FCBARCELONA.CAT

26.12.2007 16:26

January - full of football

www.fcbarcelona.cat

After the Christmas holidays January will see a chock-a-block month of football for Barça who, if they progress in the King’s Cup, will have to play two games a week during the first month of 2008.

Next January sees a month full of football when Barça, providing they get through the last 32 and last 16 of the Cup, will have to play a total of nine games. The azulgrana will face a gruelling calendar during a run of very demanding games which should provide them with an opportunity to reaffirm their aspirations in the league as well as reaching the semi-finals of the King’s Cup.

Immediate start

There won’t be long to wait for the start of the 2008 football calendar in the Nou Camp. On 2 January Barça play against Alcoyano, from the Spanish second division B, in the return leg of their King’s Cup match (last 32). The azulgrana should make good on the clear advantage they have from the first leg having won 0-3 with goals from Henry, Gudjohnsen and Bojan.

Decisive month in the Cup

If Barça overcome the possible pitfall against Alcoyano, January will see them having to play almost immediately in the last 16 and possible quarter-finals of the King’s Cup. So January will become a key month in determining the azulgrana’s options in the knockout competition in that they will learn the names of the four teams left to fight for the title.

Winning points

During the 31 days of January, Barça will play four league matches which will allow them to gain the necessary points to continue in the upper reaches of the table and to try to put pressure on the leaders. Barça begin in the Balearics against Mallorca, who finished the year with a heavy defeat against Osasuna. Their next game, at home in the Nou Camp, sees them play host to Murcia in what will be the final game of the first half of the league programme. The second half of the football programme will therefore begin at home against Racing Santander. The final league match in January will be against Athletic Bilbao in San Mamés.