All Bar�a�s football

Match

Marcador del partit

Date: Wednesday, 24 Nov
Competition: ???label.competicio1???
Stadium: OAKA, Athens

Resultat:

Panathinaikos: 0
FC Barcelona: 3

Match report

Match Report
Pre-Match

Match Report

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Goals

0-1 Pedro (min 26)
0-2 Messi (min 62)
0-3 Pedro (min 69)

Progress with authority (0-3)

Jordi Clos

FC Barcelona ensured that they progressed to the next round of the Champions League as group winners after a convincing victory against Panathinaikos on Wednesday thanks to two goals from Pedro and another from Lionel Messi.

The Blaugrana took their league form into Europe once again and the competition's famous tune before kick-off lifted the players and they produced another strong performance. Mixing a serious approach with moments of flair and excitement Pep Guardiola's side avoided a Greek tragedy in Athens and found the net when it mattered to see off the threat from their hosts. Panathinaikos needed something from the game in order to keep their hopes of remaining in Europe alive, but the loss means that they cannot lift themselves out of fourth spot in the last match.

Crowd calming

Before the game there was talk of the atmosphere that Bar�a would face in the Olympic Stadium and the home fans put on a show, but that did not affect the visitors. Instead, long periods of possession by the away team silenced the supporters while the Panathinaikos side sat back and tried to keep their opponents out. Occasionally, the hosts did push forward on the counter-attack and Ciss� did have a one-against-one with V�ctor Vald�s and the keeper was forced to produce a good save with 20 minutes on the clock. That did prove to be Pana's best chance of the evening.

First goal

Adriano then went close after being named in the team late on, but Alexandro Tzorvas denied him. In minute 27 the deadlock was broken as Dani Alves pushed the ball through as crowd of players and Pedro ran onto to before beating the keeper. Bar�a looked to build on the lead, but chances were few and far between and the team had to be precise when they came. David Villa had an opportunity and Pedro another before the break but a second goal would not come.

Same again

The game continued in a similar manner after the break as Bar�a employed a mixture of patience and pragmatism and began to find more and more space. Adriano again tested the hosts' keeper with an almost identical chance to his first effort. Panathinaikos did not heed the warning though and just after the hour mark Andr�s Iniseta combined with Adriano before finding Messi, who scored his sixth Champions League goal of the season.

Cl�sico focus

Within seven minutes Bar�a had a three-goal cushion as Alves was again involved as he found Iniesta on the left of the area and Pedro met his cross to convert for his second of the evening. With the result put beyond doubt the home fans put on a show but that did not help their side as they bowed out of the competition and missed out on a place in the Europa League. For Bar�a the focus now turns to el cl�sico as Real Madrid are next up in Camp Nou and the team's confidence remains high after this latest European triumph.

Preview

Group D

After four of the six games, the standinge in Group D are presently as follows:

Bar�a 8 points
Copenhagen 7 points
Rubin Kazan 3 points
Panathinaikos 2 points

New chance in Athens

Jordi Clos

Bar�a have a second match ball tonight to qualify for the second round of the Champions League. A win at Panathinaikos� difficult ground (20.45, TV3 and R@dio Bar�a) would do the trick.

After drawing their last match in Copenhagen (1-1), Bar�a now have another chance to secure mathematical qualification for the last sixteen in the Champions League. Even a draw at Panathinaikos might be enough, as long as Copenhagen don’t lose in Kazan. The Danes are also a threat to FCB’s place at the top of the table.

Only thinking of Panathinaikos

So the game with the Greek champions is of utmost importance, and there are many reasons to put aside thoughts of the cl�sico with Madrid for a few more hours. The team showed with its extraordinary 8-0 win in Almeria that they are taking each match as it comes, and are also aware that Madrid is by no means the only big game they have yet to come. There’s no time to relax.

Time to win away

Bar�a have taken all the players they can to Athens and young Mi�o, Thiago and Font�s. The only players left behind are the injured Milito and the suspended Pinto. Bar�a have only won one of their last eleven road games in Europe, though they have only lost one as well, and winning at home and drawing away was a good enough formula to win one title and reach the semi finals in the other.

Unpredictable opponent

The crowd at the Olympic Stadium is always the source of additional pressure in the Greek capital, but another problem facing the team is the lack of any knowledge of what kind of style new Panathinaikos manager Jesualdo Ferreira, who was formerly at Malaga, is going to impose on the team following the departure of Nioplias. The new coach needs to make amends to a team that has yet to win in the present edition of the Champions League, and has a 1-7 goalscoring record.