Guangzhou Evergrande Football Club to be FC Barcelona's first Chinese opponent in an official match

Barça beat Beijing Guoan 3–0 in the 2010/11 preseason. / MIGUEL RUIZ - FCB
FC Barcelona face the Chineses team in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup this Thursday

The only times FC Barcelona have ever played against teams from China have been in friendlies. On Thursday, however, things will be different, as Barça will debut at the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup Japan against China’s Guangzhou Evergrande Football Club. It will be Barça’s first official match against a Chinese club, and the first played at a neutral site.

Barça’s first ever match against a team from China came on 21 April 2004, when the Catalans routed the Chinese national team at Camp Nou by a score of 6–0. It was the only time Barça have hosted a Chinese team.

The next game versus an Chinese opponent came in a preseason tourn in China on 8 August 2004 when Barça beat Shangai International, 3–0.

The following season Barça were back in China and beat Shenzhen Jian Li Bao by a score of 9–0, the biggest margin of victory in Club history versus an Asian team to date. Messi, Eto’o, Giuly and Deco were among the goalscorers that day.

During the 2007/08 preseason tour, Barça played two matches against Chinese teams. The first, on August 5, 2007 was a 3­–0 win over Beijing Guoan, which Barça would later face again in the 2010 preseason. Then, on 11 August Barça topped a squad from Hong Kong, 4–0.

The match between FC Barcelona and Guangzhou Evergrande kicks off on Thursday, 17 December at 11.00am CET.