FCBARCELONA.CAT

21.05.2007 18:15

The joy of six

Berta Brau

The 6-0 win at Atlético Madrid was the biggest of the season so far for Barça, and the biggest away win ever under Frank Rijkaard, although it was by no means the first time the team has dished out such a ruthless punishing under the Dutch maestro.

Although most of Barcelona’s goals under Rijkaard have naturally been scored at the Camp Nou, Barça have also registered some impressive away wins. In the Dutchman’s first year at the club, 2004-20050, Barça won 4-0 against both Malaga and Sevilla. The season after, Betis were downed 4-1 at the Ruiz de Lopera, while Barça have scored four times on two road trips this season, at Recre (0-4) and at Son Moix against Mallorca (1-4).

Great results this season

The 6-0 on Sunday was Barça’s finest scoreline of the year, and it was the first time any side has scored more than five goals in a single match during the present campaign. But in other competitions Barça have regularly handed out some resounding thrashings. There was that 5-0 win against Levski Sofia in the Champions League, a 4-0 over Badalona in the cup, a 4-0 against America in the Clubs World Cup, while both Recre and Villarreal have let in four against Barça in league matches.

Unusual scoreline

A 6-0 away win is not the most common of results by any standards, but Barça have now done just that on five occasions. The first time was in the 91-92 season, when Barça won 6-0 at San Mamés, with Hristo Stoichkov the star of the show, and a year later they hit Valladolid for six, just a few days after winning the European Cup at Wembley.

Barça would take another nine years before repeating the feat in 2000-2001, now under Serra Ferrer and against Real Sociedad in Anoeta. A year later, 2001-2002, with Rexach as manager, Barcelona won 6-0 against Tenerife at the Heliodoro Rodríguez.

More historic routs

FC Barcelona have made several teams blush over the years. Back in the 50s and 60s there were some scandalous away wins, such as the 7-0 at Deportivo in 1955-56, and win by the same score at Las Palmas a couple of seasons later.

The Canary Islanders fared even worse at home to Barça in the 1959-60 season, losing 8-0, Barça’s biggest ever away win, while Malaga were downed 7-0 at home to FCB in 1962-63.