Guardiola makes century

Barcelona (FCB).- From August 31, 2008 at Los Pajaritos stadium to February 12, 2011 at El Molinón, Josep Guardiola has managed the first team for 99 matches and two and a half years, which have coincided with the finest period in the club’s history. On Sunday he makes it 100 games against Athletic Bilbao, which makes this the ideal time to look back on the amazing achievements in that time.

Number one competition

Guardiola has always made the league his number one priority, because he feels it is this tournament that best reflects the whole season. He has put this idea in his players’ heads, and they have responded to perfection. The first two leagues have already been won, and the club is on very good course to win a third.

With Guardiola in charge, Barça have won 78 per cent of their 99 games, with just 14 draws and seven defeats. In that time, they have scored an incredible 274 goals, almost three a match. But the defence has been solid too, with just 71 goals leaked, less than one a game. There can be no denying that Guardiola has put together a side that is remarkable both in attack and defence.

Five out of five against Real Madrid

With Guardiola, Barça have beaten every team in the first division at least once, and the games with Real Madrid deserve a mention apart. They have won all five clásicos to date, scoring 16 and conceding just two. The famous 6-2 win at the Bernabéu as good as won the league in 2009 and the 5-0 win last November 28 was globally considered to be one of the greatest footballing performances in living memory.

Unforgettable games

Guardiola has managed the club to other amazing results. The 5-1 win away to local rivals Espanyol is remembered particularly fondly, as was the record equalling 8-0 win away to Almeria at the Juegos del Mediterráneo. Another great moment was the so-called ‘Tourmalet’ in his first season, with back-to-back wins against the other four top sides at the time, Sevilla, Valencia, Real Madrid and Villarreal.

 

BARÇA BITE

Record breaker

In these 99 games under Josep Guardiola, Barça has broken all kinds of records.

- Record consecutive league wins with a total of 16.

- Team with most points and goals in first half of season: 52 points and 61 goals in 2010/11.

- Team with most points in a league season: 99 points in 2009/10.

- Most away wins: 13 wins in 2008/09.

- Only team to ever win all away games in first half of the season.

- Team to score most away goals: 44 goals in 2008/09.