Barcelona - NouCamp Faithful

[joew2005]

http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/mess...0842--spt.html

Messi: Guardiola more important to Barcelona than me

Barcelona's talismanic 4ward Lionel Messi believes tat coach Pep Guardiola is more important 2 the club than he is.

Guardiola has led the Catalan outfit 2 13 titles since succeeding Frank Rijkaard as boss in 2008, but his future @ Camp Nou remains in doubt as he is out of contract @ the end of the season & yet 2 give any indication as 2 whether he will sign an extension.

Messi, who scored his 50th goal of the season in all competitions in Sunday's 2-0 win over Racing Santander, is desperately hoping tat the former Spain international signs a new deal, humbly claiming tat Guardiola has been the key 2 the Blaugrana's recent run of success.

"It would be difficult 2 find a replacement," the Argentina international told reporters during an event 4 his foundation on Monday.

"Barcelona has 4 years of playing well 4 him. 4 me, he is more important than me @ Barcelona."

Guardiola has been linked with both Chelsea & Inter in recent weeks, while there is also speculation tat he might opt 2 take a year-long sabbatical fr the game.

Messi revealed tat the players r just as much in the dark over Guardiola's future as the press & the fans.

"We r like u: waiting 4 him 2 decide whether 2 stay or not," the 3-time Ballon d'Or winner insisted.

"We 1 him 2 continue with us 4 the good of all, 1st 4 us, & then 4 the club."

Indeed, while Messi does not believe tat Barca would collapse in the event of Guardiola's departure, the 24-year-old suspects tat they would struggle 2 adjust without him.

"The club will continue & we would 2, but it would be very different without Guardiola," the Rosario native argued.

"It would be very difficult 2 find another coach 2 do wat he has done. We played well becos of how he prepared us in training & how he 1s us 2 play games."

Guardiola rose thru the Barcelona youth ranks b4 spending 11 seasons with their 1st-team during his playing days, returning 2 the club in 2007 2 take charge of the B side.

[lacoruna69]

Sevilla FC 0 - 2 Barcelona : Barca keep pressure on

Lionel Messi continued his incredible scoring form as Barcelona beat Sevilla 2-0 to keep the pressure on Primera Division leaders Real Madrid.

The forward scored a wonderful second goal, nutmegging a defender before chipping the goalkeeper, to take his tally to 14 in his last six games in all competitions.

Xavi opened the scoring with a free-kick in the 15th minute as Barca won at a canter to close the gap provisionally on Madrid to seven points.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 5 - 3 Granada : Messi breaks record

Lionel Messi became Barcelona's all-time record goalscorer while scoring a hat-trick on a night when the Catalan giants survived a scare against Granada to move within five points of Primera division leaders Real Madrid.

Messi broke the club record of 232 official goals set by Cesar Rodriguez during the 1940s and 50s when he coolly lobbed home his second of the match in the 67th minute to put Barca back in the lead after Granada had fought back from two down to 2-2.

Barca substitute Cristian Tello then added a fourth before Messi completed his eighth hat-trick of the season in the 86th minute to put his side 5-2 ahead.

There was still time after that for Granada, who had cancelled out early strikes from Xavi and Messi with second-half goals from Diego Mainz and Guilherme Siqueira, to pull another goal back when Siqueira slotted in his second penalty of the night after Dani Alves had been sent off.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[mazdamx5]

Messi just made football look so easy in the goal.

[lacoruna69]

Originally Posted by mazdamx5

Messi just made football look so easy in the goal.

234 goals for Barcelona and yet only 24.....

[lacoruna69]

Mallorca 0 - 2 Barcelona : Barca record 7th straight win

Barcelona kept the pressure on Primera Division leaders Real Madrid as a goal in either half earned them a seventh straight league win - 2-0 against Mallorca at the Iberostar Stadium.

Alexis Sanchez claimed he got the last touch to an inswinging Lionel Messi free-kick for the first, although there was still debate at the final whistle as to whether it should actually go down as the Argentinian's 55th of the season instead. Defender Gerard Pique settled it by firing into an open goal after a Messi shot rebounded off the post.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

AC Milan 0 - 0 Barcelona : Advantage Barca

1st Leg

AC Milan survived a prolonged Barcelona onslaught to hold their illustrious visitors goalless, but will be left wondering how they fluffed some golden chances to take a first-leg lead in their Champions League quarter-final.

A series of sublime Barca attacks produced no end product, while Milan had, but wasted, by far the better openings in the match.

The hosts managed to shut out Lionel Messi in red-hot form, though, to give themselves hope for the second leg at the Camp Nou.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 2 - 0 Athletic Bilbao : Barca keeps pressure on

Barcelona kept within six points of Primera Division pacesetters Real Madrid with a 2-0 home victory over Athletic Bilbao.

With Madrid thrashing Osasuna 5-1 earlier in the evening Barca needed a victory to keep the pressure on Jose Mourinho's men and they duly delivered thanks to goals either side of half-time from Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi, who struck from the penalty spot.

Pep Guardiola's side were full value for the win and might have been celebrating an even bigger triumph but for the fine performance of Athletic goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 3 - 1 AC Milan : Barca wins controversial match

2nd Leg (Barcelona wins 3-1 on agg)

Barcelona qualified for the Champions League semi-finals for the fifth consecutive season as two Lionel Messi penalties and a second-half strike from Andres Iniesta saw them to a 3-1 win over AC Milan.

Messi opened the scoring on 11 minutes after he had been brought down by Luca Antonini but Antonio Nocerino levelled just after the half hour after he was set up by Zlatan Ibrahimovic on his return to the Camp Nou.

Messi restored the Catalans' lead five minutes before the break as Alessandro Nesta was penalised for holding Sergio Busquets and the Argentine was involved again for the third as his blocked effort rebounded for Iniesta to fire home.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Real Zaragoza 1 - 4 Barcelona : Barca stage comeback win

Barcelona had to come from behind to beat struggling Real Zaragoza, who finished with 10 men and also had coach Manolo Jimenez sent to the stands, 4-1 on Saturday.

Carlos Aranda, who had already missed a penalty, put the home side ahead but Lionel Messi and Carles Puyol took less than 10 minutes to turn the game around.

Abraham Fernandez was dismissed late in the first half and Jimenez early in the second before an 86th-minute penalty yielded Messi's 60th goal of the season and Pedro Rodriguez added a fourth.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 4 - 0 Getafe : Barca moves within 1 point behind leaders

Barcelona moved to within one point of Primera Division leaders Real Madrid with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Getafe at the Camp Nou.

Alexis Sanchez curled home a brilliant opener in the 13th minute and the prolific Lionel Messi's 39th goal in La Liga this term - his 61st in all competitions - had the hosts two up at the interval.

Two superb headers in the final quarter - from Sanchez and Pedro Rodriguez - sealed Barca's tenth straight win which ensured the Catalan side kept up the pressure on Real Madrid, who visit city rivals Atletico on Wednesday night.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Levante 1 - 2 Barcelona : Barca stage comeback win

Barcelona were forced to work hard before Lionel Messi's second-half double earned them victory at Levante.

Jose Barkero gave Levante the lead with a 23rd-minute penalty and Barca appeared to be making heavy weather of getting back on terms.

But Messi burst into life with two goals in nine minutes, the second a spot-kick of his own, to turn the game around.



(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Chelsea 1 - 0 Barcelona : Mighty Barca stunned

1st Leg



Chelsea produced the kind of "perfect'' performance Roberto Di Matteo had demanded to inflict Barcelona's first Champions League defeat of the season and give themselves real hope of reaching the final.

The Blues once again proved the nemesis of the team feted by many as the greatest to play the game thanks to an amazing smash-and-grab display in the semi-final first leg at a jubilant Stamford Bridge.

Interim boss Di Matteo's plan paid off spectacularly, Didier Drogba scoring the winner to go some way to burying the demons of the sides' last meeting three years ago.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[kiko]

From what I see things here , I believe Barcelona will win at noc camp, the likes of inestia, xavia, faragas and messi will put Chelsea away, I predict Barcelona to go into the final

[lacoruna69]

Originally Posted by kiko

From what I see things here , I believe Barcelona will win at noc camp, the likes of inestia, xavia, faragas and messi will put Chelsea away, I predict Barcelona to go into the final

i didn't expect chelsea to nick it at stamford bridge.
after that, i check on web the head2head stats....n it appears that chelsea do have a decent past records vs barca. they can get a few draws at nou camp.


2012-04-25 UEFA Champions League 2011/2012 Barcelona vs Chelsea

2012-04-19 UEFA Champions League 2011/2012 Chelsea 1 - 0 Barcelona

2009-05-07 UEFA Champions League 2008/2009 Chelsea 1 - 1 Barcelona

2009-04-29 UEFA Champions League 2008/2009 Barcelona 0 - 0 Chelsea

2006-11-01 UEFA Champions League 2006/2007 Barcelona 2 - 2 Chelsea

2006-10-19 UEFA Champions League 2006/2007 Chelsea 1 - 0 Barcelona

2006-03-07 UEFA Champions League 2005/2006 Barcelona 1 - 1 Chelsea

2006-02-22 UEFA Champions League 2005/2006 Chelsea 1 - 2 Barcelona

2005-03-08 UEFA Champions League 2004/2005 Chelsea 4 - 2 Barcelona

2005-02-23 UEFA Champions League 2004/2005 Barcelona 2 - 1 Chelsea