On a magical evening, Barça outplayed Arsenal to make amends for the 2-1 defeat in the first leg. Leo Messi made it 1-0 before the break, and the Catalans clinched it in the second half through Xavi and Messi. Barça are back in the quarter finals of the Champions League.
Barça play host to Arsenal in the Champions League last 16 (20:45 CET) aiming to overturn the 2-1 result at the Emirates. Barça are without Pique and Puyol, whilst for Arsenal Cesc and Van Persie are doubtful.
They deserved more, but Barça had to settle for a solitary Keita goal to overcome Zaragoza on a day that saw the presidential box filled with women. Guardiola’s side has an overnight lead of ten points on Real Madrid. And on Tuesday, it is Arsenal.
FC Barcelona host Zaragoza tonight (20.00 CET) in another important game after winning away to Mallorca and Valencia. The good news is that both Valdés and Jeffren are back in the side.
FC Barcelona and SEIKO have signed an agreement by which the Japanese brand is to become FC Barcelona’s Official Time-Keeping Partner and will benefit from marketing and visibility rights for the next three years. This agreement was signed on March 1.
Following a medical examination this morning, Barça's coach Josep Guardiola has been diagnosed with a herniated disc. The Barça manager will be treated with drugs and epidural injections, and his hospital discharge will depend on how successful that is.
Scott Sage (UK Investor): "Barcelona has been our focal point in Spain". A group of companies from the Catalan capital attended a meeting with investors in the United Kingdom.
After tonight’s result at Mestalla (0-1) FC Barcelona broke another all-time record. They have gone 20 consecutive league games without defeat since losing 2-1 at Atlético Madrid last season.
Barça have won three hugely important points in Valencia thanks to a Messi goal in the 76th minute. The team made a huge effort and hardly gave the opposition a chance as they extended their lead in the league table to ten points.
Barça go to Mestalla tonight (22.00h CET) for the first of a series of tough away matches. Xavi and Alves are back after missing the Mallorca game, and Guardiola will also travel.
Tito Vilanova, the FC Barcelona assistant coach, has confessed to a press conference that Barça never find it easy to travel to Mestalla. “We have always found Valencia hard. We’ve never won there” he said.
FC Barcelona may have been without Valdés, Alves, Puyol and Xavi for the game in Mallorca, but they again demonstrated the depth in talent that Guardiola has at his disposal. Messi, Villa and Pedro were on target in the 3-0 win and Montoya made his first team debut.
Pep Guardiola has full faith in the players in the FC Barcelona squad and doesn’t think it will matter that five of them are out for the game in Mallorca on Saturday.
Xavi Hernandez downplayed the seriousness of the injury that will keep him sidelined for between 7 and 10 days. The midfielder hopes to be available for next Wednesday's match with València.
“We are not a peripheral region of the Iberian Peninsular, we are Mediterranean people very committed to Europe”, stated Artur Mas, President of the Catalan Government. Mas met with all the consular corps in Barcelona, which is one of the four non-capital cities with the most consulates in the world.