FCBARCELONA.CAT

28.02.2008 12:47

Believing to the end

Roger Bogunyà / Sergi Nogueras

Barça have been scoring some important late goals of late and this comes down having to the right mentality and the sheer desire to win.

Barça are still alive on three fronts and showing that they are willing to fight right to the end. In all of the last six outings Barcelona have managed to make good of potentially difficult situations.

The start

This sort of dynamic was first seen this year in the game at home to Osasuna at the Camp Nou. Xavi’s late goal managed to grab three important league points just as the game was about to end in a tie. Since then, things have just looked better and better.

The last quarter of an hour

The crunch period for these last games has regularly been the last quarter of an hour, when Barça have managed to show that they are never going to accused of being a team that runs out of ideas. Xavi’s 87th minute goal against Osasuna typifies this, as does the goal scored by the same player in the 75th minute against Sevilla, Ronaldinho’s 83rd minute penalty against Zaragoza and Messi’s winner at Celtic Park in the 79th.

Against Levante, Barça came into their own in the second half and scored a flood of late goals, while Xavi was once again there to grab a late equaliser last night against Valencia.

Unbeaten in 2008

Barça have played 15 games this year and have won 8 and drawn 7. Not a single defeat! In the league this has served to make up no less than 7 points on leaders Real Madrid, and in the cup they are in the semi finals and just have to get a good result at Mestalla to go through. In the Champions League, the win away to Celtic means a quarter final place is already in Barcelona’s sights.