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FC Barcelona 0-0 Juventus: Access denied

April 20, 2017 12:20 PM | ANDREAS VOU

FC Barcelona said farewell to the Champions League on Wednesday night at the quarter-final stage, with Luis Enrique’s men simply unable to break down a resilient Juventus> backline in a 0-0 stalemate at the Camp Nou  (0-3 aggregate). The game began with the frenetic intensity envisaged, but without the early chances, or goal, seen in the comeback against  PSG last month. A blazed strike over the bar from each side, first from  Gonzalo Higuain and then from Ivan Rakitic were about as close as either came to goal inside the first quarter of an hour.

MATCH REPORT: FC Barcelona 3-0 Sevilla: Quickfire treble brings the win

April 6, 2017 11:14 AM | ANDREAS VOU

On a wet evening, Barça put in a slick attacking performance to earn another valuable three points, with a goal from Suárez and two from Messi. The Uruguayan opened the scoring against Jorge Sampaoli’s side to kick start a victory that takes Barça temporarily to the top of the table in La Liga. “The team are still confident about our chances,” said Suárez shortly after the final whistle at a rainy Camp Nou. “In the games that remain the mentality has to be a winning one in order to get our fate back in our own hands.” Barça coach Luis Enrique chose to highlight his team’s first half performance against Sevilla in which they scored all three of their goals in the win. “Probably we have put in the best first half performance of the season,” said the coach. “I am happy because it is a positive victory over a great team and because of how we controlled the game.”

MATCH REPORT: Granada 1-4 FC Barcelona: Keeping up the pressure

April 3, 2017 07:50 PM | ANDREAS VOU

FC Barcelona kept up their push for the league title on Sunday evening with a 4-1 win at Granada, with goals from Luis Suárez, Paco Alcácer, Ivan Rakitic and Neymar Jr. Without Leo Messi through suspension, it was up to his fellow forwards to step up and guide the team to victory, and so they did. It took fair while for the game to really get going after a timid start from both sides, but the first half soon became a one-on-one battle between Luis Suárez and Granada goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. Sunday’s 4-1 win at Granada for FC Barcelona made it 11 wins from 12 matches against the Andalusian club since their return to the top flight in 2011. In the last three seasons with Luis Enrique, Barça have won on three successive occasions in the Nuevo Los Cármenes stadium.

Barcelona will host Europe’s largest hospital specialising in infantile cancer

February 15, 2017 06:24 PM | ACN

Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, the Leo Messi Foundation, the FC Barcelona Foundation and the IESE business school have joined forces to launch a campaign to get companies and the general public to help finance the new SJD Pediatric Cancer Center that is being planned for the city of Barcelona. The hospital, which is set to be Europe’s largest dedicated to infantile cancer and the third-biggest worldwide, will cost 30 MEUR. Once functioning, the centre could care for around 400 patients within its 5,137m2 installation, which will be located next to Hospital Sant Joan de Déu. If the deadlines are met, the construction of the new centre will start in the second half of 2017 and be ready by 2019. The facility will allow the increase of the recovery rate for infantile cancer, which is currently around 80%, help develop new drugs and reduce the side effects of treatments used. 

Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 FC Barcelona: A mountain left to climb

February 15, 2017 11:45 AM | MIKE ROBERTS

In 23 games against FC Barcelona, coach Unai Emery only had one win. Now he has two. And it’s a win that cannot be begrudged. His Paris Saint Germain side was simply the best on the day, and a 4-0 win in Tuesday’s Champions League first leg puts the French club on very good course for a place in the quarter finals. All Barça can do is lick the wounds and start thinking about March 8, when the action resumes at Camp Nou. It’s an almost impossible task that they have before them, but if there is any team in the world that’s capable of doing the impossible, then that’s FC Barcelona. Goals from Di Maria (2), Draxler and Cavani make it a miserable night at the Parc des Princes, leaving Barça with a massive job to do at Camp Nou in March. But if anyone can do this, then Barça can…

FC Barcelona v Atlético Madrid: Barça battle through to the final! (1-1)

February 8, 2017 09:30 AM | ANDREAS VOU

1-1 draw against Atlético puts blaugranes into Copa del Rey final against Celta or Alavés. The blaugranes have reached the domestic cup final in seven of the last nine seasons and are currently the team who have won the competition on most occasions, 28 to be precise. Luis Suárez’s tap-in just before half-time was enough to see the Catalans into fourth consecutive Copa del Rey final despite late drama which saw the visitors equalise and the Uruguayan sent off. The omens were strongly in Barça’s favour, with Atlético failing to win in their previous 16 games at the Camp Nou, but Los Colchoneros knew they had to go for broke, with a 2-1 deficit needing to be overturned, which led to an enthralling cup match. “It’s been a tough process and all our opponents have caused us problems,” recalled Luis Enrique about a run to the final that has seen Barça eliminate Hércules, Athletic Club, Real Sociedad and most recently Atlético Madrid.

Match Preview: FC Barcelona v Atlético Madrid

February 7, 2017 02:11 PM | MICHAEL HARRISON TOLL

Barça hold a 2–1 aggregate advantage as they look to deliver a knockout punch at home for the fourth straight round and continue down the path to a rare Copa del Rey three-peat. In this season's Copa, which Camp Nou has been the scene of an impressive trio of second leg victories — in the last 32, in the last 16, and in the quarter-finals. And on Tuesday night, at 9.00pm CET the Catalans, now in the semis, hope to vanquish visiting Atlético Madrid as well, and continue their chase for a third straight title. Neymar Jr misses the game through suspension, while Rafinha is out with a fractured nose sustained at the weekend but Sergio Busquets, Andrés Iniesta and Lucas Digne are back to full fitness and get the nod. 

Real Betis vs FC Barcelona (1-1): Suárez salvages late point

January 30, 2017 03:42 PM | Mike Roberts

Whether the result means that Barça have gained one point or dropped two is a matter of opinion after a dramatic lunchtime encounter on Sunday ended 1-1. Betis have yet to lose at home under Victor Sánchez and today we got to see why, but right at the final gasp Luis Suárez made sure the Catalans at least got something out of this game. However, the role of goal-line technology in football will be a much-discussed topic in the bars of Barcelona for the rest the day. And probably most of the week. Certainly once, and maybe twice, the Barça equaliser could have come much earlier had hawk-eye have been allowed to watch.

FC Barcelona 3-1 Athletic Club (4-3 on aggregate): The trident strikes again

January 12, 2017 11:16 AM | MIKE ROBERTS

Goals from Suárez, Neymar and Messi secure an action-packed victory that keeps alive the quest for a third consecutive Copa del Rey trophy. Manager was delighted with his team's performance in winning a place in Friday's Copa del Rey quarter final draw - and can't help singling out Leo Messi for special praise. "From what we could see from the two legs, our qualification was the fairest outcome”, said Luis Enrique. "Leo Messi was as decisive as ever. I hope he stays here for many more years”, he added. After two setbacks, the first victory of 2017 is in the bag and Barça will be one of the eight names featuring in Friday’s draw.

Barça and UEFA agree to allow pro-independence flags at Camp Nou

December 20, 2016 01:44 PM | ACN

The dispute between Barça and UEFA over the display of Catalan independence flags, ‘estelades’, at the Camp Nou is definitely on track to reach a solution. The international body announced an agreement with FC Barcelona to end this litigation. The pact means that Barça will drop its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) over the economic sanctions imposed on the club, while UEFA compromises to establish a working group “involving both clubs and national associations to review the disciplinary framework” that nowadays prevents the display of political symbols in stadiums. The conflict began in the Champions League final in Berlin last year when a Ukrainian UEFA delegate, Anna Bordiugova, who was not in the Olympic Stadium, denounced the exhibition of 'estelades' after watching the game on television.

FC Barcelona v RCD Espanyol: Derby delight! (4-1)

December 19, 2016 10:30 AM | ANDREAS VOU

Luis Enrique was thrilled with his team’s performance in the 4-1 win over rivals Espanyol at the Camp Nou. FC Barcelona upped their game in the second half to claim a memorable win, and the manager was quick to highlight his players’ output, saying that the team played “at a very high level”. “We cannot get accustomed to what Leo Messi does. It is something unique and, here at the Camp Nou, it happens every 15 days”, admitted Barça’s coach. The manager also confirmed that Messi, along with Luis Suárez, Neymar Jr and Piqué, will begin their Christmas vacations early as they will not be featuring against Hércules.

FC Barcelona 1-1 Real Madrid: Cruel late blow

December 4, 2016 10:03 AM | Mike Roberts

The first Clásico of the season left a nasty taste in FC Barcelona supporter’s mouths. Although Luis Enrique’s men were well in command during the whole match, and unexpected turn blew up their aspirations of inflicting the first defeat of the season on the league leaders, Real Madrid. Just when it looked as if Barça was about to toast a win, Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos headed in the last minute the equalizer and stole a point. Barça was sluggish in the first half, but looked set to close the gap on unbeaten Real to three points after Luis Suarez opened the scoring. However, Ramo’s last-minute header made it 1-1 and Barça remains now six points behind the leaders.

Match Preview: FC Barcelona v Real Madrid

December 3, 2016 10:09 AM | ACN

El Clásico at the Camp Nou - kick off 4.15pm on Saturday! Luis Enrique’s team were held to a 1-1 draw last weekend at Real Sociedad, a result that leaves them six points behind leaders Real Madrid. Zinedine Zidane’s side recorded a sixth straight victory in the league on Saturday of last week with a 2-1 home win over Sporting Gijón. All in all, it could be an important moment in the battle for the league title; a victory for Barça would see them just three points behind the leaders, a win for Madrid would stretch their lead over the blaugranes to nine points.

Real Sociedad v FC Barcelona: Anoeta battle ends even (1-1)

November 28, 2016 09:13 AM | ANDREAS VOU

FC Barcelona left Anoeta with a 1-1 draw thanks to Leo Messi’s second-half leveller on Sunday night and, although Luis Enrique's men were unable to get a first win since 2007 at Real Sociedad, the result ends a run of four straight league losses in San Sebastian. It was another enthralling, fast-paced encounter between the two sides at a ground which so often causes problems for the Catalans, with drama at either end right until the very last minutes. Luis Enrique was keen on continuing the momentum from the midweek 2-0 win over Celtic by naming an unchanged lineup for the first time in six months. However, it looked like it was going to be a case of history repeated in the Basque country, as Sociedad burst out of the traps and laid siege to the Barça goal.

Celtic FC 0-2 FC Barcelona: Group C champions!

November 24, 2016 10:57 AM | MIKE ROBERTS

Two goals from Leo Messi see off a brave challenge from the Scots and coupled with Man City’s draw in Germany the Catalans clinch a seeded berth in the round of sixteen FC Barcelona have won 2-0 at Celtic Park. And not only does that send them through to the knockout stages of the Champions league for the thirteenth  time in a row, but Manchester City’s 1-1 draw in Monchengladbach means that they’re already guaranteed one of the eight seeded berths. All that with one game to spare, so we won’t be finding out who Barça will be meeting next until the draw on December 12. Moreover, Messi reached yet another landmark, after scoring his 100th goal in the international competition: 92 have come in 110 Champions league games, three in four European Super Cup matches and five in five in the Club World Cup.