European Super Football

Benfica 4 - 5 Barcelona Barcelona overcame two separate two-goal deficits to secure a breathtaking victory over Benfica. Author - Peter Grainger The match at Estádio da Luz started disastrously for the visitors as Greek forward Vangelis Pavlidis netted a stunning 30-minute hat-trick. The first came from a well-placed cross by full-back Álvaro Carreras, while two further goals were gifted by errors from Barcelona's Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny. Robert Lewandowski, however, kept Barca in contention with a first-half penalty after Alejandro Balde was fouled. Barcelona fought back after the break, with Raphinha and Lewandowski scoring either side of an unfortunate Ronald Araújo own goal to leave the score at 4-3. But the drama was far from over. Eric García equalised with a late header, and just when it seemed the game would end in a draw, Raphinha capitalised on a rapid counter-attack in the 96th minute. The Brazilian slotted past Anatoliy Trubin, leaving the home fans stun...

Mallorca 1 - 5 Barcelona Raphinha inspired Barcelona to a resounding win over Mallorca, ending their three-game winless streak in style. Author - Peter Grainger from GMCR Football You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below. The footage is from the FC Barcelona YouTube account. The Brazilian star scored twice in the second half, helping Hansi Flick’s side extend their lead at the top of La Liga to four points over Real Madrid. With the match finely poised at 1-1 at half-time, Raphinha broke the deadlock in the 56th minute, calmly converting a penalty after Lamine Yamal was fouled in the box. The teenage sensation then delivered a stunning assist 18 minutes later, using the outside of his foot to set up his captain, who slotted home his 11th league goal of the campaign. Barcelona sealed the emphatic victory with late goals from substitutes Frenkie de Jong and Pau Victor, who scored twice in quick succession to cap off a dominant second half. It was the perfect resp...

Barcelona 1 - 2 Las Palmas I found myself in Barcelona for the weekend and witnessed a La Liga shock. Author -  Liam Chadwick The word to describe Barca’s first-half performance was wasteful. From the very beginning, the home team spoiled several promising attacks due to poor decision-making and execution up front, often opting for the wrong pass or missing easy opportunities to put their forwards in prime goal-scoring positions. Very few anticipated the upcoming drama after that dull 45 minutes. The Barcelona manager brought on Lamine Yamal at halftime to try and find a spark for the home side.  Before Yamal could make an impact on the game, the hosts found themselves trailing. Las Palmas executed a fantastic build-up from a goal-kick, successfully breaking through Barça's high press. They located Sandro Ramírez, who was all alone on the right wing, and the forward unleashed a powerful shot into the bottom corner, scoring against his former club just four minutes into the...

Real Madrid 0 - 4 Barcelona Robert Lewandowski netted twice in just three minutes as La Liga leaders Barcelona swept aside Real Madrid in El Clasico, extending their lead over their fierce rivals to six points. Author - Mark Lee Real Madrid had been aiming to equal Barcelona’s league record of 43 consecutive unbeaten games, a milestone set between April 2017 and May 2018. However, those ambitions were shattered by a ruthless second-half performance from the visitors at the Bernabeu. After a goalless first half, Lewandowski broke the deadlock in the 54th minute, coolly slotting home from a precise through ball by Marc Casado. The Polish striker doubled Barcelona’s advantage moments later, heading Alejandro Balde’s pinpoint cross into the right corner. Lewandowski came close to securing a hat-trick, hitting the woodwork on one occasion and firing over from a promising position on another. Spanish teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, at just 17, added Barcelona’s third with a brilliant st...

Barcelona 4 - 1 Bayern Munich It was a disappointing night for Bayern Munich as Barcelona eased to a comfortable victory in the Champions League league stage. Author - Josh T Barcelona winger Raphinha was a hero on the night as he delivered an outstanding hat-trick. The Brazilian opened the scoring in under a minute, pouncing on a ball over the top and skilfully rounding goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. England captain Harry Kane levelled the score for Bayern in the 18th minute, volleying in Serge Gnabry’s cross at the back post. However, Barcelona continued to exploit Bayern’s high defensive line. Fermin Lopez broke through, poking the ball past Neuer to set up Robert Lewandowski for Barcelona’s second, 18 minutes later. Just before half-time, Raphinha, wearing the captain’s armband for the night, made it 3-1 with a sublime curling shot from the edge of the box. Soon after the break, he sealed his hat-trick by latching onto another long pass and drilling a shot into the far corner. A c...

Barcelona 5 - 0 Young Boys Robert Lewandowski netted twice as Barcelona cruised to victory over Young Boys in the Champions League. Lewandowski opened the scoring just eight minutes in, slotting home Raphinha’s cross at the far post. Barca soon doubled their advantage, with Raphinha tucking away the rebound after Pedri’s initial shot was blocked. The La Liga leaders were in full control, and just three minutes later, Iñigo Martínez added a third, heading in from close range following a pinpoint free-kick from Pedri. Barcelona extended their lead early in the second half, with Martínez nodding the ball back across goal for Lewandowski to tap in his second of the night. Champions League: 2024/2025 (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Young Boys’ best opportunity came when Joel Monteiro's effort struck the crossbar, but their night went from bad to worse in the 81st minute when Mohamed Ali Camara inadvertently turned Alejandro Balde's cross into his own net. Monteiro thought he ha...

Girona 1 - 4 Barcelona Lamine Yamal netted twice as Barcelona continued their dominant start to the season with a commanding 4-1 victory away at Girona. The 17-year-old Spanish winger opened the scoring in the 30th minute, capitalising on a mistake by David Lopez deep in Girona's half, before expertly lifting the ball over goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. Yamal added his second just seven minutes later with a composed first-time strike from the edge of the box, following a rebound from Raphinha's free-kick. Click here for more La Liga news and stories Girona, who finished third last season, thought they had been awarded a penalty after Bryan Gil's header struck Inigo Martinez's arm, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review. Dani Olmo became the first player since Cesc Fabregas in 2011 to score in his first three league games for Barcelona, finding the net with a precise finish from a tight angle in the 47th minute to make it 3-0. Seventeen minutes later, midf...

It's time to explore the career of another football icon Andrés Iniesta is widely considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time.  He was praised by fans and pundits alike for his balance, ball control and agility in close spaces, combined with his skill, composure, and flair on the ball. Iniesta would spend most of his career at Barcelona, where he played a major role in the club's success along with his midfield partners Xavi and Sergio Busquets. One European Super Football contributor told us: "He was one of the greatest midfielders ever. I used to love watching him and I'm not even a Barcelona fan." Iniesta interviewed as a Barcelona player back in 2011. Picture from  Miguel Moro | Flickr A closer look at his career Iniesta started his professional career through La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy, after an early migration from his birthplace, and impressed from an early age. He made his first-team debut aged 18 in 2002. He began playing regula...

Valencia 1 - 2 Barcelona A win over Valencia kicked off Barcelona's La Liga campaign under new manager Hansi Flick. Former Germany boss Flick's team had to come from behind after Hugo Duro scored from a Diego Lopez cross past Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The first half started slowly, but Duro opened the scoring in the 44th minute, sparking the match into life. Duro had a chance cleared off the line, but Robert Lewandowski then equalized from a Lamine Yamal pass. Valencia had a strong first half, but Barcelona showed their superiority in the second half, taking the lead through veteran striker Lewandowski's penalty in the 49th minute after Raphinha was fouled in the box. Yamal was a constant threat with his dribbling on the wings, causing problems for Valencia. Despite Valencia's strong counter-attacks and Barcelona's midfield errors, Flick's team ultimately proved to be of a higher class, managing the game well and neutralizing Valencia's threats to secure a...

 Let's explore Barcelona's 2023/2024 campaign In addition to La Liga, Barca also took part in the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, and UEFA Champions League. Throughout the season, Barcelona played their home matches at the Estadi Olímpic due to the redevelopment of the Nou Camp. This season was notable as the first without captain Sergio Busquets, who departed the club after 18 years (including 15 years in the first team since the 2007–08 season) as a free agent in the summer. It was also the first full season without Gerard Piqué, who retired before the winter World Cup, and the first since 2011–12 without left-back Jordi Alba, who mutually agreed to terminate his contract a year early. Elsewhere, Barcelona finished as runners-up in the Supercopa de España and were knocked out of the Copa del Rey in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Athletic Bilbao, losing in extra time. In the league, they were unable to defend last season's title, ending the season in second ...

Real Madrid are La Liga champions once again.  They wrapped up the title by defeating Cadiz 3-0 at the Bernabeu before they watched Barcelona lose 4-2 at Girona. Ultimately, this has been an impressively dominant campaign for Carlo Ancelotti's men. They have lost just once all season, at local rivals Atletico Madrid in September, and are also unbeaten in their last 28 league games. Against Cadiz, Brahim Diaz starred for Real Madrid. The former Manchester City winger scored an impressive goal by firing into the top corner from just inside the box in the 51st minute. S few minutes later, Jude Bellingham doubled Real's lead by ghosting into the box and poking home from close range.  Joselu then sealed a comfortable victory in added time with a tap-in. Nacho raced through into the box and squared the ball for his teammate to finish with ease. Another excellent performance. When the match finished, they were only a few hours away from being champions officially. You can ...

Chelsea 0 - 2 Barcelona Barcelona won 2-1 on aggregate  Chelsea's hopes of making it to the Women's Champions League final in manager Emma Hayes' final season at the club were crushed with a defeat by Barcelona at a sold-out Stamford Bridge.  Despite leading 1-0 from the semi-final first leg, Chelsea was unable to hold onto their advantage as holders Barca turned the tide in their favour. Referee Iuliana Demetrescu made two crucial decisions that went against the Blues.  Firstly, she issued a second booking to Chelsea defender Kadeisha Buchanan within four minutes, leaving the hosts with only 10 players on the field just before the hour mark.  A history of women's football (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Secondly, she awarded a penalty to Barcelona for a contentious foul on Aitana Bonmati, which Fridolina Rolfo converted. Bonmati had earlier cancelled out Chelsea's aggregate lead with a deflected strike off Buchanan, and her dramatic fall in the box under conta...

  Barcelona 1 - 4 PSG (Aggregate: 4-6) Kylian Mbappe scored twice as his Paris St-Germain side thrashed Barcelona to turn around a first-leg deficit and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below . Footage from the TNT Sports YouTube account. The French side had trailed 3-2 after the first leg but they reached the last four for the first time since 2021 after what can only be considered a chaotic encounter in Spain. PSG will face Borussia Dortmund in the semi-final after they beat Atletico Madrid 5-4 on aggregate in what was another thrilling encounter. Where did it go wrong for Barca? It was actually the Catalan side who struck first when Lamine Yamal drove down the pitch, beating Nuno Mendes and clipping over for former Leeds United star Raphinha to score. The Barcelona fans and players assumed it was all going according to plan. Things were to go very wrong in the second-half. Things started t...

Here we go again New plans for a revamped European Super League (ESL) have been unveiled following a significant court decision.  Picture from a banner protesting the European Super League in 2021 This latest court ruling declared it illegal to prevent clubs from joining an alternative league. The proposed league features 64 men's teams and 32 women's teams, posing a direct challenge to current UEFA competitions. Manchester United, initially a key player in the original ESL concept  but later withdrew amidst heavy criticism, has confirmed their ongoing commitment to UEFA tournaments.  Despite the controversy, United's stance remains unchanged, emphasizing their dedication to working constructively with UEFA, the Premier League, and other clubs through the European Clubs Association for the betterment of European football. Previous Super News articles on the European Super League Clubs Announce New Super League Competition (greatermanchesterfootball.blogspot.com) Reme...

It's time to explore another icon of the football world. This time it's Romário. Early career Romário was spotted playing for Olaria, a small club from the Rio de Janeiro suburb. He was first taken to the junior team of Vasco da Gama, where once promoted to the senior team, he won two state league titles in 1987 and 1988. This earned his first call-ups to the national team. He quickly came to international attention, becoming the top scorer at the 1988 Olympic football tournament. Move to Europe Like all exciting Brazilian attacking players, he was a man who wanted to prove himself in Europe. Shortly after the 1988 Olympics,  he moved to PSV Eindhoven, where he won the Eredivisie in 1989, 1991 and 1992. He started to develop a cult following across the continent, and it wasn't long before some of the world's biggest clubs were interested in signing him.  After a lot of deliberation, his next destination was to be Barcelona. The video below explores some of the best...

Barcelona 2-4 Girona Barcelona finished the weekend in fourth place in the La Liga table and are now seven points off the top thanks to a painful 4-2 loss. Throughout this match, Girona dominated and made a statement about their title credentials as they convincingly won this Catalan derby.  Highlights Check out the highlights from the match in the video below.  FC BARCELONA 2 vs 4 GIRONA | LALIGA 2023/24 MD16 (youtube.com) The opening 45 minutes were just as wild and entertaining as any neutral could hope for, with both teams playing really well with the ball and taking big risks in possession that left them extremely vulnerable at the back. The home side started as the better side and could have taken the lead within the first 10 minutes. However, one bad pass in midfield allowed Girona to counter-attack and Viktor Tsigankov gave Artem Dovbyk an easy tap-in to put the visitors in front.  The 2023 La Liga winners answered quickly after a great corner taken by Raphin...

Ahead of the start of the 2023/2024 Champions League Group Stages This article will explore some of the best matches from this stage of the competition. When did Europe's premier competition introduce a Group Stage? Since the 1997–98 season, the competition has allowed multiple entries from certain countries. It added a round-robin group stage in 1992. For a brief period between 1999 and 2002, there was a 2nd Group Stage introduced. The best Group-Stage matches  Tottenham Hotspur 2-7 Bayern Munich (2019-20) By smashing seven goals past an almost hapless Tottenham Hotspur team that had no answers to their attacking prowess at home, Bayern Munich revealed a glimpse of what was to come in the season they lifted their sixth UEFA Champions League title! For Spurs, this set the tone for what was a poor season after they came so close to European success the previous campaign. Monaco 8-3 Deportivo de La Coruña (2003-04) The 2003-04 season was a fairytale run for Monaco in the UEFA Ch...

Luis Figo is our latest icon to feature on European Super Football. Figo's journey to becoming a global superstar was remarkable.  With his immense skill, versatility, and unmatched determination, Figo etched his name in football history and left an indelible mark on the sport. In this article, we will delve into the career of this legendary footballer, also exploring one of the most controversial transfers of all time. Shining at Sporting  Figo's passion for football was evident from a young age. He joined the youth team of Sporting Lisbon, one of the renowned Portuguese clubs. His exceptional performances in the youth setup quickly caught the attention of scouts, and at just 16 years old, he made his debut for the senior team. Luis Figo in his Sporting Lisbon days is one of the greatest finds ever. pic.twitter.com/RV3ComIvLE — Old Days Football (@OldDaysFootball) March 22, 2016 The Sporting Lisbon days helped Figo hone his skills and build a strong foundation. His ...

It's time to explore another football icon. Henrik Larsson is a Swedish professional football coach and former player, formerly an assistant manager of Barcelona.  Larsson celebrating a goal for Celtic in 2005. The start of a wonderful career. Playing as a striker, Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. In 1992, he moved to Helsingborg IF where in his first season his partnership up front with Mats Magnusson helped the club win promotion  after over 20 seasons in the lower tiers.  He moved to Feyenoord in November 1993, staying for four years before leaving in 1997. During his time in the Dutch Eredivisie, he won two KNVB Cups with Feyenoord. Trevor Stolk told us: "He should have stayed with us for much longer. Look at what he did for Celtic. He could have achieved that with us if he'd stayed longer." Larsson also broke into the Swedish national football team and helped them finish in third place at the 1994 World Cup. He was gaining a lot of fans but whe...

This player might be Brazilian, but like his friend Ronaldo, his impact across Europe was huge.  Icons: Ronaldo (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Let's explore Rivaldo's fantastic career A brief introduction Rivaldo played mainly as an attacking midfielder. However, he was also used as a second striker and occasionally as a wide midfielder or a winger. He was renowned for his bending free kicks, bicycle kicks, feints, and powerful ball striking from a distance. Rivaldo also had the ability to both score and create goals. In 1999, he won the Ballon d'Or and was named FIFA World Player of the Year. With his huge success, he is one of nine players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the Ballon d'Or. Early career  He started his career in 1991 with Brazilian club Santa Cruz, moving on to spells at Mogi Mirim, a loan spell at Corinthians, and Palmeiras. People across the major European leagues were impressed, and it was inevitable that a move was...