All Bar�a�s football

Match

Marcador del partit

Date: Wednesday, 14 Apr
Competition: ???label.competicio0???
Stadium: Camp Nou, Barcelona

Resultat:

FC Barcelona: 3
Deportivo: 0

Match report

Match Report
Pre-Match

Match Report

Images: Miguel Ruiz / �lex Caparr�s (FCB).

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Goals

1-0 Bojan (min 15)
2-0 Pedro (min 68)
3-0 Tour� (min 72)

Pedro stunner helps Bar�a beat Depor (3-0)

Jordi Clos

Pedro scored a wondergoal to help FC Barcelona secure all there points in a comfortable home win against a spirited Deportivo de La Coru�a side at Camp Nou on Wednesday evening.

The Tenerife-born forward netted a stunning second goal for the Blaugrana after the break after Bojan Krkic had opened the scoring while Tour� Yaya then wrapped things up with a third.

From the start Pep Guardiola's outfit were in control of the game as the hosts sought to build on the win against Real Madrid in el Cl�sico last weekend. Depor knew what to expect at the home of the reigning Spanish, European and world champions but were still powerless to prevent Bar�a from dominating as they again imposed the possession game that has undone so many sides. With Madrid not playing until Thursday the victory moved the Catalan outfit six points clear at the top of the table as the run-in for the title builds in momentum and sent a message out that the team are determined to retain the championship for a second consecutive year.

Bojan breaks through

Guardiola named Jeffren, Bojan, Pedro and Lionel Messi in the same team and the attacking intent from FC Barcelona was evident throughout as the speed and movement clearly unsettled Depor time and again. After just eight minutes Pedro went close and with a quarter of an hour gone the deadlock was broken. The instrumental Xavi produced a defence-splitting pass to find Bojan in the area and the youngster slid the ball past the keeper.

Further chances

Daniel Aranzubia had to be at his best in the visitors' goal as he was forced to deny Jeffren and then Messi in quick succession soon after the opening goal and it was the woodwork that saved them as Dani Alves saw his effort come back off the post. It was an exhibition of forward-thinking football with every player contributing as Bar�a hemmed Depor in and made them have to work hard to keep the scoreline respectable for so long.

Holding out

While the football being played was attractive it was unable to bring a second goal before the break as Bojan and Jeffren were unable to find a way through despite their best efforts. Deportivo did cling on and then looked to cause a surprise at the other end with Riki looking to cause problems on the hour mark.

Pedro wonderstrike

Pedro then fired a warning shot on 63 minutes only to be called back for being offside but just four minutes later there was nothing that Depor could do to stop him scoring. A long kick down field saw Alves make chase only for Aranzubia to come out of the area to kick the ball clear. The keeper, however, could only send it along the ground to Pedro, who was no less than 55 yards out, and he hit a shot first time and watched as it looped up and over the visitors’' defender and keeper and into the far corner of the net.

Third goal

Within two minutes Bar�a had added a third and any faint hopes that Deportivo had of taking anything from the game had ended with 20 minutes left. A corner was swung in from the left and Tour� took one touch before hammering a shot back inside the near post that had too much power for Aranzubia to keep out. There was time for Andr�s Guardado to move into the Bar�a area and warm V�ctor Vald�s' gloves, but it was a footnote for Depor as they were well and truly beaten by then.

Preview

Ones to watch

Leo Messi’s goal on Saturday took him to 27 in the league this season and he looks likely to score in every game he’s playing right now, whilst at the other end of the pitch, Victor Valdes is also enjoying a great season, leading the league keepers table, conceding just 19 goals in 31 games. Deportivo’s Mexican midfielder Andres Guardado for his part, has told Barca TV, that one of his objectives is to swap shirts with Messi at the end of the game!

The run-in starts here

Nick Bedson

Barca have the chance to build on Saturday�s win in the Bernabeu tonight when Deportivo visit the Nou Camp(22.00 R@dio Barca). With Madrid not playing till Thursday, Bar�a have the chance to take a six point lead and really pile the pressure on.

The message from the club since Saturday has been clear: the league isn’t over yet and every game in the run-in to the end of the season will be a tough one that has to be won if the title is to be retained. Tonight Deportivo La Coru�a come to town to test Barca’s resolve and although Guardiola has been hit by the injury to Iniesta, who will be absent alongside Ibra and Abidal, the team are determined not to let the advantage they have at the top of the table slip away.

History

Barca thrashed Deportivo 5-0 last season at the Nou Camp with two goals apiece from Henry and Eto’ after Leo Messi had opened the scoring. Barca also won 1-3 at the Riazor in December, with a brace from Messi to celebrate his recent award as European Player of the Year and another from Ibra. That game was described at www.fcbarcelona.cat as a meeting between “probably the two in-form teams in the league”. Things haven’t changed much for Barca since then, with Saturday’s win their eighth in the last nine games, but for Deportivo it’s been a miserable second half to the season, having won just 4 games since that defeat to Barca. All of those victories have been at the Riazor, whilst they have failed to win at all on the road, drawing 4 and losing 5. That horrible run has meant that Lotina’s team have dropped out of contention for European places and now lie 9th.

Team News

With Iniesta’s injury, Guardiola has been left with just 18 available first team players. Ibra and Abidal have still not recovered, though they could be fit for the weekend. The boss played Dani Alves in a forward role and left Bojan and Henry on the bench on Saturday and it will be interesting to see if he repeats the line up, or rotates his players ahead of the games against Espanyol and Inter.

Lotina will be without Ze Castro, who is absent for family reasons, whilst veteran full back Manuel Pablo is back in the squad after recovering from injury. Angulo, Juca and long term injury victim Filipe Luis are also missing from the 20 man squad who have travelled to Barcelona.

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