All Bar�a�s football

Match

Marcador del partit

Date: Saturday, 03 Apr
Competition: ???label.competicio0???
Stadium: Camp Nou, Barcelona

Resultat:

FC Barcelona: 4
Athletic Club: 1

Match report

Match Report
Pre-Match

Match Report

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The goals

1-0, Jeffren (min 26)
2-0, Bojan (min 40)
3-0, Bojan (min 58)
4-0, Messi (min 67)
4-1, Susaeta (min 76)

Guardiola gets it right again (4-1)

Roger Boguny�

FC Barcelona produced yet another convincing performance at the Camp Nou against Athletic Club Bilbao, winning 4-1 thanks to goals from Jeffren, Bojan (2) and Messi.

Despite coming right in the middle of Easter weekend, there was an excellent turnout at the Camp Nou for what some had feared was a potential banana skin encounter against the in-form Basques. But a much-changed Bar�a team was able to deliver the goods in style, putting further pressure on co-leaders Real Madrid, who are in action in Santander tomorrow.

Ibra injured

There was pre-match alarm when Zlatan Ibrahimovic was hurt in the warm-up, obliging Guardiola to shuffle his pack and play Bojan as his striker instead. With two key centre backs suspended for the midweek European encounter with Arsenal, and Alves suspended, the manager also made changes in defence. Chygrynskiy was given a recall, and managed to silence his critics with a solid display both in defence and in support of the forwards.

Typically, Bar�a dominated possession from the start, although for the first twenty or so minutes this only managed to produce a series of half chances, the best for Maxwell in the 11th minute. When Messi missed an open goal in the 20th, he had already been called offside. It was the same man who started the move that led to Bar�a’s first goal, with a pass from the edge of the area to Abidal, who then threaded a killer pass across the six yard box for Jeffren to slot home for his first league goal of the season.

Great night for Bojan

But Athletic were not just here to admire Bar�a’s silky skills, and as well as some solid defending, also created a few chances themselves. The best of these fell to Llorente, but Chygrynskiy managed to get a foot on the pass to cause enough of a bobble to confuse Bilbao’s star striker, who sent the ball into the stands.

Then five minutes before the break, Bar�a made it two. Carles Puyol cleverly intercepted a stray Bilbao clearance and immediately delivered a perfect through ball to Bojan, who capped an excellent first half by converting the ball with professional class.

Three then four

Bilbao came out strong in the second half, but squandered several chances to get back into the game, including a Toquero header that Vald�s pushed around the post. But Bar�a were always in control, and shortly after Messi had nobly confessed that the crowd’s claims for a penalty were wrong, it was 3-0. Maxwell started the move by picking out Abidal, who laid up the ball for Bojan to rifle into the net from outside the area.

That was in the 59th minute, and eight minutes later it was 4-0. Pedro, who had just come on for the injured Jeffren, supplied a low pass from the right wing, and Messi was there to sneak the ball under Gorka’s body to score his 26th goal of the Liga campaign.

Injury woes

There were further injury concerns when Toure Yaya called for a change. When the Ivorian was replaced by Jonathan Dos Santos, it meant there were now no fewer than eight Bar�a youth team products on the field.

Bilbao managed a consolation goal in the 76th minute when a Yeste run was followed by a well placed strike from Susaeta. A minute later the visitors could have made it two when Iturraspe was able to shoot unchallenged from inside the area, but Victor Val�s superbly managed to get a foot in the way.

With the result no longer in doubt, Bar�a were able to relax for the last ten minutes, and excellent saves from the respective goalkeepers ensured there would be no further scoring on yet another magnificent night for FC Barcelona, just one week before the much anticipated trip to the Spanish capital.

Preview

Ones to watch

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has bounced back from his goal scoring slump to grab five goals in his last four games and he’s now got 15 in La Liga. His opposite number at Bilbao Fernando Llorente scored twice in last week’s win over Racing to take his total to 21 in all competitions this season, 12 in La Liga. Both strikers boast a bustling physical presence and a hunger for goals that could make life tough for defenders on Saturday.

Focus back on La Liga

Roger Boguny�

European aspirations and even next week�s big game against Madrid have been firmly put on the back burner by Pep Guardiola as he focuses his team on the job in hand �the visit of Atletico Bilbao to the Nou Camp this Saturday at 20.00(R@dio Barca).

Most of Europe may still be recovering from Barca’s breathtaking display against Arsenal, but the players know that that will count for nothing at kick off on Saturday, when they have the chance to go top of La Liga with the visit of Atletico Bilbao to the Nou Camp. Guardiola has warned that Bilbao are full of confidence and their manager Joaqu�n Caparr�s reckons: “we are going to compete and play our game”, whilst admitting: “we need Barca to not be at their best”.

Team News

Dani Alves misses the game after forcing a yellow last week to guarantee his presence against Madrid, whilst Andres Iniesta is still recovering from the hamstring injury he picked up against Mallorca. Pique and Puyol, who are suspended for the visit of Arsenal, are both available and with Alves out, Puyol could find himself fitting in at right back for the game. Orbaiz is out injured for Bilbao, whilst Yeste is back in the squad after suspension, I�aki Mu�oz makes his first appearance in the 18-man squad this season and wonder kid Iker Muniain is rested.

Wins in last four league games

Barca’s return to their magisterial best has coincided with Messi producing his most brilliant football, Ibra finding the net again and the return of Keita, a vital piece in Guardiola’s midfield jigsaw. If the performance at The Emirates, particularly in the first half, was awesome, the result was actually the first time in six games that Barca have failed to win. As well as seeing off Stuttgart in the Champions League, Barca beat Valencia and Osasuna at the Nou Camp and Zaragoza and Mallorca on the road in La Liga. Bilbao have a real chance of Champions League football next season, currently lying sixth, just two points behind Mallorca, and have lost just once in their last seven league outings. As always, the Basques have built their success on great home form – losing just three times at San Mames so far this season, whilst on the road they have managed just 4 wins, at Almeria, Jerez, Racing and Zaragoza. Llorente is the leading scorer with 12, whilst Gurpegui, Orbaiz and Ustaritz have all seen red twice already this campaign.

History

Barca beat Bilbao in the Spanish Cup and the Super Cup in 2009, taking the first trophy 4-1 in the Mestalla, then winning the first leg of the Super Cup 1-2 in San Mames and the second 3-0 in the Nou Camp. The two met in the 08/09 League in Barcelona last March, when goals from Busquets and Messi gave Guardiola’s team the three points. Earlier this season the two drew at San Mames, with a Dani Alves goal earning “a hard fought point” against a Bilbao team who played “their familiar physical game” according to www.fcbarcelona.com.

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