As far as bogey teams go, this fixture takes some beating. Barcelona face Malaga tonight looking to continue their good start to the season, and will be confident of victory having won their last 12 games against them in the league. Malaga have beaten Barcelona just twice in their history, but not for over 10 years, failing to win a point against them since. Here is a brief history of the fixture. 3/12/03 Malaga 5-1 Barcelona Perhaps the result is overstated as Barca were waiting to welcome Real Madrid in the Clasico, but Juande Ramos' Malaga tore a fragile defence apart on an unforgettable … [Read more...]
GUEST POST: Making the game Beautiful again…Thanks Tito Vilanova
I like many La Liga Blog readers first knew about Tito Vilanova from seeing him take over as Barcelona manager in 2012 although I began getting properly into Spanish football thanks to the Barcelona team run by his predecessor, Pep Guardiola. That team was absolutely brilliant and It's only since beginning to follow Spanish football properly that I realised just how big a part to play Tito Vilanova had for Barca. So I wanted to thank him for making the beautiful game beautiful once again... Barcelona to me have always been one of the really big clubs. However for years I always had them on a … [Read more...]
AVB turned down chance to manage Barcelona claims Spanish TV show
Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas Boas reportedly turned down the opportunity to manage Catalan giants FC Barcelona in the summer claims Spanish football show, Punto Pelota. The ex Porto and Chelsea boss was also heavily linked with PSG a few months back but snubbed both the French giants and Barcelona and opted to stay put with the North London outfit for at least a season more. … [Read more...]
Confederations Cup Final highlights Barça dilema
Spain's reliance on a core of F.C. Barcelona players in Fifa's Confederationa Cup, to maintain their style of play and dominance of the international game, would appear to have set back the doom mongerers that had brought about the end of the Catalan giant' golden era. Not only does la selección boast 9 players in the squad at the World Cup warm up tournament, but 7 are expected to start tonight's final. Facing la Roja tonight will be Dani Alves and the recently signed Neymar, taking Barça's presence in the showpiece up to 11 players. … [Read more...]
Amazing Abidal set to start at the Allianz Arena
Éric Abidal is set to start tonight's Champions League semi-final clash for F.C. Barcelona against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in Germany. A defensive injury crisis at the Catalan club has thrust the Frenchman back into Tito Vilanova's plans much sooner than expected. Injuries to captain Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano, along with the lack of European playing time at the heart of defence of Marc Bartra and Alex Song has placed Abidal, with his wealth of experience, at the forefront of the coaching staff's thoughts. … [Read more...]
Five Star Barça Shine Without Messi
At half time at the Parc des Princes in Paris in midweek, the alarm bells were ringing for all who viewed F.C. Barcelona as a one man team. After sending an effort just past the top corner of the PSG goal, Lionel Messi pulled up and started rubbing his right knee and then hamstring. An innocuous knock on his standing leg as he shot had left the 4 time Ballon D'Or winner looking human. At the start of the second half, Barça took to the field with Cesc Fàbregas having replaced the mercurial Messi. The Catalans would take a 2-2 draw from the game, conceding a last kick of the game Matuidi goal … [Read more...]
How can Barca get back to their best?
It all started last year, on 27th April, that fateful day no Barca fan will ever forget. It had been a horrible 2 weeks for the Catalan giants, first losing in El Clasico to arch rivals Real Madrid, who eventually went on to win La Liga, and then their shock elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Chelsea. Despite their attacking qualities, it was not enough to break down a much criticised display of resilient defending from their opponents. Barca only had themselves to blame. The tie should’ve been over after the 1st leg. Disappointment followed. Their League and Champions … [Read more...]
Classic hangover or a need for change for Barcelona?
Tuesday night’s result was one that leaves another hangover for the Catalan club, not long after the Milan disaster, but as with all hangovers they will hope it will pass. After Iniesta’s comments to the media at the conference yesterday, many would say that Tito Vilanova’s absence is now truly being felt by the entire squad. Should Barça act in the interim and bring in someone to cover his absence. Luis Enrique, ex Barça B and Roma coach has been suggested, as has Eusebio Sacristain, the current B incumbent. … [Read more...]
Barcelona struggling to meet their standards without Tito
Barcelona boss Tito Vilanova's treatment for cancer has been well documented and having led the team to the summit of La Liga with a record points total, he departed the club in a dominant position. However, since Vilanova left for America in late January it has been clear that the standard of Barcelona's play has dropped, culminating in the disastrous 2-0 loss in Milan which has made an exit from the Champions League in the round of 16 a real possibility with three pivotal games against Real Madrid and Milan coming up quickly. … [Read more...]
Stat Attack: Barca goals from outside the box double since Tito’s takeover
Today we bring you an interesting statistic discovered by Spanish newspaper Marca. Whilst Barcelona have quite rightly been known to score the bulk of their goals from close range after a dazzling passing move, it seems the manner in which goals are scored has changed somewhat since new manager Tito Vilanova has come to town. … [Read more...]