Just Barcelona News

Barcelona have not lost many games since Jordi Roura took over as the stand-in coach while Tito Vilanova went to New York for extensive treatment after his cancer surgery. There was a steady lessening of intensiti, however, and when the crucial run of games against Real Madrid and AC Milan came around, Barca produced their worst performances of the season.

That meant a semi-final exit from the Spanish cup, and very nearly an exit from the Champions League, denying us the chance to be the first team ever to win two continental trebles. The Primera Liga title is still firmly on course, though, and a fifth European cup to go with the 22nd league title would surely erase the disappointment.   .....Read more here.......

After surviving a real scare in the Champions League, the Barcelona players are looking forward to having the coach Tito Vilanova back in charge for the quarter-final stage. There has been speculation that the team have missed the coach and his absence was part of the reason for the poor recent form.

It was bound to have an effect, and the players are relieved as much as happy that they were able to produce a fantastic comeback against AC Milan. In La Liga, Tito’s absence has not really been a big factor, because the players know their opposition well and have been like a runaway train, but the European games are different, as are Clasico encounters with Real Madrid.   .....Read more here.......

It seemed like the football world was waiting to pronounce the last rites on Barcelona. There was talk of the end of an era, and suggestions that opposition teams had worked out how to play against Barcelona and nullify the system. Well that didn’t work last night, as Barcelona ruthlessly battered AC Milan into submission using the same tried and tested system as usual.

The difference last night was that Barcelona played well, whereas against Real Madrid and Milan recently, they had not. So, basically, the way to beat Barcelona is for them to play badly, or to be really lucky like Chelsea last season. People say Barca have no plan B, but the system and the players they use mean that there is lots of flexibility in the team that is on the pitch.   .....Read more here.......

The brain of Barcelona is back, and hopefully reinvigorated after his break. Barca will need Xavi Hernandez to be back to his best at the Nou Camp tonight if they are to get to the next round of the Champions League. The midfield maestro has been passed fit by medical experts after recovering from his hamstring problem. Many believe that Barca’s recent problems can be traced back to Xavi’s absence and the fact that he was not at 100 percent before.   .....Read more here.......

Nobody seems to be able to put their finger on the reasons for the recent slump in form suffered by FC Barcelona, but everyone concerned with the club knows that it needs to be put right quickly. Three poor games have seen Barca crash out of the Spanish cup and leave themselves with a 2-0 deficit to overcome in the Champions League.

The players and coach have arranged an informal meeting in a restaurant outside Barcelona to discuss things in the hope to rekindle the scintillating form that has deserted them at the worst possible time. They will forgo the double training session for this meeting, which I think is a good idea and hopefully it will work.   .....Read more here.......

Barcelona have been called the best in the world, and some have said that the current team are the best in history. For nearly two years now Barca have also been at the top of the world rankings for football clubs, even when they lost the Primera Liga title of Spain to Real Madrid last season. That run has now come to an end.

Three defeats in the last four games, two to Madrid and one to AC Milan, has seen the team slip to fifth in the rankings compiled by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics. Chelsea’s cup double of last season has helped them jump to the top of the list, with Bayern Munich, Athletico Madrid and Corinthians also ahead of Barcelona.   .....Read more here.......

Barcelona were left in a perilous position in the Champions league last night. After losing 2-0 to AC Milan, the lack of an away goal means that Barcelona will need to score four goals in the Nou Camp if Milan manage to score just once. The stand-in coach Jordi Roura and the former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas are confident that Barca are up to the task, though, despite the size of the task.   .....Read more here.......

Barcelona play the away leg of the Champions league knockout stage today against AC Milan, and are understandably favourites to go through. As well as being around 2 to 1 to lift the trophy, Barca are 9 to 1 on to progress to the next round at the expense of the Italian club and 2 to 1 on to win at the San Siro tonight.

Milan are well aware of what to expect from the runaway leaders of La Liga, and I don’t think it is ant coincidence or accident that club officials have allowed the surface to be left in poor condition. The Barca players were not happy with what they found when they had a training session at the ground, some saying the pitch was like a potato.   .....Read more here.......