FC Barcelona vs Espanyol Highlights on 12/12/09

FC Barcelona - 1, Espnayol - 0

FC Barcelona have made sure that they will end this year as winter champions with a 1-0 victory over Espanyol in the first edition of local derby. Real Madrid meanwhile have won at Valencia reducing the lead to five points, they will have a chance to further reduce the lead to two points while we are away in UAE for FIFA Club World Championship. The victory may not have been a convincing one and courtesy of a highly controversial Ibrahmovic penalty but Barca really deserved it on back of their highly dominating first half performance. Messi who missed the clash presented his Balon d'Or title to the Camp Nou faithfuls before the match. Lionel Messi's absence saw Pedro getting a starting line-up place along with Henry and Ibrahmovic. Iniesta, Toure and Xavi formed the midfield. The defense had Alves, Pique, Puyol and Maxwell in front of Valdes.

The first chance of the match fell to Espanyol when Barca failed to clear a long ball in the first minute, luckily Coro's effort was high. After that it was more of a one way traffic with out midfield taking full control. Barca responded immediately by winning a corner but Pique's header from Xavi's corner was straight at Kameni. Then in the 14th minute Pedro had the perfect opportunity to put Barca ahead. Toure's ball into the box was a harmless one, but Pedro did well to block the clearance and the ball rebounded and fell for Pedro who only had to beat Kameni but shot well wide of the post. From a very promising position that was a pathetic effort. In the 15th minute Verdu had a shot from outside the box tipped over by Valdes. In the 17th minute Ibrahmovic fed Henry with a delightful ball whose shot was parried away by Kameni. In the 36th minute Maxwell blasted high from a veryu good position in a move which he only started. Maxwell gave the ball to Ibra in the box and continued his run, Ibra fed the ball in Maxwell's path but his finishing was not up to the mark. In the 38th minute Ibrahmovic crossed from the left, trying to find Xavi; the ball was well over him but he went down by a simple brush by Baena and the referee pointed to the spot. It was really a very generous decision which Ibra duly converted in Messi's absence.

The second half saw Espanyol coming out and attacking Barca much more. In the 50th minute Valdes did well to hold onto Alonso header. In the 54th minute Alves sent in a great cross across the goal mouth after a neat one-two with Pedro, but unluckily it was behind every Barca player. In the 60the minute Guardiola brought in Keita for Pedro to counter the Espanyol attacking threat. In the 62nd minute Marquez had a long range shot after Alves have given the ball away from a throw in. The next minute saw a series of attack from Espanyol; first Maxwell did well to clear a dangerous cross from left then from the resulting play off the rebound, Valdes was called upon to catch a weak shot. In the 72nd minute Iniesta played the ball to Keita wide on the left, Keita's cross was met with a weak header by Ruiz, the ball fell to Ibra on right but he volleyed high over the bar. There wasn't much chances in the rest of the half.

FC Barcelona would be happy to see the back of a very tough opponent. It wasn't a convincing victory but it did maintain our lead on top. I am worried with the lack of chances being created lately. Ibrahmovic has been linking well with his team mates, but it is no doubt that he is lacking a bit of pace which could have made Barca extremely dangerous in the counter attacks. Iniesta did look good at times in this match. Toure was solid throughout the match. Bojan did get some time but it was again too little for a player of his caliber. He may expect to get some more time in the FIFA World Club Championship.

Fc Barcelona vs Espanyol Preview

Barcelona derby tonight will be FC Barcelona's last La Liga match of this year. The team will be off to UAE to take part in FIFA World Club Championship. FC Barcelona currently have a five point lead over Real Madrid who has played a game less. This is the best oppurtunity to increase or maintain the lead. Barca meanwhile will be without the service of Lionel Messi, who has been injured in Kiev. Espanyol always is a very tough team for Barca to beat. Thei last visit to Camp NOu ended in a 2-1 victory for them. That match saw a howler from Valdes. Valdes has been repeating the same in the last two matches, but will do good if curb hgi tendencies tonight. The good news for Barca is De la Peña and Tamudo may not feature in tonight's encounter. These two players always use to trouble our side. Toure Yaya may finally get a starting call, but even if that happen he may ot feature in next season's Barca team. Meanwhile Guardiola would be tempted to rest some players so that they could feature in the world championships. But then local derby is not a match where you want to send a weakned side.

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Barca Tops The Group; Dynamo Kiev - 1, Barca -2

FC Barcelona topped Group F after a 2-1 comeback victory against Dynamo Kiev. Barca went down a goal down in the 2nd minute of play but goals from Xavi and Messi saw Barca registering a well deserved victory at Kiev. Inter meanwhile beat Rubin Kazan 2-0 at San Siro and qualified along with Barca for the knowckout stage. Barca and Inter were everyones favourite to go through this group but nobody expected it will this much dramatic. Courtesy of being the winner of the group, Barca will now play the return leg of the knockout stage at home. Barca's likely opponents are Olympique Lyon, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Olympiakos, CSKA Moscow, Porto or Stuttgart. Barca would feel relived to have avoided the chance of pairing with English teams this early in the competition. Guardiola once agained dropped Toure in favour of Busquets. Nown it looks more than certain that wee would see Toure moving out may be in January, if not definitely in the summer. Valdes kept the goal ahead of a defensive line of Alves, Pique, Puyol and Abidal. Xavi, Busquest and Keita formed the midfield. Messi, Ibra and Iniesta formed the attacking trio.

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Dynamo Kiev vs Barca Preview

If FC Barcelona manage tp avoid a defeat by two goals or more against Dynamo Kiev, they will qualify for the knockout stage of this year's Champions league. With the victory against Inter, Barca leads the group by two points. But that will count for nothing if they lose at Kiev by two goals or more. It is a strange situation in Group F, where all the four team still have realistic hope of qualifying. If Inter vs Rubin match at Milan ends in a draw Barca will qualify regardless of what the result in our match. But with all at stake, we have to assume that there could be a winner in Milan. A victory will take to the knowckout stage as the winner of the Group F. A draw will definitely help us qualify, but if Rubin wins at Milan then will will be be second in the group. That means we have to play the second leg away from home. In normal circumstances it is against logic to think that Barca will go down by two goals or more. But this is no normal match. The temperature when the match starts at Kiev would be below zero degree and that will definitely work against us. Earlier matches at Kiev and Russia started earlier but this will not as everyone has stake in all these matches. So it is not going to a cake-walk in any sense.

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