Barça won the Paris Trophy beating PSG on penalties after Messi and Rafinha had scored to make it 2-2 at full time. After the friendlies in Hamburg (1-2) and Tangier (0-8), this was a tougher test for Tito Villanova’s men, as Carlos Ancelotti’s much reinforced PSG , who are looking to be a force in the European game this coming season, held them to a 2-2 draw at the Parc de Principes, before the visitors won on penalties.
A study by the University of Navarra has revealed that Barça is the football club that received most media coverage worldwide for the fourth year on the run, this time ahead of Real Madrid and Chelsea in second and third spots. The study also found that Leo Messi was the player who received most media coverage, also for the fourth successive year, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba.
Valdés, Alves, Puyol, Piqué, Abidal, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc, Alexis and Messi have all been named in the shortlist of 60 candidates named by French magazine ‘Onze Mondial’. Fans have until June 7th to make their choices. Messi has been named best footballer in the last three editions.
Leo Messi’s 50 league goals this season have made him the highest ever ‘Pichichi’ (top scorer) in the Spanish League and catapulted him to the head of the ranking of ‘Golden Boots’ of all time.
An injury time equaliser from Keita saved a point for Barça, who had gone ahead in the first half through Sergio Busquets, before losing Alves to a second yellow just after the break. With this match, FC Barcelona end the Spanish League season in the second place, on 91 points and having scored 114 goals. Valdes is the League’s best keeper and Messi, the best scorer. Next step: the Spanish Cup Final with Bilbao’s Athletic Club.
FC Barcelona was named ‘The World’s Club of the 1st Decade’ by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) this Monday evening. Barça won a total of seven awards during the IFFHS' World Football Gala, which took place in the W Hotel in Barcelona’s Barceloneta beach. Xavi, Messi and Guardiola also won awards.
It was a triumphal send off for Pep Guardiola as Barça Manager, since FC Barcelona won their last game at the Camp Nou under his charge, beating Espanyol 4-0 thanks to four Messi goals.
A goal from Puyol and a hat trick from Leo Messi, which served to take him past Gerd Muller’s previous record strikes in a European season, gave Guardiola, cheered all night by the crowd, another win at the Camp Nou. Two hours later, Real Madrid was winning the Spanish League title in San Mamés.
Goals from Messi (2), Alexis, Keita, Pedro (2) and Thiago gave Barça a record win at Vallecas in a game the Catalans totally dominated. Further good news for FC Barcelona was the return of Ibrahim Afellay after his long injury layoff.
RCD Espanyol is the smaller of the two main football clubs in the capital of Catalonia. FC Barcelona’s La Masía football school is famous worldwide, and is where players such as Leo Messi have grown up. However, RCD Espanyol has also its own football school, and traditionally their junior teams were the most promising in the city.
Two goals from Leo Messi in reply to an early opener from Barkero gave Barça the win against Levante to keep the Catalans just four points behind the Spanish League leaders, Real Madrid, which won against Sporting de Gijón. Attention now switches to Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final against Chelsea, with the clásico against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou next weekend on the horizon.
Goals from Alexis (2), Messi and Pedro have won Barça’s tenth game in a row at the Spanish League and put them just one point behind Real Madrid, who play the day after.
Goals from Puyol, Messi (2) and Pedro turned the game round for Barça at La Romareda stadium, after Zaragoza had taken an early lead. The three points take Guardiola’s team to just three points behind the Spanish League leaders, Real Madrid, at least until the day after.
FC Barcelona celebrated their 157th goal so far this season on Tuesday, which leaves Barça just one goal short of the record for a season under Guardiola, in the 2008/09 campaign. Messi, with 58 goals is the leading scorer, averaging 1.18 goals a game.
Barça have beaten AC Milan in style to extend their legend by becoming the first team to qualify for five consecutive semi finals in the Champions League era. Messi, with two penalties, and Iniesta got the Barça goals.