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Tag: Barcelona

  • El-Clasico: Ruthless Barcelona thrash Madrid

    El-Clasico: Ruthless Barcelona thrash Madrid

    League leaders Barcelona thrashed defending champions 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Saturday. 

    The game, which began with Real Madrid setting the early foot saw an Mbappe’s goal ruled out for offside. Real Madrid had other chances to draw first blood but were caught by the offside trap of the Barcelona defense.

    The first half ended in a goalless draw leaving both sides room to ruminate over lost chances.

    Read Also: Real Madrid, Barcelona starting X1 for El-clasico

    Barcelona started the second half with serious intensity and got their deserved goal in the 54th  minute after a perfectly poised pass from Marc Cassado found in-form Lewandoswki. Two minutes later, Lewandowki got his brace to give the Catalan giants an advantage.

    Things went from bad to worse for Madrid as wonder-kid Lamine Yamal fired past Lunin  to become the youngest player to  score in the El Clasico.

    Raphinha added the icing on the cake in the 84th minute to seal the 3-points for Barcelona.

    Barcelona will return to Catalonia in high spirits having secured a 6-point gap to top the table with 30-points. 

  • LA-LIGA :In-form Barcelona, Real set for Clasico showdown

    LA-LIGA :In-form Barcelona, Real set for Clasico showdown

    Off the back of massive Champions League wins over German powerhouses Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona and Real Madrid are set for a mouth-watering LaLiga Clasico tomorrow..

    One day after Real fought back from two goals down to thrash Dortmund 5-2 thanks to a hat-trick by Vinicius Jr., LaLiga leaders Barca ended a near decade-long winless run against Bayern with a 4-1 rout boosted by three goals from their Brazilian captain Raphinha.

    Both Vinicius and Raphinha have arguably their teams’ best players this season and look primed to bring a Brazilian storm to Real’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium after they passed their biggest tests of the campaign with statement European wins.

    Barcelona travel to Madrid sitting top of LaLiga on 27 points, three ahead Real, riding a superb performance from their attacking trio of Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha who have scored 21 of Barca’s 33 LaLiga goals this season.

    Polish striker Lewandowski has netted 12 league goals in 10 games, double the amount of Real’s Kylian Mbappe and Villarreal’s Ayoze Perez who are the league’s joint second highest scorers.

    Teenager Yamal has continued his form from Euro 2024 where he helped Spain lift their fourth European Championship trophy, but Raphinha’s all-around performances in manager Hansi Flick’s first season in Spain have outshone his team mates.

    With nine goals and eight assists in Barca’s 13 games in all competitions, Raphinha was man of the match in his team’s two Champions League wins.

    “I never had a player quite like Raphinha,” Flick told a press conference after the win over Bayern on Wednesday.

    “He’s a great player, he works very well with the team, always gives everything he has and plays with a lot of intensity. He’s very important for us, he deals with pressure very well and he’s in a very good dynamic.”

    While Barca have been delighted by Flick’s outstanding start with nine wins from 10 LaLiga games, Real have been their usual selves under the calm guidance of long-time manager Carlo Ancelotti.

    Read Also: Oshoala’s Barca thrash Real Madrid for 12th straight Clasico win

    Off the back of a near perfect season in which they grabbed a LaLiga and Champions League double, Ancelotti has led Real to four consecutive Clasico wins, including a 4-1 thrashing of Barca in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals in January and a 3-2 win in LaLiga.

    Even though Real signed Mbappe in the off season, Vinicius has been still their difference maker, maintaining the form that made him key to their last-season’s success and put him in pole position to win the Ballon d’Or award on Monday.

    “Vinicius is going to win (the Ballon d’Or)… he’s extraordinary,” Ancelotti said after Real’s comeback win on Tuesday.

    With so much attacking firepower, injuries could play a big role in Saturday’s clash as both teams will be without key players in defence.

    Real will miss goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, centre back David Alaba and captain Dani Carvajal along with forward Rodrygo.

    Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and key defender Ronald Araujo will be absent, but Gavi, Frenkie De Jong and Dani Olmo are expected to be available.

  • Raphinha treble guides Barca to 4-1 rout of Bayern

    Raphinha treble guides Barca to 4-1 rout of Bayern

    Barcelona captain Raphinha scored a hat-trick to lead them to a commanding 4-1 home victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League, ending a near decade-long winless run against the German powerhouse.

    After six consecutive losses in which they were outscored 22 goals to four by Bayern, including a humiliating 8-2 defeat in the Champions League quarter-finals four years ago, Barcelona got their revenge with a great attacking performance led by their Brazilian captain.

    Raphinha’s inspired night started when he gave Barca the lead a little over a minute after kick-off when he received a fine pass by midfielder Fermin Lopez, beat the offside trap and rounded the onrushing Manuel Neuer before tapping into the empty net.

    Bayern did not seemed affected by the setback and were mostly in control against the home side, who looked comfortable playing on the counter-attack and exploiting the speed of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.

    But if Barca looked dangerous with the ball and always one quick counter away from scoring, they were far from imposing on defence and gave too much space for Bayern who should have done better with the many chances they had.

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    Bayern’s wingers Serge Gnabry and Michael Olise were a constant menace against an aggressively high defensive line deployed by Barca boss Hansi Flick.

    The visiting side thought they have scored the equaliser in the 10th minute through a Harry Kane header, but his effort was ruled out after the VAR replay caught the England striker marginally offside.

    Eight minutes later, however, Kane’s volley from a cross by Serge Gnabry did stand as grabbed the equaliser.

    After Olise and Joshua Kimmich wasted good chances from close range it was Barca who got back in front in the 36th minute when Kim Min-Jae failed to deal with a high ball and Fermin Lopez cleverly chipped the ball between Neuer and Upamecano to Robert Lewandowski who tapped into an empty net.

    Bayern players heavily complained to the referee, saying that Lopez pushed Kim in the build-up, but VAR did not consider that the contact was enough to be considered an infringement.

    Barca grew in intensity against a visiting side who looked stunned and Raphinha netted a brilliant curling strike from the edge of the box after receiving a cross field pass from Marc Casado just before halftime.

    Raphinha wrapped up Barca’s win in the 56th minute with a tidy finish from another quick counter-attack and Bayern looked stunned as the home crowd chanted “Ole” to transform Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium into a bullfighting arena.

    One day after his compatriot Vinicius Jr. scored a hat-trick to help Real Madrid to a 5-2 comeback win over Borussia Dortmund, Raphinha’s performance against another German giant set up the perfect scenario for a highly anticipated Clasico against Real in LaLiga on Saturday.

    “Look at what happened yesterday (in Madrid) and today and you can see how good of a game it will be on Saturday. A Clasico is one of the best matches in the world,” Raphinha told Movistar Plus.

    “It is a night to be very happy about. For the game, what we did as a team. It’s the most important thing for me. To be able to win like this, in front of our fans, is special”.

    Barca are ninth in the Champions League standings on six points from three games while Bayern are 23rd on three points after a second consecutive defeat.

  • Barcelona, City win big in UCL games

    Barcelona, City win big in UCL games

    Barcelona trashed stern European rival Bayern Munich 4-1 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys stadium.

    The game, which began with Barcelona drawing first blood in the opening minute with a goal  by Raphinha, saw 31-year-old Harry Kane equalise in the 18th minute.

    The game ran out gripes for vincent kompany’s men as Lewandowski and Raphinha  scored in the 36th and 45th minute to regain the advantage going into halftime.

    Raphinha scored his third of the night in the 56th minute to seal the victory for the Catalonia giants for the first time since 2015. 

    It was a similar story in England as Man City annihilated Sparta Praha 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

    Read Also: Things to know about Barcelona vs Bayern Munich UCL game


    Sensational forward Erling Haaland etude dominance scoring in the 58th  and 68th minutes after Phil Foden had opened the score-sheet in the 3rd minute.

    John Stones and Matheus Nunes found the back of the net in the 64th and 88th minutes respectively to secure the three points.

    At the end of matchday 3, Man City and Barcelona are on third and tenth position respectively on the UCL table.

  • UCL: Barcelona versus Bayern Munich preview

    UCL: Barcelona versus Bayern Munich preview

    Barcelona’s strong form continued with an emphatic 5-0 win over Sevilla in their latest match, highlighting their solid start to the season despite a few recent hiccups. The Catalan giants are enjoying a dominant run, particularly at home.

    Barcelona have won their last five home matches across all competitions, netting 20 goals while conceding just two on home soil . After a disappointing loss in their Champions League opener, Barcelona regained momentum with a victory against Young Boys and will aim to build on that when they face Bayern Munich.

    Bayern Munich, meanwhile, returned to winning ways with a commanding victory over Stuttgart, ending a three-match winless streak. Harry Kane’s hat-trick helped the Bavarians to a dominant second-half display. 

    However, Bayern’s away form has been inconsistent, with a win, a draw, and a loss in their last three road games. They will need to overcome this mixed record as they travel to face Barcelona, especially after their recent loss to Aston Villa in the Champions League.

    Read Also: Onyedika sees red as Ilenikhena, Chukwueze shine in UCL

    Despite Bayern’s recent struggles, their history against Barcelona is impressive. The German side is unbeaten in their last six meetings with Barcelona and has lost only once in their last encounters with the Catalan giants. Given this track record, we predict Bayern will either win or secure a draw.

    Nonetheless, A high-scoring match is expected , as six of the last seven meetings between these teams have produced at least three goals. Both clubs have been involved in plenty of high-scoring affairs recently, making it likely that this fixture will produce at least three goals.

  • Barca under fire over ‘secret signings’

    Barca under fire over ‘secret signings’

    Barcelona announced the results of their annual accounts last week, including losses of over €90m for the year, in no small part due to the non-payment of the economic lever sales of Barca Vision.

    The Blaugrana are set to put their accounts to the members to vote on next Saturday.

    The Catalan giants have also sent a 90-page document to members explaining their financial results ahead of their Gerneral Assembly, so they are fully informed about the ongoing at the club. The document includes details that Sergio Aguero is suing the club for €3m in unpaid wages, while Ousmane Dembele’s agents are also claiming the club owe them €10m for French winger’s move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.

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    The Athletic also explained  that the accounts reveal a ‘secret signing’ for Barcelona. The Blaugrana have spent €1.7m on a player that has not been announced yet, which they claim is Senegalese starlet Ibrahim Diarra. The 17-year-old is due to move to Barcelona at the start of 2025, joining Barca Atletic once he becomes an adult. He currently plays for Academie Africa Foot, where he has developed, and caught Barcelona’s eye at the under-17 World Cup last year.

    Barcelona had been rumoured to have settled a deal for Diarra previously, but there was no mention of a fee up until now. The Blaugrana have also recruited Ghanaian left-back David Oduro in recent months from Accra Lions, and are now looking at Malian talent Mbaye Coulibaly.

  • Barca target Camp Nou return  before end of 2024

    Barca target Camp Nou return  before end of 2024

    Barcelona are hoping to return to their legendary Camp Nou stadium, currently undergoing modernisation and expansion work, “by the end of the year”, club spokesperson Elena Fort said.

    The Catalan giants’ construction roadmap was presented to the press on Monday, with officials insisting the club was “actively working” to return to the Camp Nou “by the end of the year” with an initial 62,000 capacity, instead of the 105,000 planned at the end of the work.

    The stadium should be completed in the summer of 2026, when the project dubbed “Espai Barca” will be finished and the stadium roof installed.

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    Barcelona fans will be able in the coming days to register to buy a six-month partial season ticket for the latter part of the campaign.

    Work on the Camp Nou got underway in June 2023 but was slowed over permit complications and complaints over working conditions.

    As a result Barca requested to extend their contract for the use of the Montjuic Olympic stadium “until March 31, 2025, as a precaution”.

  • Barcelona’s Olmo out for five weeks with hamstring injury

    Barcelona’s Olmo out for five weeks with hamstring injury

    Barcelona forward Dani Olmo has been sidelined for up to five weeks after injuring his right hamstring, the LaLiga club said.

    The 26-year-old appeared to suffer muscle discomfort after scoring in Sunday’s 4-1 league win at Girona and was substituted in the 61st minute.

    Olmo’s injury is a blow to manager Hansi Flick’s side as they begin their European Champions League campaign on Thursday, coming off a perfect start to their domestic league campaign so far.

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    The Spain international, who joined from RB Leipzig for 55 million euros ($61 million), has scored in all three of his appearances for Barca.

    The Catalan club face AS Monaco at the Stade Louis II on Thursday before Sunday’s LaLiga trip to Villarreal.

  • Bournemouth sign Araujo from Barcelona

    Bournemouth sign Araujo from Barcelona

    Bournemouth have signed Mexico full-back Julian Araujo on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee from Barcelona.

    The 23-year-old joined Barca from LA Galaxy last summer before immediately being loaned out to Las Palmas, where he made 25 La Liga appearances.

    He becomes the Cherries’ fifth senior summer signing and follows Dean Huijsen, Luis Sinisterra, Enes Unal and Alex Paulsen to the south coast.

    Read Also: Barcelona sign Spain playmaker Olmo from RB Leipzig

    “Julian is someone who we have tracked for a while now and we’re delighted to bring him to Bournemouth,” said chief executive Neill Blake.

    “He’s a young player with high potential and we’re pleased to have beaten lots of competition for his signature.

    “We believe we have all the tools here for Julian to build on the quality he already has and we really look forward to welcoming him to Vitality Stadium.”

    Araujo began his career in the MLS with LA Galaxy, where he made 108 senior appearances.

    He has won 13 caps for Mexico and was part of the side that won the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.fex

    BBCSports

  • Barcelona sign Spain playmaker Olmo from RB Leipzig

    Barcelona sign Spain playmaker Olmo from RB Leipzig

    Barcelona have signed Spain playmaker Dani Olmo from German side RB Leipzig.

    The 26-year-old returns to Barcelona in a deal worth a reported 60m euros (£51m), after playing for the Spanish club at youth level before joining Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb in 2014.

    Olmo has signed a six-year contract with Barcelona that has a release clause of 500m euros (£429m).

    He was joint top-scorer at Euro 2024 with three goals as he helped Spain win the tournament for a record fourth time.

    “Wherever he plays, Olmo stands out for his individual talent and his ability to link up with his team-mates,” Barcelona said in a statement.

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    “He has a nose for goal as he showed in Euro 2024 and can score from inside and outside the penalty area.”

    Olmo won two German Cups at RB Leipzig after joining them in 2020.

    “A young club, a young player. We grew up, won our first trophies and made history together,” he said on X.

    “Thank you RB Leipzig, you’ll forever be in my heart.”

    BBCSports