FCBARCELONA.CAT

02.05.2010 13:09

Plenty of talking points from El Madrigal

Anna Segura

Xavi’s excellent performance, the end of Messi’s goal drought (all of five games!) and the importance of the three points are at the centre of any analysis of last night’s game against Villarreal.

• Xavi, 350 league games: despite being doubtful until the last minute, Xavi started the game and put in a magisterial performance on his 350th league game for the club. The Catalan midfielder is now just 41 games short of the club record for league appearances held by Migueli.

• Six scorer from a free kick: Xavi became the sixth scorer from a free kick this season with his goal at the Madrigal. Alves, Ibra, Márquez, Henry and have also scored from dead ball situations.

• Eight home grown players: it was always going to be a tough game, but Guardiola plumped for his home grown players for the match –sending out eight who’d come through La Masia in his starting line up.

• And home grown goals! For the seventh time in the league this season, the team scored more than three goals and home grown players -Xavi, Bojan and Messi in Villarreal-got them all.

• Bojan scores again at the Madrigal: Bojan’s goal against Villarreal was memorable, but perhaps not as much so as his first on 20 October 2007, when he became the club’s youngest ever league goal scorer when he was just 17 years, 1 month and 22 days old.