moments when you are all fired up and you aren't going to go around saying please and thank you, but there was no racist insult and certainly not from Cesc who is a great guy and would never do that". The ex-Seville man also made it clear that: "I'm fed up with all this business about players saying I only reacted because you provoked me - if I reacted to every provocation I'd be going for an early bath every game". The draw also meant that Real Madrid are for the moment at least, on top of the table, but Alves reckons: "that's just a side show at this point. They are the leaders and of course they will be happy about that, we are behind them, but there is a long way to go yet and many things will happen I'm sure". Finally, Alves referred to Messi, who missed that late penalty: "you only miss them if you take them. Messi's qualities are about much more than a missed penalty. It's just a one off and there's no need to go over it any more". Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77361 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77362 Javier Mascherano spoke to the Barça TV programme "El Marcador" after the Seville game and explained his reconversion into a centre half by claiming: "I try to combine commitment and concentration". In less than a year and a half as a Barça player, Mascherano has become a firm favourite with the fans, as a result of his performances on the pitch and his attitude off it. After his brilliant game at the heart of the defence against Seville on Saturday night, he spoke on Barça TV and explained: "I never imagined this - to be playing as a centre half just a year after coming here, a Champions League final, a Cup final…" Opportunity knocks Mascherano is clear that he will play wherever Guardiola asks him to: "looking at how the boss has used me, he seems to prefer me at centre half, rather than in the middle. Maybe that's down to the injuries we've had at the back. I just try and do my best - I know I have a few problems-it's not my natural position, I'm not that tall, but I try and overcome that by trying to combine commitment and concentration. Opportunities are there to be grasped and taken advantage of". Disappointed with the result Reflecting on the Seville result, Mascherano explained: "it's a strange feeling - disappointment at not getting the three points, but satisfaction at knowing we did everything right. We played as we always do -attacking for almost the whole game". The Argentinean also warned that: "it might have seemed easy to win the league last year if you were looking from the outside, but it certainly wasn't and the other players have told me that the previous titles were just as hard to win". Messi, "sad, but okay" Mascherano also commented on his teammate Leo Messi, who missed that late penalty: "he's sad about not wining, but he's okay with things. The most important thing is that you can finish the game and look your teammates square in the face without regrets. If you take the penalties, it's you who'll miss them - for the rest of us it's impossible!". Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77362 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77363 Gerard Piqué joined in for part of the training with the rest of the squad on Sunday morning, as the players worked out following Saturday night's draw against Seville. More info With the trip to Granada on Tuesday their next game, the Barça squad were back at work this morning at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, where the stress was on recovering from Saturday night's efforts against Seville in a generally gentle session. Gerard Piqué provided the positive note at the session, joining in part of the training as he continues to recover from the muscle injury he suffered against Racing last weekend. Puyol and Alexis train apart Alexis and Puyol also appeared at the session -working apart from the rest of the players, as they too continue to get over their injuries - Puyol was rested as a precautionary measure for the Seville game with a groin twinge. As well as the youngster Isaac Cuenca, who trained with the squad on Saturday, three of the B team players who were not called up for the game against Alcoià - Gustavo Ledes, Sergi Gómez and Oriol Rosell also took part. Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77363 http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77364 The Catalan midfielder has been voted Player of the Year 2010-11 with more than half a million votes in a poll organised by the on-line Barça supporters community. Xavi thanked the Barça Fans for their votes , declaring: "I am very happy and excited to have been chosen as the best player from amongst so the many great footballers who are my team mates. Thank you to everybody". More than half a million votes Xavi Hernández received more than 500,000 votes and finished just ahead of Messi and Iniesta. The voting has served both to give the Fans the chance to vote for their favourite and also to get to know Xavi a little better after the community organised a series of questions the Fans could put to the midfielder. Global phenomena Barça Fans is the official on-line community for FC Barcelona supporters and has more than 600.000 members (as of August 1st) who are able to enjoy special offers and deals connected with the Club. The Barça Fans community is just one part of the global support Barça enjoy, alongside the 20 million fans on Facebook and the 3 million accounts on Twitter - at @fcbarcelona_cat, @fcbarcelona_es and @fcbarcelona). Barça Fans has grown enormously, not just in the Spanish State, but also in the USA, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, India, Poland and Morocco. Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 info@barcelona-tickets-store.com (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com) http://www.barcelona-tickets-store.comNews.php?Id_News=77364