1-0 Casquero (min. 37)
2-0 Güiza (min. 42)
3-0 Vívar Dorado (min. 70)
4-0 Güiza (min. 73)
Jordi Clos
Barça have been knocked out of the Spanish Cup after being thrashed 4-0 in the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez in the semi-final second leg against Getafe.
The Getafe players knew that they had to get an early goal to stand any chance of overturning
Barça’s 5-2 lead from the first leg and laid siege to Jorquera’s goalmouth from the
kick-off. After just 30 seconds, Guïza seized upon a mistake by Oleguer to find himself with only
Jorquera to beat but the defender reacted quickly to snuff out the shot. It was a warning of more
to come. Maris also came close fifteen minutes later.
A Getafe double
With half an hour gone, Barça seemed to be gaining some control of the game but in the 37th
minute midfielder Casquero put Getafe ahead in spectacular fashion with a volley from outside the
box. Getafe then made it 2-0 just before halftime when striker Güiza lifted the ball over Jorquera.
More of the same
Getafe continued to press hard after the break and, despite a rather better showing from
Barça, always looked the most likely to score. Güiza almost made it 3-0 after 9 minutes but
Jorquera saved his header well. A solo effort from Giuly in the 60th minute produced Barça’s
first real danger of the night.
Looking for a third
Güiza continued to pose a threat and almost beat Jorquera in a move similar to the second
goal but the Barça number two keeper was up to the task. Soon after, a Ronaldinho free kick went
just wide.
Getafe seize their chances
Getafe’s all important third goal came 25 minutes into the second half from midfielder
Vívar Dorado, who slipped behind the Barça defence to head home from a free kick. With the Barça
players reeling from the shock of finding themselves losing a tie they seemed to have sewn up,
Güiza put the game – and a place in the final – beyond reach with his second and
Getafe’s fourth.
Desperation
With nine minutes remaining, Eto’o had a good chance to pull one back from inside the
box but his effort went just wide. This was followed by a double chance for Ronaldinho and Saviola
close to the goal line but it was not to be. So, finally, Barça can only congratulate the Getafe
players and rue a missed opportunity to lift the Spanish Cup.
Luis Medina Cantalejo is tonight’s referee. A top Spanish official from Andalucia, Cantelejo
has refereed Barca 17 times, in La Liga, with Barca winning 5, drawing 6and losing 6.
Sergi Nogueras
Barca look to finish off the job they started at the Nou Camp with a 5-2 win, when they visit a highly motivated Getafe in the second leg of the Spanish Cup semi final tonight.
Getafe and Barça meet at 21.00 tonight to decide who will meet Seville in the final of the Copa del
Rei, and although Rijkaard’s men will defend a three goal lead from the first leg at the Nou
Camp, the in-form Getafe are determined to give their all to reach the final.
Barca squad: Rijkaard can only name a
sixteen-man squad in the Cup, as against 18 in the league and with Deco and Márquez out injured and
Motta receiving treatment for a leg infection, the Dutch boss has also decided to rest Messi,
Thuram and Ezquerro. Xavi was unable to travel with the rest of the squad for personal reasons, but
will join up with the rest of the squad before the game.
Getafe on a good run: The Madrid team are unbeaten since they lost in the first
leg at the Nou Camp and have won two and drawn the other league game they’ve played. all of
which has boosted Shuster’s team’s confidence of turning the tie around. The ex-Barca
man is likely to go for his best team, with the speedy Verpakopskis up front accompanying Güiza,
who’s enjoying his best season ever as a goal scorer. The only likely change from the team
who’ve been playing in the league is the inclusion of Luis Garcia betweenthe sticks instead
of the regular keeper, the Argentinean Abbondanzieri.
Unbeaten at the Alfono Pérez: The stats
are certainly in Barca’s favour for the game, having never lost an official match at the
Coliseum Alfono Pérez. The three times Rijkaard’s team have visited the Coliseum they won 1-2
and 1-3 in the 04-05 and 05-06 seasons and earlier this year they drew 1-1.
Squad list
FCB coach: pre-match press conference
FCB coach: Post-match comments
FCB players: Post-match comments
Copyright - FCBarcelona | Legal Terms | Buy tickets FC Barcelona | This is the FC Barcelona official website