Author: Crazy

The three points won today against Espanyol mean Barça have 52 points, the same amount that they got in their best ever first half of a season in 2010/11

But with one game yet to go before the halfway stage of this edition, Barça will set a new record if they get a result next week in Malaga

The records are still falling. The FC Barcelona first team just can’t stop winning and making historic achievements. In 2010/11, FCB under Josep Guardiola got an incredible 52 points in the first half of the season. It seemed unlikely that we’d ever see a team get off to such a commanding start again, yet under Tito Vilanova, Barça has once again reached that mark after beating Espanyol, and still have one more game to go before the halfway stage.

Historic day

Barça can now set a new ‘winter championship’ record by winning or drawing in Malaga. The Andalusians are one of the most in form teams in the competition, but a result at la Rosaleda would also mean that Barcelona will have got half way through the tournament without suffering a single defeat.

More wins than ever?

The win against Espanyol has also equalled the record for wins in the first half of the season, 17, which also dates back just two years to that amazing season under Guardiola in 2010/11. So against Malaga, Barcelona will have the chance of setting a brand new record of 18 wins.

 

7 pm – GolT, Canal+ Liga – Barça seek their eleventh consecutive league win in Sunday’s derby

The Three Wise Men have been generous this year. To celebrate their day on 6th January they’ve given us a Barça v Espanyol derby game that will test both teams’ run of good form. On the one hand, Barça will be looking for their eleventh consecutive league win of the season and so start the New Year in the same fashion that they saw out 2012 – winning. On the other hand, Espanyol will be hoping to prolong a season best run of four games without tasting defeat, a run that has coincided with the arrival of Mexican boss Javier Aguirre.

22 players available

FC Barcelona have 22 players available for the derby – that’s the whole squad except for Muniesa, Cuenca and Abidal – so four players will have to be ruled out before the game, the first of 2013 in the Camp Nou. The Club has a good record in the opening game of the year in recent times and the players will be determined to maintain that form.

Espanyol in the drop zone

Espanyol have put together a four match unbeaten run since Javier Aguirre took over – including a 2-2 draw in the Bernabeu in the middle of December – and currently lie 18th in the table. Since the experienced Mexican manager was brought in, the team has rebounded back from a disastrous start to the season and is now within a whisker of climbing out of the relegation zone. Both teams will be hoping the Three Wise Men will bring them the best possible gift – the three points.

FC Barcelona will face Córdoba in the return leg of the last-16 of the Copa del Rey on Thursday, and on Sunday, the Blaugrana will travel to Andalusia to face Málaga in La Liga

FC Barcelona’s upcoming week is marked by two tough matches, the first at the Camp Nou and the second at the Rosaleda. This Thursday, the team led by Tito Vilanova will host Córdoba in the return leg of the last-16 of the Copa del Rey, and on Sunday the Blaugrana will travel to Andalusia to face Málaga in La Liga.

Barça, the Copa del Rey holders, will receive Córdoba on Thursday at 21.30 at the Camp Nou. The Blaugrana have a two-goal advantage from the away leg played in December thanks to two strikes from Leo Messi. On Sunday, at 21.00, FC Barcelona will be hosted by Málaga at the Rosaleda.

The team will train on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Ciutat Esportiva to prepare for the Copa del Rey match. Vilanova’s men will train at the Camp Nou on Thursday hours before kick off against Córdoba. On Friday morning and Saturday afternoon, the Blaugrana will train at the Ciutat Esportiva to prepare for their La Liga showdown with Málaga.

Here’s a detailed overview of Barça’s schedule:

Monday, January 7:

11.00 – Training session at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper

Tuesday – January 8:

11.00 – Training session at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper

Wednesday – January 9:

11.00 – Training session at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper

Thursday – January 10:

12.30 – Training session at the Camp Nou

21.30 – Copa del Rey match, Barça – Córdoba

Friday – January 11:

11.00 – Training session at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper

Saturday – January 12:

18.00 – Training session at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper

Sunday – January 13:

21.00 – La Liga match, Málaga-Barça

Jordi Roura confirmed on Saturday that Tito Vilanova “still has to undergo treatment but he is in good spirits and very strong, and that’s the important thing”

The assistant coach told reporters: “We’re hungry and hopeful going into the derby but we know these matches can be very difficult”

The day before Barça restart their league campaign with a mouth-watering local derby against Espanyol, Jordi Roura confirmed that this Sunday in the Camp Nou, “Tito will be on the bench”. He revealed: “He still has to undergo treatment but he is in good spirits and very strong, and that’s the important thing”. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, he admitted it was a role he hoped he wouldn’t have to take too often. “It’s not a normal situation but it has to be done. I’m looking forward to not coming (to a press conference) so often because that will mean that Tito is here”.

No complacency

Roura believes that Sunday’s match against Espanyol will be complicated despite the big gap between the two sides in the league table: “We’re hungry and hopeful going into the derby but we know these matches can be very difficult. They’re always tricky because of the rivalry…and we’re coming back from the (Christmas) break and picking up the pace again isn’t easy”.

“We have to try and make a good start and carry on the way we were before the break”. In spite of a 9-point lead over second placed Atletico Madrid and the 16 points separating Barça from Real Madrid in third place, Roura warned that the race for the league title isn’t over. “There’s a long way to go. We have to take it one game at a time and win all our matches. We know we’ll have to lose, but the later that is, the better”.

Espanyol and Aguirre

He also told reporters that the arrival of Javier Aguirre as Espanyol manager had forced the Barça coaching staff to change their preparations for the derby. “We’ve had to take a look at their recent matches and there’s no doubt that they’ve changed for the better since he came in”.

After the two week festive break, the La Liga teams are back in action this weekend, with away games for Atletico Madrid and Malaga, whilst Real Madrid host Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu

2013 kicked off in La Liga on Friday night, when Betis won 1-2 in Zaragoza to draw level on points with fourth placed Malaga, who are away to the bottom club Deportivo on Saturday. The Galicians sacked their manager Luis Oltra over Christmas and appointed the Portuguese coach Domingos Paciencia as their new boss. Deportivo have not won for eight games, whilst Malaga come into the game on the back of a great win over Real Madrid and just one defeat in their last six matches.

Injury and suspension devastate Madrid defence

Real Madrid’s problems continue to mount as the new year begins, with Pepe out for a month with an ankle injury. With the injured Marcelo, Albiol and Coentrao and suspended Sergio Ramos also unavailable and doubts as to whether Casillas will again be on the bench, Mourinho will have to put together a makeshift defence for the visit of the improving Real Sociedad. The Basques are up to seventh after an unbeaten run of seven games that has included impressive away wins at Malaga and Valencia, in contrast to Madrid’s recent form that’s seen them win just one of their last three league games and go down in the Cup to Celta.

Falcao suspended for Mallorca trip

Before the last league game of 2012, second place Atletico Madrid would have been pretty happy about starting 2013 at Mallorca – the Islanders had failed to win in their last ten games before the end of year visit to Betis, but their 1-2 win there will have boosted confidence in Caparros’ team, whilst Atletico will be without the suspended Falcao for Sunday’s clash. In Saturday afternoon’s first game, Levante will be without their top scorer Obefami Martins, who is suspended, for the visit of Atletico Bilbao to the Ciutat de Valencia – a ground where Levante have only lost to Real Madrid and Barça so far this season.

Osasuna travel to Seville

At the bottom, Espanyol are not the only team to face a tough away trip, with Osasuna travelling to Seville, who will be desperate to forget a terrible end to 2012 which saw them take just one point from their last five games. Celta, level on 15 points with Espanyol and just a point ahead of Osasuna, host Valladolid- who’ve lost just one of their last four games on the road, whilst Granada, whose win in Pamplona at the end of 2012 took them momentarily at least out of the danger zone and up to 16 points, are at home to the unpredictable Valencia. Valencia have won just once on the road, whilst Granada have the worst home record in La Liga, with a single win and have failed to score at home in their last three games.

Monday night’s game is a Madrid derby between Rayo and Getafe – the fifth time this season that Rayo have been scheduled to play on a Monday night.