Barcelona - NouCamp Faithful

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 3 - 1 Napoli : Barcelona oust Napoli to reach 13th straight Champions League quarterfinal

(2nd Leg : Barcelona advance 4-2 on aggregate)

A fired-up Lionel Messi led Barcelona to a 3-1 win at home to Napoli on Saturday for a 4-2 aggregate victory which took the club into the Champions League quarter-finals for the 13th consecutive season where they face Bayern Munich.

The Catalans had a shaky start but took the lead in the 10th minute with a powerful header from a corner by Clement Lenglet before Messi scored a superb second in the 23rd, seeing off four defenders to curl the ball into the far bottom corner.

Messi had the ball in the net again soon after following a superb team move but the goal was harshly ruled out for handball by the Argentine following a VAR review, although Messi later won a penalty which Luis Suarez converted for Barca's third.

Napoli got one back when Lorenzo Insigne converted a spot kick at the end of the first half and were the better side after the interval but Barca survived to set up a mouth-watering clash with Bayern in the Final Eight tournament in Lisbon next Friday.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[charlienicholas]

Barcelona v Bayern Munich

CHARLIE PREDICTS: 3-2

https://www.skysports.com/football/n...ampions-league

[escobar43535]

I think Munich shall win instead.

Actually I hope Munich go all the way and win the CL.

[charlienicholas]

Originally Posted by charlienicholas

Barcelona v Bayern Munich

CHARLIE PREDICTS: 3-2

https://www.skysports.com/football/n...ampions-league

Final results

Barca 2 - 8 Bayern Munich

[charlienicholas]

Originally Posted by escobar43535

I think Munich shall win instead.

Actually I hope Munich go all the way and win the CL.

Gerard Pique says Barcelona have hit rock bottom after shocking 8-2 defeat

Barcelona were beaten 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, one of the worst defeats in their history.

https://www.skysports.com/football/n...ing-8-2-defeat

[escobar43535]

Originally Posted by charlienicholas

Gerard Pique says Barcelona have hit rock bottom after shocking 8-2 defeat

Barcelona were beaten 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, one of the worst defeats in their history.

https://www.skysports.com/football/n...ing-8-2-defeat

Told you so.
That said did not expect such a two leg score line in a single play off tie.

Anyways, happy to see Barcelona get hammered.
Munich - Do the same to City, please.

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 2 - 8 Bayern Munich : Bayern Munich humiliated Barcelona to reach Champions League semifinals

Bayern Munich totally embarrassed Barcelona in a 8-2 Champions League win on Friday night to book a spot in the semifinals of the tournament in Lisbon.

The loss was Barcelona's worst-ever in the Champions League, while Bayern became the first team to score eight goals in a UCL knockout-round game.

The match got off to a cracking start with Thomas Muller putting Bayern ahead early and David Alaba conceding an own goal to Barcelona minutes later to put the scoreline at 1-1 inside of the opening 10 minutes.

Bayern then went back in front just past the 20-minute mark when Ivan Perisic picked up a pass from Serge Gnabry and fired past Marc-Andre ter Stegen with a shot that took a slight deflection and wound up in the roof of the net.

It was 4-1 in Bayern's favour soon after as a rapid-fire few minutes saw Muller set up Gnabry with a lovely first-time pass for a goal before notching his second of the match at the near post from a Joshua Kimmich assist.

The German champions took the three-goal lead into the dressing room, with Barcelona reeling after an opening 45 minutes that saw them concede four in the opening half of a UCL knockout-round game for the first time in club history.

Luis Suarez looked to have given Barca a lifeline in the second half with an early goal, but Bayern hit right back when Alphonso Davies tip-toed down the endline and cut a pass back to Kimmich for an easy first time finish to make it 5-2.

Bayern continued to pile on, this time through Robert Lewandowski, who headed home a cross from Barcelona loanee Philippe Coutinho.

Coutinho then scored a goal of his own minutes later and added a second before full-time to complete the Bundesliga champions' 8-2 thrashing of Barcelona.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Originally Posted by escobar43535

Told you so.
That said did not expect such a two leg score line in a single play off tie.

Anyways, happy to see Barcelona get hammered.
Munich - Do the same to City, please.

They had been too dependent on Messi and it doesn't help Messi clout was strong. New players are compelled to play to accomodate Messi.

Messi time had come to an end. Nonetheless, we will always remember this great player.

[escobar43535]

Originally Posted by lacoruna69

They had been too dependent on Messi and it doesn't help Messi clout was strong. New players are compelled to play to accomodate Messi.

Messi time had come to an end. Nonetheless, we will always remember this great player.

Yes.

Messi is no captain when the team is down as well. He and senior players like Pique looked bewildered and demolished at half time.

But you are also right, Messi definitely up there with the GOATs in world football.

Also have to add, ironically the best Barca player on the pitch on Friday night was none other than Coutinho

Btw my sincere and deepest apologies to Rudi Garcia and his boys from Lyon for writing them off so soon. Wonder what the odds were on a Lyon win or even tastier a 3-1 Lyon win.

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 3 - 1 Gimnastic de Tarragona : Lionel Messi plays 45 minutes in Barcelona friendly win over Gimnastic

Barcelona beat second-division Gimnastic de Tarragona 3-1 in a preseason friendly on Saturday, with Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele each making encouraging returns by scoring in Ronald Koeman's first game in charge.

Lionel Messi wore the captain's armband in his first match since he opted to abandon his plans to leave Barca, although Luis Suarez and Arturo Vidal were left out of the squad as the club is still trying to offload both players.

French winger Dembele rolled the ball into the net to put Barca ahead in the sixth minute in his first appearance since November 2019, having undergone surgery to treat a ruptured hamstring tendon.

Antoine Griezmann added to Barca's advantage by converting a penalty in the 16th minute although defender Javi Bonilla scored a superb goal from the edge of the area to pull one back for Gimnastic on the half-hour mark.

Club record signing Coutinho got the third goal in the 51st, also from the penalty spot.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 3 - 1 Girona : Lionel Messi scores twice in Barcelona friendly win over Girona

Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona eased to a 3-1 victory over Girona in their second preseason friendly under Ronald Koeman on Wednesday.

Philippe Coutinho struck the crossbar early on before giving Barca the lead midway through the first half, tapping into an empty net after brilliant link play between Messi and new signing Francisco Trincao.

Messi then doubled Barca's advantage later in the half, spinning away from a defender to thump a shot in off the post and score for the first time since threatening to leave the club last month.

Samu Saiz scored for Girona right at the start of the second period but Barca's captain struck again in the 50th minute, also cutting inside to shoot from outside the area but this time benefiting from a heavy deflection.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 1 - 0 Elche : Griezmann strike gives Barca third friendly win in a row

An early strike from Antoine Griezmann gave Barcelona a 1-0 win at home to Elche their final pre-season friendly (Trofeo Joan Gamper) on Saturday, making it three victories from three for new coach Ronald Koeman's side.

Griezmann slotted home a Jordi Alba cut-back in the second minute after a pass from Lionel Messi, who was playing in a deeper role than in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Girona when he scored twice.

Barca begin their La Liga campaign next Sunday at home to Villarreal.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 4 - 0 Villarreal : Fati stars as Barcelona kick off Koeman reign with comfortable win

Barcelona kicked off the Ronald Koeman era in style with an impressive 4-0 home win against Villarreal in La Liga on Sunday.

Koeman, who has overseen the departures of several established names at the club this summer, named a starting XI that included Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho.

But it was young forward Ansu Fati who opened the scoring, firing home from a Jordi Alba pull-back in the 15th minute.

The 17-year-old, who was officially promoted to Barca's first-team squad last week, added a second in the 19th minute after Coutinho led a counter-attack.

Messi added a third on 35 minutes, scoring a penalty after Fati was fouled by Mario Gaspar. Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo got a hand to the spot-kick but was unable to stop it.

And Barca added a fourth before half-time when Pau Torres put Messi's cross, intended for Sergio Busquets, into his own net.

The hosts continued to dominate the game in the second half without managing to add to their hefty advantage.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Celta Vigo 0 - 3 Barcelona : Lionel Messi guides 10-man Barcelona to win over Celta Vigo

Barcelona rode a goal from Ansu Fati and an inspired performance from Lionel Messi to a 3-0 win over Celta Vigo on Thursday night in La Liga.

The win makes it two from two for new Barca boss Ronald Koeman, whose team earned the result despite playing the entire second half down a man.

Barca wasted no time taking the lead through teenager Fati, who made a clever move to get behind the Celta defence before flashing his class with an even-better finish with the outside of his right foot.

The visitors took the 1-0 lead into the dressing room, but were dealt a blow right before half-time when Clement Lenglet was shown a second yellow card that forced his team to play the second half with 10 players.

Messi's fancy footwork then led to Barcelona's second goal shortly after the restart as his right-footed effort was redirected into the goal by Celta's Lucas Olaza after the Argentine tip-toed his way into the penalty area.

A goalmouth scramble led to Barca's third goal when Roberto smashed home a volley from close range following another incisive run into the area by Messi wreaked havoc on the Celta defence.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 1 - 1 Sevilla FC : Barcelona draw with Sevilla FC as Sergino Dest makes debut

Barcelona and Sevilla FC played out a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Camp Nou on Sunday, with U.S. international Sergino Dest making his debut for the Catalans.

The two sides traded goals inside of the first 10 minutes with Luuk de Jong striking for Sevilla ahead of Philippe Coutinho's equaliser for Barcelona.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)