Barca on verge of quarters after beating Bayer

Holders Barcelona took a giant step towards the Champions League's quarter-finals with a 3-1 win at Bayer Leverkusen in Tuesday's Round of 16 first-leg tie.

Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (R) is congratulated by his teamate Barcelona's Brazilian defender Daniel Alves (L) after scoring during the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen first leg match Bayer Leverkusen vs FC Barcelona at BayArena in Leverkusen, western Germany. Barca won 3-1.

With the return leg at the Nou Camp on March 7, Barcelona dominated possession in this David versus Goliath clash against a Leverkusen who have now won just one of their last eight games.

For all their super-star status, Barcelona, who lag ten points behind leaders Real Madrid in the Spanish league, stumbled at times and Leverkusen squandered chances to earn a draw.

"I think the second half was good, we used the space better after we took the lead," said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.

"We tried to improve our game, we had a few chances in the first half, but perhaps the final pass was missing.

"But we were playing away and we came into the game after the break."

Nevertheless, Barcelona are in pole-position to reach the last eight after two goals by Chile's Alexis Sanchez and a late strike by Lionel Messi gave them a valuable away win while Leverkusen defender Michal Kadlec grabbed a consolation.

"The defense was good in the first half, but we were lacking a bit of courage," said Leverkusen coach Robin Dutt.

"We gave them too much respect and were a bit anxious.

"It was a completely different story in the second half when we played our part in the game and caused Barcelona some problems."

Barcelona boasted a midfield of World Cup winners Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Cesc Fabregas behind a forward line containing Brazil's Adriano, Sanchez and three-time world footballer of the year Messi.

The injury-enforced absences of midfielder Sidney Sam and Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok were a major blow to the hosts, while ex-Germany captain Michael Ballack was ruled out on Sunday with a calf injury.

On a cold night at the BayArena, the Spaniards took most of the first-half to warm up with Messi showing only rare flashes of skill early on.

With Barcelona enjoying around 80 percent of the possession, it was a matter of time before the hosts' defence cracked.

A through ball from Messi saw Dani Alves and Sanchez sprint head-to-head after the ball and it was the Chilean who arrived first to fire past Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno on 41 minutes.

Barcelona's half-time lead was harsh on the hard-working hosts, but with virtually their first full attack of the game, Leverkusen equalised.

Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Vedran Corluka managed to chip in a cross and Czech Republic defender Kadlec headed home at the back post for a goal which had the 30,000-capacity crowd on their feet on 52 minutes.

Barcelona, however, needed just three minutes to pull ahead again when Sanchez added his second after a ball from Fabregas allowed the Chilean to round Leno and fire home.

Leverkusen came out fighting and Renato Augusto forced Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes into a save moments later, while midfielder Gonzalo Castro hit the post on 64 minutes with Valdes beaten.

Despite a posse of defenders shadowing his every move, Messi hit the post with 72 minutes gone, but at the other end striker Stefan Kiessling came on with 15 minutes left and headed at Valdes with his first touch of the game.

Messi saved the best for last when he finished a great cross from Alves for the third on 88 minutes.

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First blood to Barca against Real in Cup

Barcelona came from behind to beat holders Real Madrid 2-1 in the first leg of an increasingly bad-tempered Spanish Cup quarter-final in the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.

Barcelona's French defender Eric Abidal (L) celebrates with Brazilian defender Dani Alves after scoring during the Spanish Cup "El clasico" football match Real Madrid vs Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. Barca won 2-1.

Second half goals from veteran defenders Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal overturned a half-time Madrid lead for whom Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo scored.

It was the third victory in twelve months for the Catalans in the stadium of their biggest rival.

Pep Guardiola is yet to lose in the Bernabeu in four seasons in charge and his team appear to have a psychological advantage over 'los blancos'.

Afterwards Guardiola was happy with the victory and looked towards the second leg.

"We played really well tonight, controlled the game and apart from their goal reduced Madrid to the one header from (Karim) Benzema, but because of their quality anything can happen next week so we'll go home and prepare for that and the league game at the weekend," he said.

Madrid coach Jose Mourinho was less satisfied.

"I did not expect to lose a goal to a dead ball as we did, we were winning 1-0 and at that stage it was a bad result for Barca, it was a bad goal to concede. Psycholgically it hurt us and Barca took control of the game from then on," he said.

"The tie is now difficult for us, it's still open, but difficult."

Mourinho surprised all with an unfamiliar side employing both Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain in attack, while at the back playing the rarely used Hamit Altintop and Ricardo Carvalho who was playing his first game since September.

Both teams started very cautiously with Madrid happy to allow Barca possession in deep positions and when the first attack came on 11 minutes it was to bring the first goal of the evening.

Set free by Benzema, Ronaldo produced a stinging left footed drive from the left hand side of the penalty area that Jose Pinto, Barca's regular goalkeeper ahead of Victor Valdes in the Spanish Cup, could perhaps have dealt better with.

The game suddenly burst into life, Andres Iniesta brought a save from Iker Casillas with a long range shot on 13 minutes and three minutes later Cesc Fabregas found Alexis Sanchez in space only for the Chilean to head onto the bar with Casillas stranded.

At the other end Abidal had to make a last ditch block to stop Ronaldo reaching Benzema with the goal at his mercy, then Lionel Messi burst forward for Barca and forced a near post save from Casillas.

Iniesta should have tested Casillas on 30 minutes from close range after Sanchez played him into a great position.

By this stage Barcelona were possessing the ball in deeper positions and Madrid were counter attacking quickly on the break to make the game an open affair.

Barca were finally level three minutes into the second period when captain Puyol got free from his marker Pepe to head home a Xavi corner.

Iniesta went close again on 54 minutes after a quick exchange of passes with Xavi and two minutes later Benzema hit the post for Madrid when found with a sweeping right wing cross from Altintop.

By the hour mark Barca's short passing game was allowing them to control the tie and Mourinho made some changes introducing Jose Callejon and Mesut Ozil.

Pepe should have seen his second yellow card of the night for an off the ball stamp on the hand of a prostrate Messi on 69 minutes.

However it took more than the dark arts to keep down the irrepressible Argentinian and it was he that conjured up the pass on 77 minutes that found Abidal onside and with the time and space to prod the ball home to win the tie.

A familiar silence came down over the Santiago Bernabeu, the home fans had seen it all before and although Madrid tried sporadically for a way back into the game Barca rarely ceded them the ball.

dtinews.vn

Barcelona win Fifa Club World Cup

 

Puyol (centre) lifts the trophy to round off an incredible year for Barcelona  

Barcelona were crowned Fifa Club World Cup winners when they thrashed Brazilian side Santos 4-0 in Japan.

The win capped a remarkable year for the Spanish side in which they also won the La Liga title, the Champions League and the Spanish Super Cup.
Argentine Lionel Messi scored two impressive goals with Xavi and former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas also on target for Barcelona.
The win confirms Barcelona's standing as the best club team in the world.
"We played a complete game," captain Carles Puyol said. "It was a good game, an intense game and we're very happy with the result."
The match between the European and South American champions in Yokohama had been billed as a showdown between Messi, widely acknowledged as the best player in the world, and 19-year-old Brazilian star Neymar, who has been linked with a transfer to both Barca and Real Madrid.
But it was no contest - with Messi the star of match - and named the tournament's most valuable player - as Barcelona won the competition for the second time in three seasons.
His first goal was an exquisite chip and his second saw him skilfully round the Santos keeper Cabral.

Recent Fifa World Club winners

• 2007 - AC Milan
• 2008 - Manchester United
• 2009 - Barcelona
• 2010 - Inter Milan
• 2011 - Barcelona

Santos were better in the second half and Neymar should have scored when put through with only Victor Valdes to beat, but was denied by the Barcelona goalkeeper.
"Barcelona deserved to win. They are the best team in the world and we learned an important lesson," said Neymar.
Qatari team Al Sadd, who lost 4-0 to Barcelona in the semi-finals, beat Japanese champions Kashiwa Reysol 5-3 on penalties to take third place at the annual intercontinental tournament.

bbc.co.uk