Barcelona - NouCamp Faithful

[lacoruna69]

Originally Posted by SH149

Bingo !! Mallorca scored twice does actually help me cos I bet correct score at Singapore pools n pocket my third win from Barcelona

But strange I bet other teams no win except Barcelona

Congratz!! Not easy picking the correct score.

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 3 - 1 Real Zaragoza : Barca cruise to victory with Messi brace

Lionel Messi scored twice and set up a maiden Barcelona goal for Alex Song as the Catalan giants powered on at the top of the Primera Division with a 3-1 victory over Real Zaragoza.

Messi took his season tally for Barcelona to 22 in all competitions with strikes in 16th and 60th minutes while he also turned provider in the 28th minute to help summer signing Song open his account for the club.

Song's goal put Barca back in front after Zaragoza had drawn level through Paco Montanes.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[SH149]

Originally Posted by lacoruna69

Congratz!! Not easy picking the correct score.

Tks pal

Not easy to pick the correct guess I am quite lucky as three times pick the score line n win ( all from the same team )

[lacoruna69]

Spartak Moscow 0 - 3 Barcelona : Messi closing in on Muller record

Lionel Messi moved to within five goals of Gerd Muller's scoring record as Barcelona qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League with a 3-0 victory over Spartak Moscow.

The Argentinian scored twice to go to 80 goals so far in 2012, just five behind Muller's record number of goals scored in a calendar year from 1972.

Dani Alves gave Barcelona the lead before Messi's double strike with all the goals coming before half-time.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[kiko]

Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez says he is confident of signing a new contract which will keep him at the club for the rest of his career.

Xavi's current deal at Barca runs until 2014, with an option to renew for two more seasons. In September his agent Ivan Corretja told Catalan television that negotiations had begun to extend this deal, while the player told the club website on Thursday that both sides were making an effort to come to an agreement.

"I hope to be here for many years," Xavi said. "I feel great physically, I have recovered totally from those niggling injuries. Barca are making an effort for me to stay and I am making an effort as well. It is my greatest desire to be able to retire here."

Since making his debut in 1998 after coming through Barcelona's famous La Masia youth academy, Xavi, 32, has made over 600 first team appearances for his only club, winning a host of trophies including three Champions Leagues and six La Liga crowns.

"I am lucky to be at the best club in the world and to have won so many titles for club and country," he said. "I hope to be here for many more years and win more titles. At the moment the club is happy and I am happy, so I hope to stay here and retire at Barca. My idea is to spend all my career here. I have never thought of leaving."

The Catalan admits there have been difficult times along the way, such as when Barca went five seasons without a trophy in the early 2000s, but he says he is now enjoying their current success.

"We went four or five years here at Barca without winning any trophies and that was a very difficult period for everyone," he said. "People did not believe in us, not here at Barca or with Spain. Not winning trophies is the hardest thing for everyone.

"There was a time when the fans did not believe in me or in the team. That was a delicate time. But I am very stubborn and I really believe in myself. I kept my values in mind and carried on. Thankfully now I can enjoy these times, with both Barca and the national team."

[lacoruna69]

Levante 0 - 4 Barcelona : Messi closing in on Muller record

Andres Iniesta took centre stage with a virtuoso display as Barcelona continued their unbeaten start to the Primera Division season with a classy victory at Levante.

Iniesta provided assists for Lionel Messi's quickfire double - his 81st and 82nd goals this calendar year - before lashing home a goal of his own and playing in Cesc Fabregas for a fourth as Barcelona ran riot in a devastating 18-minute spell at the start of the second half.

Jose Barkero had the chance to pull a goal back for the hosts late on but saw his tame penalty saved by Victor Valdes as Barca comfortably maintained their three-point lead at the top of La Liga with their 11th win in 12 matches.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 5 - 1 Athletic Bilbao : Messi on brink of Muller record

Barcelona continued their amazing start to the Primera Division season with another victory on Saturday evening, Lionel Messi's 83rd and 84th goals of the calendar year helping the Catalan club trounce Athletic Bilbao 5-1 at the Nou Camp.

Two goals in three minutes - from Gerard Pique and a deflected Messi effort - midway through the opening 45 minutes put Barca firmly in the ascendancy and Adriano added a superb third in first-half stoppage time.

Cesc Fabregas notched a neat fourth soon after the break and, after Ibai Gomez had pulled a goal back with Athletic's first noteworthy attack of the match, Messi rounded things off with a brilliant fifth goal.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[kiko]

I started to worry Xavi in barcelona now, as age catching up in him , as he is now 32,, coming up in aging also Inestia . Really pray that someone in the academy of bacelona, can replace both of them soon . ...

[lacoruna69]

Originally Posted by kiko

I started to worry Xavi in barcelona now, as age catching up in him , as he is now 32,, coming up in aging also Inestia . Really pray that someone in the academy of bacelona, can replace both of them soon . ...

nothing is forever.....Barca had enjoyed quite a few years of success.
but their success had proven one thing...it is worth setting up youth academy.
look at those clubs in EPL....$$$$$ players just use $ to buy.....yes you can buy quality players...but can they play together and get a result??
Man City, Chelsea are very good examples.

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 0 - 0 Benfica : Stalemate sends Benfica out

Barcelona and Benfica battled out a goalless draw at the Nou Camp, meaning Lionel Messi remained one goal away from equalling Gerd Muller's record and the Portuguese visitors crashed out of the Champions League.

Messi was introduced just before the hour and played for around 25 minutes before being carried off on a stretcher.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Real Betis 1 - 2 Barcelona : Magical Messi breaks the record

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi broke Gerd Muller's record of 85 goals in a calendar year as his brace helped Tito Vilanova's side to victory at Real Betis.

The Argentina international grabbed the opener in the 16th minute with a trademark dribble and finish to move level with the German striker, who achieved the feat in 1972.

His second goal of the evening, and 86th in a remarkable 2012, came with another left-footed shot past Betis goalkeeper Adrian after he had been teed up by Andres Iniesta after 25 minutes.

Betis headed into the game in fifth place in the Primera Division having beaten Real Madrid in their last home league match a fortnight ago.

And they got themselves back into the contest six minutes before the break as Martin Ruben Castro reduced the arrears from six yards out, converting Alvaro Vadillo's cross from the left.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 4 - 1 Atletico Madrid : Barca pull nine points clear

Lionel Messi won the much-anticipated duel with Radamel Falcao to fire Barcelona to an impressive 4-1 victory over Atletico Madrid and a nine-point advantage at the top of the Primera Division.

Falcao put Atletico ahead in the first half but, despite enjoying the better of the opening 45 minutes, Diego Simeone's side trailed at the break after a stunning goal from Adriano and a well-taken effort from Sergio Busquets.

Messi was a long way from his magical best but still ended up with two goals - his 89th and 90th of a remarkable 2012 - to quell Atletico's challenge in the second period.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Real Valladolid 1 - 3 Barcelona : Barcelona stay nine clear

Barcelona gave stand-in coach Jordi Roura a winning start as goals from Xavi, Lionel Messi and Cristian Tello downed Real Valladolid 3-1.

Roura is deputising for Tito Vilanova, who was discharged from hospital on Saturday after undergoing an operation on his parotid gland on Thursday, and saw his side take a 1-0 interval lead when Xavi tapped in Jordi Alba's cross.

The Spain midfielder then set up Messi for his 91st and last goal of an extraordinary 2012 and, after Javi Guerra pulled one back, Tello rounded off the win in injury time.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Barcelona 4 - 0 Espanyol : Tito gets four-star Barca welcome

Tito Vilanova returned to the Barcelona bench with the minimum of fuss as his side got all of their work done inside the first 30 minutes of the Catalan derby in a 4-0 win over Espanyol.

Manager Vilanova, back at the helm after a brief spell out for surgery on his parotid gland after contracting cancer for the second time, was given the easiest of nights as his stellar cast of players made life comfortable for him.

They had scored all of their goals by the time the 30th minute ticked by and after that it was procession football, with Pedro twice denied a hat-trick by the offside flag while other chances also passed.

After Xavi had opened the scoring, Pedro then chimed in with his brace before Lionel Messi set off on his pursuit of 100 goals this year with a penalty.

The Argentinian scored a record-breaking 91 times in 2012 and is expected to go even further this time around. His only regret will be that he did not make the most of the leisurely second-half conditions.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[lacoruna69]

Malaga 1 - 3 Barcelona : Barca ease to Malaga scalp

Lionel Messi celebrated his fourth successive Ballon d'Or award by once again inspiring Barcelona to a victory 3-1 at Malaga.

Messi won his record-breaking FIFA honour on Monday, taking the honour ahead of Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, and continued his magnificent scoring run by breaking the deadlock tonight in the 27th minute.

The Argentinian then teed up Cesc Fabregas to put Barcelona two goals to the good after the interval before substitute Thiago made the game safe late on - despite Diego Buonanotte grabbing a consolation in the final minute.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)