A Barça Blog

During Sunday night's game, many pundits and fans noticed an unusual encounter on the sidelines. When Fàbregas left the field, Guardiola, after an exchange of words, grabbed Cesc by the back of the neck and shoved him towards the bench. The player could be seen smiling as he stumbled away but the manager's face was much less welcoming. Annoyed by chances missed during the game, Pep was less then pleased with Cesc's comments after leaving the field. In the 77th minute, Fàbregas was replaced by Thiago and on his way to the bench he complained to Guardiola. Albeit in a joking manner but it appeared the boss didn't agree. Cesc said to Guardiola "Wow! It was difficult to score that third goal." To which Pep replied "You all should have scored earlier with the 1000 chances you had!" Cleary annoyed by the missed chances, in particular Cesc's horrible miss after a bobble on the penalty spot. What is interesting though is Cesc's reaction. He lea...

Lionel Messi again earned his "Best Player in the World" title as Barcelona hammered Valencia 5-1 at the Camp Nou. Messi netted four goals while Xavi put the game beyond any doubt in the 91st minute with Barça's fifth. Cesc and Alexis celebrating with the goal scorer Valencia started brightly and if it weren't for Barcelona's tight offside trap they would've been ahead. But in the 9th minute Unai Emery's men's pressure produced it's reward. An in-swinging cross caught Valdés wrong-footed and allowed Piatti to pounce. The 22 year old tapped the ball past the diving keeper and sent Valencia ahead. Barcelona's home form has been very impressive this season but with their poor away form looming some fans began to fear the worst. The inexperience of Montaya was a particular concern but the young right back showed his attacking capabilities throughout the game. He produced a splitting pass would've surely produced an equaliser if Pedro had ...

The players are experiencing a difficult time in their Barça careers There is no doubt that this Barcelona side is one of the best ever, maybe even the best. But currently sitting ten points behind Madrid in the league, it can be argued that this accolade has crippled Barcelona's dominance. They say complacency is only a state of mind but in Barça's case it has hit them much harder. Dropping points on eight occasions, equal to the whole of last season, Barcelona fans and players are used to winning and expect it to come naturally. Fair enough they still have the possibility of finishing the season with five trophies but importantly for Guardiola's men, one of them won't be La Liga. A trophy you work in 38 games to win compared to a cup run which usually lasts about 8. The trophies come quicker and the motivation stays replenished with the prize of the next round dangled in front of you during every game. So then maybe it's a case of too many players seeking...

Alexis celebrating his first goal Alexis Sánchez scored twice as Barcelona earned a 3-1 away win at Bayer Leverkusen. Lionel Messi was also on the scoresheet whilst Kadlec scored for the home side. The German side started the game very defensively and looked to park the bus. A dangerous tactic to play against a team with the attacking qualities of Barcelona. The Catalans dominated possession but failed to really test the Leverkusen goalie. Barça's first chance fell to Dani Alves, the Brazillian international lined up a free kick from just outside the German side's area. After convincing Messi he was the man to take it, Alves wasted the free kick by blasting the ball over the bar. The reigning European champions could've been ahead if it weren't for a crucial interception by Daniel Schwaab. Alexis broke clear of the defence and looked to square the ball to Messi. A certain goal if it weren't for Schwaab's sliding block. After a period of little chances, Al...

Pep looks on to his bench Last night's game saw Barcelona lose more ground in the title race after a 3-2 defeat to Osasuna. The Catalans failed to adapt to the icy conditions and Guardiola came under fire for his less then full strength selection. Guardiola started Thiago and Sergi Roberto in midfield leaving out more experienced players such as Iniesta, Xavi and Cesc Fàbregas. Wary of the midweek Champions League clash aganist Bayer Leverkusen, Pep felt his youngsters were good enough to seal a win. He was wrong. Both of Osasuna's goal scorers were over the age of 25 and proved that experience is vital. The home team adapted better to the conditions and that was no doubt a product of the experience the team holds. Barcelona's play relies on quick, skilful passing. A technique of which the pitch denied them and therefore a rethink was needed. Perhaps the experience of Xavi or Iniesta would've enabled them to play a more direct tactic. Both players remained on...

Guardiola and substitute Iniesta  Osasuna battled the icy conditions to produce a shock 3-2 victory over Barcelona. The Catalans' poor away form continued as they failed to adapt to a frozen pitch and conceded two early goals. A comeback looked likely when Alexis scored in the 50th minute but Barça's hopes faded when Raúl Garcia scored Osasuna's third. Osasuna adapted to the conditions the quickest and found themselves ahead in the fourth minute. Lekic was the recipient of a clever pass that gave him space in the box and he calmly finished past Valdés to make it 1-0. Pedro stared the game but for a player who's game heavily relies on his pace, a frozen pitch is a nightmare. The winger failed to get past any defenders and his shot fired disappointingly wide. Pedro's nightmare was representative of the whole Barcelona game, the world class passing was unable to function in such cold conditions. Lekic doubled his goal tally in the 21st minute. A Barcelona-esqu...

The taste of success With Barcelona securing their place in this year's Copa del Rey final during the week, Guardiola has now lead his side to twelve finals since he took over the Barça bench. Maybe more impressively is Guardiola has only been coach since 2008. During his first season in charge, Guardiola led his side to both the Copa del Rey final and the Champions League final. Both trophies went to the Catalans and Pep earned his plaudits. Next season Guardiola upped his final count to three. Starting the year with victories in both the Spanish and European Super cup against Athletic Bilbao and Shakhtar Donetsk respectively. During December of that year Barcelona beat Estudiantes to claim the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. A trophy that signalled history as Barcelona became the first club to win the "Sextuple." A record that has still not been achieved by any other club. Barcelona and Guardiola again reached three finals during the 2010-11 season. Barça started t...