bayern

Bayer Leverkusen, AS Roma and BATE Borisov group stage opponents

August 27, 2015 09:11 PM | ACN

FC Barcelona will begin the defence of their title in Group E following the draw on Thursday in Monaco. Luis Enrique's team will begin the road to Milan - the venue for this season's final - and their first challenge will be against the sides from Germany, Italy and Belarus in the group stages. Barça have met Bayer three times in the Champions League era. AS Roma was the rival of the Joan Gamper trophy a few weeks ago, while BATE Borisov is former Barça man Aleksander Hleb’ team.

Football coach Pep Guardiola to symbolically run in pro-independence list for Catalan elections

July 20, 2015 03:21 PM | ACN

The current manager of FC Bayern Munich, Catalonia-born Pep Guardiola, will occupy the symbolic last position on the unitary pro-independence list running in the next Catalan Parliament elections, which groups together Liberals, Social-Democrats, Christian-Democrats, Socialists, Greens and civil society organisations, according to news released on Monday morning by the ‘El País’ and ‘El Periódico’ newspapers. The elections are scheduled for 27 September and many parties are planning to transform them into a ‘de facto’ plebiscite on independence after the Spanish Government’s unilateral blocking attitude for the last 3 years. For many people, this is the only way left to hold a legal vote on independence, after the Spanish Government has totally rejected even talking about the self-determination claims democratically expressed by a majority of Catalan citizens through the last Catalan elections in 2012 and many peaceful mass demonstrations.

FC Bayern Munich vs FC Barcelona: Berlin bound for the Champions League Final! (3-2)

May 13, 2015 01:56 AM | Nick Bedson

Two first half goals from Neymar are enough to ensure Barça reach the final in Berlin with a convincing 5-3 aggregate. Barça booked their place in the 2014/15 Champions League Final in Berlin, despite losing 3-2 on the night in Munich. A stunning first half when Neymar scored twice and Ter Stegen pulled off some breath-taking saves to virtually put the tie out of Bayern’s reach was followed by a more subdued 45 minutes that saw Bayern pull a couple back for a pyrrhic victory on the night, but a 5-3 defeat over the two legs.It’ll be Barça who are back on German turf next month when they bid for their fifth Champions League trophy.

Bayern Munich vs FC Barcelona: last step before Berlin

May 12, 2015 07:16 PM | David Gladwell

Less than a week ago a superb second half from the blaugranes at Camp Nou gave them a 3-0 victory over the German champions in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. Two exquisite goals from Leo Messi in his 100th game in Europe for the blaugranes and an injury time effort from Neymar mean that Pep Guardiola’s Bayern side have it all to do in the second leg in the Allianz Arena in Munich which kicks off at 8.45pm CET. Barça coach Luis Enrique decided to take his entire first team squad plus three players from the B squad, Munir, Sandro and Sergi Samper, to Munich. Jérémy Mathieu was included in that 26 man list after receiving the medical all clear after Sunday’s training session. Bayern boss Pep Guardiola still has plenty of injury headaches before the return leg at home to Barça. Arjen Robben, David Alaba, Franck Ríbery and Holger Badstuber all missed the defeat in Barcelona last week and they will also sit out the second leg

FC Barcelona vs FC Bayern Munich: Messi magic downs Bayern (3-0)

May 7, 2015 01:53 AM | Mike Roberts

The Germans held out for 77 minutes, then two goals from Messi and one from Neymar secured a spectacular 3-0 win. It was proving to be a frustrating evening for FC Barcelona, with chance after chance going begging against Pep Guardiola’s well organised defence. But the last quarter of an hour produced a dramatic turn of events. Two fantastic goals from Messi suddenly put the Catalans in command, and a third in injury time from Neymar practically puts Barça on the flight to Berlin. There’s still the Allianz Arena to come next week, but with a 3-0 lead to defend, Barça are very much in pole position!

Messi pumped up for Bayern clash

May 5, 2015 06:03 PM

Leo Messi spoke to a packed press room this Tuesday morning ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Bayern and explained: “I’m really motivated by this game, for what it means and because we face a great team”. The Argentinean was cautious in his press conference, but admitted: "we are feeling good about things", at this key point in the campaign. Bayern is a team managed by Pep Guardiola of course, which gives an added edge, as does the memory of defeat to the Germans at this same stage two seasons ago, but Messi insisted: “it’s been a while since that game now and we are coming into it in a different situation  - this will be a different tie. There can’t be a favourite at this stage of the competition, we are both two big teams. There’s pressure, but we are both obliged to win”.

Córdoba vs FC Barcelona: Barça thrive in Andalusian heat 0–8

May 3, 2015 05:45 PM | Michael Toll

Luis Suárez's hat trick leads the onslaught as Barça overcome arid conditions to win big in the south of Spain. Lionel Messi adds a brace, while Ivan Raktic, Gerard Piqué, and Neymar chip in one apiece. The victory keeps FC Barcelona two points clear at the top of the league table — with just three games remaining — after Real Madrid kept pace with a 3–2 win at Sevilla on Saturday night. It was no surprise that Saturday’s match at the Nuevo Arcángel in Córdoba, Spain, played on a lush oasis of green turf in one of the driest regions of the Iberian Peninsula, actually did take place under conditions likely to be found in the middle of a desert. Although the Andalusian climate is notoriously arid and hot — especially in the summer — the league encounter between hosts Córdoba FC and their northern visitors FC Barcelona featured unseasonably high temperatures — 31ºC / 88ºF at kick-off — scorching sunshine, and bone-dry humidity levels.

FC Barcelona to face Bayern Munich in UEFA Champions League semi-finals

April 24, 2015 06:57 PM

The stage is set and the semi-finals for the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League promises to be one for the ages. Friday's draw in Nyon paired off Barça with Bayern Munich and Juventus with Real Madrid in the final four of Europe's top club competition. The first leg will be played at Camp Nou on 6 May and the second leg will be at Allianz Arena on 12 May. Both games are set for 8.45pm. Luis Enrique's squad will be going up against their ex-coach Pep Guardiola — who led the Catalans from 2008 to 2012 — in a high-profile knockout series that pits two teams with wide-open attacking styles and that should produce a pair of very entertaining football matches, regardless of who comes out on top.

FC Barcelona to play PSG in Champions League quarters

March 20, 2015 05:34 PM

The draw for the Champions League quarter finals has been made, and Barça have been drawn against PSG in a head-to-head battle for a place in the semi-finals of Europe’s premier club competition. The first game will be played in Paris on April 15, and a week later, on April 21, the sides will meet again at the Camp Nou. The two teams, who know each other well from this year's Group F, were the first pair to be drawn. In their group-stage matchups, PSG won the first match in Paris 3–2, but Barça were victorious in the return at Camp Nou, winning 3–1 to top the group, leaving PSG in second. The first match will be without a few big players. Paris Saint-Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marco Verratti, and Barça's Dani Alves will all be serving suspensions.

FC Bayern Munich v FC Barcelona: Strong display against European champions (2-0)

July 24, 2013 10:04 PM | ACN

Barça 2013/14 started the preseason with defeat to Guardiola’s Bayern at the Allianz Arena. They couldn’t have had a more daunting task in their first game back from the break, and under the circumstances it was a fine performance from the Catalans. Lahm (min 13) and Mandzukic (min 86) scored against a side that had clearly had more time to prepare. There are plenty of conclusions to be drawn from a game packed with curiosities, including the reencounter with Pep Guardiola and Thiago and the first game in the shirt based on the colours of the Catalan flag.