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Spain: Barcelona stun Real Madrid

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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 Barcelonaā€™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 Barcelonaā€™s advantage moments later, heading Alejandro Baldeā€™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 Barcelonaā€™s third with a brilliant st...

UCL: Barca ease to comfortable win over Bayern

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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 Stadium - Estadi OlĆ­mpic LluĆ­s Companys 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 Gnabryā€™s cross at the back post. However, Barcelona continued to exploit Bayernā€™s high defensive line. Fermin Lopez broke through, poking the ball past Neuer to set up Robert Lewandowski for Barcelonaā€™s second, 18 minutes later. Just before half-time, Raphinha, wearing the captainā€™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 dr...

La Liga: Lionel Messi's best moments at Barcelona

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This article was first published in 2021, Messi now plays for Inter Miami. --- Lionel Messi now plays for PSG.  Very few people would have anticipated him ever leaving Barcelona but here we are. Just after the announcement of his departure, News Ball UK published this article looking at Messi's best ever moments at Barcelona.        His debut At 16 years, four months, and 23 days old, Messi made his first team debut when he came on in the 75th minute during a friendly against JosĆ© Mourinho's Porto in November 2003. His career has been extraordinary. Let's take a look at some of his best moments.  April 18, 2007 Messi emulates fellow Diego Maradona with this amazing goal, ghosting through half of Getafeā€™s side while his teammates could only watch in awe. It was at this time when people started to talk about him being one of the world's best. How good is this goal? See Messi at his best by watching the video below. Some have argued that this is his best goal....

Barca fight back to win classic match

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Benfica 4 - 5 Barcelona Barcelona overcame two separate two-goal deficits to secure a breathtaking victory over Benfica. Author - Peter Grainger The match at EstĆ”dio 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 Ɓlvaro 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 AraĆŗjo own goal to leave the score at 4-3. But the drama was far from over. Eric GarcĆ­a 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...

Icons: AndrƩs Iniesta

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It's time to explore the career of another football icon AndrĆ©s 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...

Icons: Lionel Messi

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Let's take a closer look at Lionel Messi.  The Argentian player is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever. How did his career develop? What were his best moments? Keep reading for the story of a football legend. Quick summary Messi has won seven Ballon d'Or awards and six European Golden Shoes. In 2020, he was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona.  With the Spanish giants,  he won a club-record 35 trophies. This included ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and four Champions Leagues. He is known for being a prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker. Records He holds the records for most goals in La Liga, a La Liga and European league season, most hat-tricks in La Liga and the Champions League, and most assists in La Liga, a La Liga season and the Copa AmĆ©rica. He also holds the record for most international goals by a South American. Messi has scored over...

Spain: Barcelona maintain perfect start to the season

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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...

From the archives: Real Madrid 2 - 6 Barcelona. 2009

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Let's have a look at a time when Barcelona went to Real Madrid and scored six This was a key moment in one of the greatest campaigns in the club's history What happened then? Gonzalo Higuain had actually headed Real ahead but Thierry Henry curled an equaliser and Carles Puyol then nodded Barca in front. Lionel Messi slotted past Iker Casillas and, after Sergio Ramos replied with a glancing header, Henry clipped into an empty net and Messi rolled in another. Gerard Pique later tapped in the sixth Barcelona goal of a remarkable match. Then Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said the following after the match:  "It is not easy to win at the Bernabeu and this is one of the happiest days of my footballing life, as we have made a lot of people happy." "We have taken a very big step towards winning the title. We wanted to kill it, to kill the league here. It's a very sweet night winning at this stadium and in front of these fans. "It is not going to hurt ahead...

Barcelona restore three point lead at top of La Liga

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Barcelona 4 - 1 Girona Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Barcelona re-established a three-point lead at the top of La Liga with a comfortable victory over Girona.  Author - Ajay Stadium - Estadi OlĆ­mpic LluĆ­s Companys Ladislav Krejci's own goal had given Barcelona a deserved lead in the first half against their Catalan rivals. Girona, however, threatened to pull off an upset when Arnaut Danjuma equalized early in the second half against the run of play. Nevertheless, Poland forward Lewandowski put Barcelona back in front just after the hour mark with an improvised finish. He then scored his 25th league goal of the season following some excellent midfield play from substitute Frenkie de Jong. Ferran Torres rounded off the scoring late on with a low effort into the bottom corner. This was the perfect response from Barcelona, who watched their great foes Real Madrid fight back to beat Leganes and move level on points at the summit of the Spanish top flight on Saturday. They ...

La Liga history: Barcelona v Real Madrid

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Barcelona and Real Madrid. Enough said. El ClĆ”sico has been around for over a hundred years. It is one of the most exciting and talked about football matches. This not only because of the passion that each games brings, but because of its history as well. Do you remember the first time? The first time the two teams ever met to play each other was in 1902. But the first League El ClĆ”sico was in 1929. It was played in Barcelona at their Les Colts stadium, but the Barcelona fans had to endure their first El ClĆ”sico loss when Real Madrid beat them 2-1. They got the last word though, winning the reverse fixture 1-0 and thus the first LaLiga title. There have been a combined total of 281 El ClĆ”sicos and Barca currently leads in wins There have been 248 competitive matches and 33 exhibition matches between Madrid and Barcelona. Of the 248 competitive matches, Real Madrid has won the most, with 100 wins to Barcaā€™s 96 (and 52 draws). Barcelona has more wins in exhibition matches with 19 to Madr...

Spain: Barcelona survive Copa del Rey scare

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Linares Deportivo 1 - 2 Barcelona: Copa Del Rey Barcelona survived a scare against lower league Linares as Dani Alves eventually marked his first Barca appearance in more than five years with a win.  Alves made his long-awaited second debut, having had to wait for the registration window to open following his signing a few months ago. La Liga news: Barcelona re-sign Dani Alves  The Spanish minnows took a shock half-time lead through a goal Hugo Diaz. It wasn't the best performance from Barcelona but goals from Ousmane Dembele and Ferran Jutgla spared them the shock and embarrassment of an exit in the early stages of the competition.  They started with a second-string line-up against a side 14th in the Primera Division Group 2, but boss Xavi had to make changes at the break. He brought on Dembele, Gerard Pique and Frenkie de Jong, to help turn the tie around. Reaction  This is how Xavi responded to the win. šŸŽ™ Xavi's first reaction to the win #LinaresBarƧa ...

UEL: Barca and United play out a thriller

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Barcelona 2 - 2 Manchester United Manchester United and Barcelona played out a thrilling first-leg draw at the Nou Camp. šŸ—£ļø - Xavi: ā€œI said to Ten Hag, congratulations you are doing very well. This is Manchester United.ā€ #mufc pic.twitter.com/5fPMKOMXp7 ā€” UtdXclusive (@UtdXclusive) February 16, 2023 Match report Barcelona. grabbed the opener when Marcos Alonso headed in at the back post from Raphinha's corner. United responded immediately through the in-form Marcus Rashford as he slipped in a finish at the near post. The Red Devils showed resilience to turn the game around as Rashford's cross was then turned into his own net by Barcelona defender Jules Kounde. Sadly for the away side, they were unable to hold on as ex-Leeds winger Raphinha's cross from wide on the right sailed all the way into the net. Click here for highlights from BT Sport  Barcelona vs Man Utd (2-2) | Rashford scores again in Camp Nou classic! | Europa League Highlights - YouTube Reaction B...

Could a Barcelona legend be returning home?

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Barcelona are exploring Lionel Messi's sensational return to the club Lionel Messiā€™s contract with Inter Miami is set to expire at the end of 2025, with no option for an extension. This means the current MLS season could well be his last. Author - Sean M Reports suggest that Barcelona are determined to bring Messi back and rectify the circumstances of his emotional departure in 2021. The club has already begun laying the groundwork for his return, with plans to welcome him back after the 2026 World Cup, ahead of the 2026/27 La Liga season. One of the driving factors behind Barcelonaā€™s push is their ambition to have Messi back in time for the grand reopening of the fully renovated Camp Nou. READ MORE: Transfer rumours from across Europe With major redevelopment work ongoing, Barca have been playing home games at the Estadi OlĆ­mpic LluĆ­s Companys. They are expected to return to Camp Nou later this season, but likely with a reduced capacity of just over 60,000 while final touches ...

Spain: Barcelona beat Valencia

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Valencia 1 - 2 Barcelona A win over Valencia kicked off Barcelona's La Liga campaign under new manager Hansi Flick. Author - Paul Woods 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...

Las Palmas shock Barcelona

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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 Barcaā€™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 BarƧa's high press. They located Sandro RamĆ­rez, 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...

Barcelona close gap at the top of La Liga

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Sevilla 1 - 4 Barcelona FermĆ­n LĆ³pez scores and sees red as Barcelona close gap on Real Madrid Author - Jack L Stadium - Estadio RamĆ³n SĆ”nchez PizjuĆ”n Sevilla 1 -4 Barcelona youtu.be/KuJLQ_W0joo?... [image or embed] ā€” European Super Football ( @superfootball.bsky.social ) 10 February 2025 at 16:09 Barcelona moved within just two points of La Liga leaders Real Madrid after a superb victory over Sevilla, in a match that saw FermĆ­n LĆ³pez score and then get sent off in a dramatic 15-minute spell. With the game level at half-time, LĆ³pez came off the bench and made an instant impact, heading into the bottom corner with his very first touch to put BarƧa ahead. However, his night quickly took a turn for the worse when he was shown a straight red card for a knee-high challenge on Djibril Sow, following a VAR review. Robert Lewandowski had earlier opened the scoring in the seventh minute, reacting quickly to poke home IƱigo MartĆ­nezā€™s header for his 19th goal of the season. But Sevilla hit ...

UEL: Barcelona rescue a draw

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Barcelona 1 - 1 Napoli Former Manchester City player Ferran Torres scored a penalty as Barcelona rescued a draw in their Europa League last-32 first-leg tie against Napoli. Barca were making their first appearance in this competition in almost 18 years and they fell behind in the first half when Piotr Zielinski drove in. UCL: Barcelona knocked out But they awarded a penalty in the second half by VAR after Adama Traore's cross hit Juan Jesus' hand. Torres stepped up to take the penalty and sent goalkeeper Alex Meret the wrong way. This will have been of significant relief for the striker after he had missed a big chance when the game was goalless, firing over when well placed inside the box. Bon dia, Culers! ā˜€ļø We keep working! šŸ‘Š pic.twitter.com/c9h2nm5tKI ā€” FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 18, 2022 Torres had a good opportunity to win the game for Barcelona late on, but sent his shot over the bar. Ex-Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a quiet game as he mad...

Barcelona end winless run

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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 Flickā€™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...

La Liga news: Ronald Koeman sacked by Barcelona

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Ronald Koemanā€™s spell as manager of Barvcelona came to an abrupt end after he was sacked following a 1-0 defeat at Rayo Vallecano. This exit provides something of an unhappy conclusion for the former player. Koeman won them their first European Cup in 1992 and leaves the club in further turmoil on and off the field. FC Barcelona has relieved Ronald Koeman of his duties as first team coach ā€” FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 27, 2021 A statement on the Barcelona website reads:  ā€œFC Barcelona has relieved Ronald Koeman of his duties as first-team coach,ā€ an official club statement read after the 1-0 loss. The president of the club, Joan Laporta, informed him of the decision after the defeat against Rayo Vallecano.  "Ronald Koeman will say goodbye to the squad on Thursday at the Ciutat Esportiva. FC Barcelona wishes to thank him for his service to the club and wishes him all the best in his professional career.ā€ The last match This defeat at Rayo Vallecano proved to...

La Liga news: Barcelona re-sign Dani Alves

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Barcelona have announced reached an agreement in principle to re-sign 38-year-old defender Dani Alves. Five years after he originally left the Nou Camp for Juventus. Alves has won nine top-flight titles with Barca, Juve and Paris St-Germain. He will arrive on a free transfer for the rest of the 2021-22 season. He spent eight years at Barcelona between 2008 and 2016 winning La Liga six times and also won three Champions League titles and the Copa del Rey on four occasions.  In a statement announcing the news on their official website. Barcelona described Alves as: "The greatest right-back in Barca history"  "The Brazilian will be joining training from next week but will not be able to play until January." Dani Alves first came to the club in the summer of 2008 after five brilliant seasons in Sevilla. In the Catalan capital, he made the right back slot his own across eight seasons, making 391 official appearances and scoring 23 goals. More Barcelona news can be fo...