Getafe 1-4 Barcelona (La Liga 2012/13)

FC Barcelona - Iniesta, mejor jugador de Europa

Top 20 goals 2011-2012

Messi skill

Messi skill

Messi double saves Barcelona

Lionel Messi struck a late brace to give Barcelona a 2-1 win over 10-man Osasuna on Sunday that took them to the top of the Spanish Liga table.

Barca appeared set for their first defeat under coach Tito Vilanova, who was sent from the dug-out for complaining to the referee midway through the second half, before Messi came to the rescue.

Osasuna was the scene of a Barca defeat last season that helped to turn the title race against them and they went behind this time after a 17th-minute goal from Joseba Llorente. After the visitors missed a hatful of opportunities, the game appeared to be going against them, until Messi rose to the occasion with strikes after 75 and 80 minutes.

Osasuna's Francisco Punal was red-carded by the referee for protesting about the Argentine's first strike, as he felt he was offside. Victory provisionally took Barcelona top of the early-season standings, above Rayo Vallecano on goal difference.

Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes prevented Osasuna from taking the lead inside the first minute as he palmed away a close-range effort from Alvaro Cejudo, who had easily skipped past Gerard Pique.

Then, at the other end, Andres Fernandez got down well to claw away a shot from Alexis Sanchez.

Osasuna, who lost at Deportivo La Coruna last weekend, aimed to hustle Barca out of their stride but the Catalans began to find openings, with Andres Iniesta firing over and Cristian Tello hitting the post from 25 yards.

However, it was with the visitors in the ascendancy that Osasuna snatched the lead on the break. Roland Lamah sent a deep cross from the left wing that found Llorente, on loan from Real Sociedad, and he squeezed the ball in at the far post.

Barcelona responded, with Tello forcing another save out of Fernandez and Iniesta blazed over with the goal gaping, but at the back they looked hesitant and uncertain.

Centre-backs Carles Puyol and Pique failed to communicate as Lamah bundled through and was denied by Valdes, before a follow-up strike from Llorente was charged down.

Messi and Iniesta failed to convert further chances before the break and then after the restart the game became cagey as Osasuna gave Barca little space to play in.

The game appeared to be going away from Barcelona but Messi popped up with two goals in the last 15 minutes to rescue them, first touching in a Sanchez cross and then finishing clinically with his left foot to condemn Osasuna.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdjL-94IsRI

Song completes Barcelona move

Alex Song has completed his move to Barcelona from Arsenal. They player passed his medical with the Spanish giants and then put the finishing touches on his £15m move.

Doctor Ricard Pruna said of Song: "He has a very low body fat percentage and very good muscle quality. All the tests have come out satisfactorily and he is available to the coach."

Song, whose contract with Barça has a buy-out clause of €80m, is set to join his new team-mates for the official team presentation at the Joan Gamper Trophy at the Nou Camp this evening, where the Catalan club face Sampdoria.

Song sat out Arsenal's Premier League opener against Sunderland on Saturday amid widespread speculation he was on the verge of a move to Barça, and immediately after that match it was announced that the two clubs had agreed terms for the transfer of the player.

Villa returns to Spain squad

Spain will begin their FIFA World Cup™ title defence with all-time leading goalscorer David Villa after he was recalled for the first time since suffering a broken leg eight months ago.

Villa missed Spain's UEFA EURO 2012 success after he sustained the injury with Barcelona at the FIFA Club World Club Challenge last December. The 30-year-old scored on his return in Barça's season-opening win over Real Sociedad two weeks ago, and Spain boss Vicente del Bosque has rushed him straight back into his 23-man for their opening FIFA World Cup qualifier against Georgia in Tbilisi next month, which will be preceded by a home friendly against Saudi Arabia.

"I'm very happy to be back with the Spanish National Team!" Villa wrote on his Twitter page. "I'm excited to be back with my colleagues again and to be able to enjoy this unique side!"

Del Bosque also recalled star playmaker Xavi after he was rested for the recent 2-1 friendly win over Puerto Rico, but London Olympians Javi Martinez and Juan Mata have again been left out. Martinez only completed a protracted €40million euro move from Athletic Bilbao to Bayern Munich on Wednesday, while Mata's exclusion comes after a request from his club, Chelsea, to reduce his workload after a busy summer.

Mata's Blues team-mate Fernando Torres has been included and will win his 100th cap should he appear against the Saudis in Pontevedra on 7 September.

Iniesta lands UEFA gong

Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta received the UEFA Best Player in Europe award on Thursday after pipping Cristiano Ronaldo and club-mate Lionel Messi in a journalists' poll.

It is his second major individual honour of the summer, after he was named Player of the Tournament for his role in Spain's triumph at UEFA EURO 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

The award was decided by 53 European journalists who cast their votes during Thursday's UEFA Champions League group-stage draw in Monaco.

Barcelona seek to overcome Villa injury

(AFP) Friday 16 December 2011

Barcelona are looking to overcome David Villa's broken leg and turn their focus towards winning Sunday's FIFA Cub World Cup final.

Villa's injury, which will keep him out for five months, came shortly before half-time in the European champions' 4-0 semi-final rout of the Qatari outfit Al-Sadd, and Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola now faces the challenge of getting his men to refocus on the football.

The Catalans face Brazilian side Santos in the final of the intercontinental tournament in Japan on Sunday, with midfielder Javier Mascherano and Chile forward Alexis Sanchez, Villa's replacement, also picking up knocks.

Guardiola, who in his three-and-a-half years at the helm has won every trophy going, admitted his players were "upset" after Villa's injury, which he suffered when he fell badly and immediately signalled to the bench. "David is a very popular person (in the dressing room) and a sensitive lad," said Guardiola. 

"The players are upset. These losses leave you sick, unhappy, empty. Everybody puts themselves in his shoes and knows how much he's going to suffer."

Barcelona have previously been linked with Arsenal's on-song striker Robin van Persie, but Guardiola said it was not the time to think about swooping for a replacement in the winter transfer window.

The Spanish champions, regarded as one of the best club sides ever, were never in trouble against Al-Sadd at the International Stadium in Yokohama.

The Brazilian Adriano netted a brace in the first-half for an under-strength Barcelona, who left regulars Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Cesc Fabregas and Xavi out of the starting XI. Seydou Keita and Maxwell scored a goal apiece in the second period to wrap up a victory which was never in doubt.

Alba seals Barcelona move

UEFA EURO 2012 winner Jordi Alba has completed his €14million euro move to Barcelona from Valencia.

The 23-year-old attacking left-back put pen to paper on a five-year contract with Barça this afternoon having passed his medical with the Catalan giants earlier today.

The buy-out clause in Alba's new contract is €90million, Barça announced on their website.

Alba, who on Sunday helped Spain retain their European Championship title with a 4-0 final victory over Italy, is Barça's first signing of the summer as they build towards next season under new coach Tito Vilanova, who has replaced Pep Guardiola.

Alba, whose contract with Valencia was due to expire in June 2013, is no stranger to Barcelona. Born in the Catalan city of L'Hospitalet, Alba spent seven years at Barca's famous La Masia youth academy from 1998 to 2005.

Afterwards he played for local lower-league side Cornella for two years before joining Valencia in 2007. At the Mestalla, Alba was part of the Valencia reserve side that was promoted to Segunda B before spending the 2008/09 season on loan at Gimnastic Tarragona.

On returning to Valencia he soon became a regular in coach Unai Emery's first team, making 74 league appearances in three seasons, scoring five goals.

That earned him international recognition, with his debut coming against Scotland last October. He has won 11 caps to date and was an ever-present in Spain's successful EURO 2012 campaign, scoring his side's second goal in the final against Italy.