All Bar�a�s football

Match

Marcador del partit

Date: Tuesday, 23 Feb
Competition: ???label.competicio1???
Stadium: Gottlieb-Daimler, Stuttgart

Resultat:

VfB Stuttgart: 1
FC Barcelona: 1

Match report

Match Report
Pre-Match

Match Report

More info

To view this content you need the latest version of the Flash Player

Goals

1-0 Cacau (min 25)
1-1 Ibrahimovic (min 52)

Ibra goal gives hope (1-1)

Jordi Clos

A second half strike from Ibrahimovic gave Barca a draw in Germany after Cacau had put Stuttgart ahead in the first half. The home team gave Barca a tough test, especially in the first half, but the Champions reacted and drew level after the break.

Barca were given a serious fright in Stuttgart and didn’t find it easy going at all, particularly in the first 45 minutes in which the hosts strangled Barca’s attacking intentions. After the break, Guardiola’s team drew level through Ibrahimovic and, without ever playing at their brilliant best, they controlled the rest of the game.

Cacau on tartet

Barca took time to find their feet early on. Although they controlled possession with Xavi playing in the centre, they were unable to find the necessary precision and decisiveness in the final quarter of the pitch and Stuttgart began to threaten themselves. Cacau put them ahead on 25 minutes with an unstoppable header and would have made it two soon after had Piqu� and Vald�s not intervened.

Tough going

Stuttgart were growing in confidence and Barca couldn’t find their usual style - incredibly enough, their first shot on target didn’t come until 39 minutes when Messi dribbled through the German defence only for Lehmen to stun his shot and then fall gratefully on the ball as it came back harmlessly off the post. Half time was a welcome chance to regroup for Barca who had been overpowered by the German’s physical strength and aggression in the first 45 minutes.

Vital away goal

The improvement that Barca had hinted at before the break bore fruit at the start of the second half when Piqu� leapt to head down for Ibrahimovic whose first shot was stopped by Lehman, but whose second was put away for the equaliser. That goal seemed to burst Stuttgart’s balloon and Barca began to take control, indeed Ibra could have got his second had Molinaro not beaten away his effort.

Nou Camp to be decisive

The team looked much more organised now and Stuttgart were paying the price for their earlier efforts. The draw was clearly a better result for Barca and the visitors held onto the ball for long periods and forced their hosts to chase all over the pitch. It took a lot of hard work, but Barca took the sting out of their physical opponents and gave themselves the edge ahead of the return game in three weeks time at the Nou Camp thanks to Ibra’s valuable away goal.

Preview

Group winners warned

FC Barcelona has been warned. Of the teams who finished top of their group, so far only one has won the first leg of the R16. Real Madrid, Arsenal and Fiorentina lost to Lyon (1-0), Porto (2-1) and Bayern Munich (2-1) respectively. Only Manchester United beat Milan 2-3.

The Champions are back

Roger Boguny�

Bar�a return to the defence of their Champions League crown tonight in Stuttgart (kick-off 20.45, live at R@dio Bar�a). Alves and Xavi will be doubtful until the last moment.

FC Barcelona signed off the first part of their European campaign with a 1-2 win over Dynamo Kiev. This Tuesday they’re back in action but with the added prestige of the World Club Championship won in Abu Dhabi. Bar�a are favourites to go through to the quarterfinals though at this stage of the competition any team can go out. That’s why it’s the Champions League.

Midweek football

Midweek football is on the agenda again. Following on from the 4-0 defeat of Racing at the weekend, FC Barcelona are now focussed on repeating last season’s European triumph and become the first team to win the Champions League two seasons in a row. The first step is to get a good result in Germany although it will all go down to the return leg in the Camp Nou on March 17th. Given the experience of last season, the return of midweek football is good news for Bar�a.

Alves and Xavi doubtful

Guardiola will have to decide whether to risk Xavi and Alves, who travelled with the rest of the squad on Monday despite not having the medical all clear. However, they trained with the main group on Monday evening. Tour�, Chigrinskiy and Ibrahimovic, all of whom are struggling with fitness problems, will be available.

Stuttgart on the way up

Stuttgart are in excellent form at the moment. Last weekend they beat Cologne 1-5 and have climbed to ninth in the league when just two months ago they were languishing in the drop zone. Manager Christian Gross, who took over from Markus Babbel, has turned the team around and put them just eight points away from the European places.