football

Three goals from Cesc Fàbregas and a brace from Alexis gave Barça a 5-0 win over Mallorca in a game that marked the re-appearance of Eric Abidal after being one year out of the pitch due to a liver transplant. Furthermore, Tito Vilanova re-appeared at the Cam Nou bench after returning from New York where he received cancer treatment. The FC Barcelona fans warmly welcomed Vilanova and Abidal, in a true night to remember. So, with Tito back on the bench and Abidal on the pitch, Barça rounded off the perfect preparation for Wednesday night’s Champions League big game against PSG.

Leo Messi will miss the next Spanish League match after his injury in Paris, in the first leg of the Champions League’s quarters with the PSG. However, Messi’s availability after the weekend will depend on his progress and therefore he could be ready by Wednesday to face the PSG at the Camp Nou for the return leg. The last time Messi suffered a similar injury was on March 2008 against Glasgow Celtic and on that occasion he was out for five weeks.

A 94th minute goal from Matuidi gave Paris Saint-Germain a draw after Messi and Mascherano had both come off injured. Barça went ahead in the first half thanks to a goal from Messi, who failed to reappear after the break after picking up a hamstring injury, before Ibrahimovic brought the teams level with ten minutes left to play. Xavi then slotted home a penalty on 88 minutes which appeared to have given Barça a win, only for Bartra to get the slightest of ricochets on a Matuidi shot in the dying seconds and help it past Valdes.

Barça look for a good result in Paris in Champions League quarter final first leg (20.45 CET). Xavi and Jordi Alba back for the game, with FC Barcelona’s Boss Tito Vilanova also in Paris with the team. Ibrahimovic is the big threat for PSG, who haven’t lost at home in Europe for seven years.

An 88th minute equaliser by the home team meant Barça were held to a 2-2 draw in a game in which Leo Messi set another record by scoring in every Spanish League game for half a season. However it was Celta who opened the scoring after Orellana beat the Barça back line and set up Isca on 38 minutes. Furthermore, Abidal made a much awaited return on the bench.

FC Barcelona’s Coach has landed on Tuesday morning, at about 8:05 at Barcelona El Prat Airport, after two months in New York when dealing with his illness. Jordi Roura and Aureli Altimira, who joined him on the flight home, will be taking this afternoon’s training session at the Ciutat Esportiva. Last December Vilanova underwent surgery for his parotid ailment relapse and in January he flew to the States to continue with his cancer treatment. In late 2011, Tito Vilanova had a first tumour removed from his parotid gland.

Barça have been drawn to play PSG in the last eight of the Champions League. The first leg will be played in Paris’s Parc des Princes on the 2nd of April and the return game will be in Barcelona’s Camp Nou on the 10th of April. The Parisian outfit has made it into the quarter finals for the first time in 19 years after spending 240 million euros in two seasons. The other matches are Real Madrid vs Galatasaray, Bayern Munich vs Juventus and Málaga vs Borussia Dortmund.

Two first half goals from Leo Messi (2) and two more from David Villa and Jordi Alba cancelled out AC Milan’s two-goal head start. Things looked bleak after the 2-0 reverse at the San Siro, but AC Milan were simply no match for the Catalans on Tuesday. Barça thus gain spectacular revenge for the 4-0 defeat in the Athens final of 1994 and go into Friday’s Champions League quarter finals draw.

Barça aim for a historic fight back against AC Milan to stay in the Champions League. The Catalans attempt to turn around the 2-0 defeat in Milan and earn a place in the last eight of the competition. This generation of FC Barcelona players have won everything in the game, with few records left to beat and just one big challenge ahead of them – to come back from a losing position in a European tie. Xavi Hernàndez is Barça’s main doubt for the game.

Since the 2-0 result in Milan’s San Siro stadium, both sides have faced some tough games, but they come into the Champions League match on the back of league wins: the Catalans defeated Deportivo and the Italians, Genova. FC Barcelona need a three-goal-distance win on Tuesday evening to pass through the next Champions League tie. AC Milan have already arrived at the Catalan capital and, despite the first leg result, they are being cautious and refuse the favourite role considering Barça’s potential.

FC Barcelona got back to winning ways following the two painful defeats to Real Madrid, with a 2-0 victory over Deportivo. The three points bring the Spanish League title closer to the Camp Nou, with 11 games still to play this season. Goals from Alexis and Messi give Barça three important points ahead of next Tuesday’s AC Milan game, when the Catalans need a clear victory to continue their Champions League campaign.

At the press conference before the FC Barcelona vs Deportivo de la Coruña game, Barça boss insisted that the team had trained well this week and are keen to beat the Galician side: “to keep our lead at the top of the table”. After the two consecutive defeats against Real Madrid, FC Barcelona needs a morale boost against Deportivo in order to face AC Milan next Tuesday, a crucial and difficult match in order to continue their Champions League campaign. In the first leg tie, the Catalans lost 2-0 in San Siro and now they need an heroic victory at the Camp Nou.

The Barça goalkeeper will miss the next four Spanish League matches (against Deportivo, Rayo, Celta and Mallorca). Valdés was sent off just at the end of the Real Madrid – FC Barcelona clásico, when he protested the referee for a last-minute penalty. The FC Barcelona legal services will be presenting an appeal over the next few days against the verdict of the Spanish Football Federation’s ‘Competition Committee’.

The Blaugrana will play exhibition matches in Shanghai on the 4th of August, Bangkok on the 7th of August and Kuala Lumpur on the 10th of August. However, the names of the teams facing Barça have not been revealed yet. It will be the second FC Barcelona’s Asia Tour after that of summer 2010. Barça will firstly play against Guardiola’s Bayern Munich on the 24th of July, for charity purposes. Furthermore, the Catalan team might play on Tel Aviv on the 31st of July with a Israel and Palestine side in order to support peace and understanding, although this has not been confirmed yet.

A goal from Ramos with eight minutes left saw Real Madrid take a rather grey Clasico after Messi had equalised Benzema’s opener in the first half. Valdés was sent off after the final whistle after remonstrating with the referee who denied Barça an apparently clear late penalty when Adriano was brought down in the box.