الثلاثاء، 31 أكتوبر 2017

Olympiacos 0-0 Barcelona, 2017 Champions League: Match Review

Recap of the action from Barcelona’s disappointing draw against Olympiacos

Barcelona were held to a scoreless draw in Greece by Olympiacos, resulting in Barcelona first non-win of the 2017-18 Champions League season. That the game remained scoreless wasn’t for lack of trying, but due to poor finishing in front of goal, with Luis Suarez missing numerous chances, while Lionel Messi missed his fair share as well.

In a fantastic atmosphere in Greece, Olympiacos gave a very warm welcome to Barcelona coach, and former Olympiacos manager, Ernesto Valverde. Valverde’s new team started the match very brightly, needing just a couple minutes to test Silvio Proto for the first time. The shot came from the right side from Nelson Semedo, but Proto made a strong save.

Barcelona continued with their dominance on the pitch, highlighted by some good, pinpoint passing, but Proto went untested. Olympiacos attempted to press high, but the Catalans had few problems penetrating deeper into Olympiacos territory. Getting shots off proved more difficult, as the hosts closed down space well in front of the penalty area. Luis Suarez though could’ve had an excellent chance to open the scoring early, however, the play was correctly whistled dead for offside.

Barcelona appeared to have taken the lead in the 18th minute. The ball was turned over in transition and Barcelona quickly went on the attack, with Messi brilliantly controlling the ball on the edge of the area. The Argentine quickly found Denis Suarez in a great spot from which the Spaniard found the back of the net, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside.

Another excellent chance again wasn’t converted in the 20th minute. Denis Suarez found Messi in the middle of the area on a set play from a corner kick. Messi first-timed a shot on goal, but Proto somehow made the save even with Suarez running interference right in front of the Belgian goalkeeper. Moments later, Suarez was played through by a lovely ball from Denis, but from the left side Suarez missed the target.

Proto was again called into action in the 27th minute when Messi fired a shot from traffic, but again Proto made the save. Olympiacos showed some glimpses of life around the half-hour mark when Barcelona made a couple errors in possession, but a shot over the crossbar was all the hosts could’ve mustered.

Barcelona were quick to return to their attacking ways, but Olympiacos’ defense was up to the task with a couple blocked shots on Denis and Messi. Messi took an excellent 30-yard free kick, but that one too was saved by Proto. Barcelona continued to attack, but in the 37th minute Olympiacos launched a textbook counter attack, forcing Marc-Andre ter Stegen to make his first save of the match.

In the last stages of the first half Barcelona slowed down in attack which allowed Olympiacos more space on the pitch, something the Greek side tried to quickly exploit. While the hosts didn’t find the back of the net, Sergi Roberto became a casualty after stopping a counter attack. After picking up a yellow card for stopping the counter, Roberto was quick to sit down holding his hamstring. Roberto had to leave the pitch and was later replaced by Gerard Deulofeu.

Neither side made any substitutions during the break and as expected very little changed on the pitch. Barcelona continued to be the better side on the pitch, but Olympiacos’ plan of not conceding was alive and well. Throughout the game, Olympiacos showed very little intent for going forward, but around the one hour mark they managed to pin Barcelona back for several minutes, threatening a couple times from high crosses, but the game remained scoreless.

Valverde made his second substitution in the 62nd minute, with Ivan Rakitić replacing Paulinho. Just seconds after the substitution, Barcelona created a golden opportunity after a deep Olympiacos turnover. Messi and Suarez went on the attack and with Suarez unselfishly passing the ball to Messi, the Argentine was left with a seemingly easy finish, but under pressure from defenders, Messi missed the empty net.

A more confident Suarez probably would’ve taken the aforementioned chance on his own, but the Uruguayan’s struggles have been well documented. Still, the striker had two more chances in the 72nd minute, but the first one was blocked while the second, a bicycle kick, whistled over the crossbar. A couple minutes later Barcelona completed their final personnel change, with Andre Gomes taking Denis’ place.

Suarez managed to miss another chance in the 80th minute, this time after he was played behind the defense by a stunning long pass. Unwisely, Suarez let the ball bounce before taking the shot, giving him much less time and space than he had otherwise, as Suarez’s lob bounced out of play off the crossbar.

The remaining Barcelona attacks proved futile. Messi tried his luck from a free kick, but was denied by Proto, and the latter was again victorious in added time after Messi took a shot from the edge of the area. Barcelona will be kicking themselves from not wining this one as they had numerous chances to score the single goal that would’ve been enough to earn the three points. Regardless, Barcelona remain in command of Group D as Juventus were also held to a draw in Lisbon.



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Olympiacos 0-0 Barcelona, 2017 Champions League: Match Review

Recap of the action from Barcelona’s disappointing draw against Olympiacos

Barcelona were held to a scoreless draw in Greece by Olympiacos, resulting in Barcelona first non-win of the 2017-18 Champions League season. That the game remained scoreless wasn’t for lack of trying, but due to poor finishing in front of goal, with Luis Suarez missing numerous chances, while Lionel Messi missed his fair share as well.

In a fantastic atmosphere in Greece, Olympiacos gave a very warm welcome to Barcelona coach, and former Olympiacos manager, Ernesto Valverde. Valverde’s new team started the match very brightly, needing just a couple minutes to test Silvio Proto for the first time. The shot came from the right side from Nelson Semedo, but Proto made a strong save.

Barcelona continued with their dominance on the pitch, highlighted by some good, pinpoint passing, but Proto went untested. Olympiacos attempted to press high, but the Catalans had few problems penetrating deeper into Olympiacos territory. Getting shots off proved more difficult, as the hosts closed down space well in front of the penalty area. Luis Suarez though could’ve had an excellent chance to open the scoring early, however, the play was correctly whistled dead for offside.

Barcelona appeared to have taken the lead in the 18th minute. The ball was turned over in transition and Barcelona quickly went on the attack, with Messi brilliantly controlling the ball on the edge of the area. The Argentine quickly found Denis Suarez in a great spot from which the Spaniard found the back of the net, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside.

Another excellent chance again wasn’t converted in the 20th minute. Denis Suarez found Messi in the middle of the area on a set play from a corner kick. Messi first-timed a shot on goal, but Proto somehow made the save even with Suarez running interference right in front of the Belgian goalkeeper. Moments later, Suarez was played through by a lovely ball from Denis, but from the left side Suarez missed the target.

Proto was again called into action in the 27th minute when Messi fired a shot from traffic, but again Proto made the save. Olympiacos showed some glimpses of life around the half-hour mark when Barcelona made a couple errors in possession, but a shot over the crossbar was all the hosts could’ve mustered.

Barcelona were quick to return to their attacking ways, but Olympiacos’ defense was up to the task with a couple blocked shots on Denis and Messi. Messi took an excellent 30-yard free kick, but that one too was saved by Proto. Barcelona continued to attack, but in the 37th minute Olympiacos launched a textbook counter attack, forcing Marc-Andre ter Stegen to make his first save of the match.

In the last stages of the first half Barcelona slowed down in attack which allowed Olympiacos more space on the pitch, something the Greek side tried to quickly exploit. While the hosts didn’t find the back of the net, Sergi Roberto became a casualty after stopping a counter attack. After picking up a yellow card for stopping the counter, Roberto was quick to sit down holding his hamstring. Roberto had to leave the pitch and was later replaced by Gerard Deulofeu.

Neither side made any substitutions during the break and as expected very little changed on the pitch. Barcelona continued to be the better side on the pitch, but Olympiacos’ plan of not conceding was alive and well. Throughout the game, Olympiacos showed very little intent for going forward, but around the one hour mark they managed to pin Barcelona back for several minutes, threatening a couple times from high crosses, but the game remained scoreless.

Valverde made his second substitution in the 62nd minute, with Ivan Rakitić replacing Paulinho. Just seconds after the substitution, Barcelona created a golden opportunity after a deep Olympiacos turnover. Messi and Suarez went on the attack and with Suarez unselfishly passing the ball to Messi, the Argentine was left with a seemingly easy finish, but under pressure from defenders, Messi missed the empty net.

A more confident Suarez probably would’ve taken the aforementioned chance on his own, but the Uruguayan’s struggles have been well documented. Still, the striker had two more chances in the 72nd minute, but the first one was blocked while the second, a bicycle kick, whistled over the crossbar. A couple minutes later Barcelona completed their final personnel change, with Andre Gomes taking Denis’ place.

Suarez managed to miss another chance in the 80th minute, this time after he was played behind the defense by a stunning long pass. Unwisely, Suarez let the ball bounce before taking the shot, giving him much less time and space than he had otherwise, as Suarez’s lob bounced out of play off the crossbar.

The remaining Barcelona attacks proved futile. Messi tried his luck from a free kick, but was denied by Proto, and the latter was again victorious in added time after Messi took a shot from the edge of the area. Barcelona will be kicking themselves from not wining this one as they had numerous chances to score the single goal that would’ve been enough to earn the three points. Regardless, Barcelona remain in command of Group D as Juventus were also held to a draw in Lisbon.



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Olympiacos vs. Barcelona, 2017 Champions League: Final Score 0-0, Barça play badly in boring draw

That’s 90 minutes of my life I’m never getting back.

Maybe the Ernesto Valverde haters have a point... Barcelona dropped points in the Champions League for the first time this season thanks to an awful 0-0 draw away to Olympiacos. The Blaugrana played poorly from start to finish, and wasted the few chances they had to score. Automatic qualification to the knockout stages is not guaranteed tonight, and the next game is in Turin against Juventus. Oh dear.

FIRST HALF

The first half was not pretty: there were a lot of misplaced passes and poor touches from almost every player on the pitch, and Barça didn’t have a real chance other than a through ball from Denis Suarez to Luis Suárez, who was in good position to score but couldn’t hit the target.

Barça enjoyed most of the possession but couldn’t break down a stubborn Olympiacos defense, and the Greek side managed to get through the entire first half without suffering too much. Lionel Messi wasn’t as bright, and his only change came on a free kick that was easily saved by the keeper.

At halftime, a poor game needed more intensity and quality from Barça to get the three points.

SECOND HALF

The second half was exactly like the first: Barça had the ball, Olympiacos parked the bus, Barça had one big chance, and Lionel Messi missed it. It really wasn’t a good performance, and things didn’t improve with Ivan Rakitic and André Gomes, who added physicality instead of creativity.

Olympiacos never really threatened Ter Stegen, and the game ended with a much deserved 0-0 draw. That’s 90 minutes of my life I’m never getting back.


Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Semedo, Mascherano, Umtiti, Alba; Roberto (Deulofeu), Paulinho (Rakitic), Busquets, Denis (Gomes); Messi, Suárez

Goals: None

Olympiacos: Proto; Elabdellaoui, Botia, Engels, Koutris; Romao; Figueiras, Tachtsidis, Odjidja (Gillet), Carcela (Pardo); Fourtounis (Djurdjevic)

Goals: None



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Barcelona confirm Sergi Roberto strained hamstring against Olympiacos

The midfielder will have further tests on Wednesday

Barcelona have confirmed that Sergi Roberto picked up a hamstring strain during Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Olympiacos.

The midfielder was substituted late in the first half of the game after suffering the problem, with Gerard Deulofeu coming on in his place.

Roberto is set to have further tests on the injury on Wednesday to determine the extent of the damage.

The injury means Roberto is a major doubt to face Sevilla at the weekend but after that there is an international break which means his injury may not have come at the worst time.

We can expect an update tomorrow and hopefully Sergi will not be out for too long with Barca set to face Leganes, Juventus and Valencia following the international break.



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Olympiacos vs. Barcelona, 2017 Champions League: CONFIRMED Lineups, Live Game Thread

Lineups, television and streaming options, and full coverage of Olympiacos vs Barcelona in the Champions League. Join the conversation!

MATCH INFO

Preview: Olympiacos vs. Barcelona, Champions League Round 4

Date/Time: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 9:45pm local time, 8:45pm (Barcelona & Nigeria), 7:45pm (UK), 3:45pm ET, 12:45pm PT (USA), 1:15am IST (India, Wednesday)

Venue: Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis, Piraeus, Greece

Television: Fox Soccer Plus (USA), BT Sport Extra (UK), SuperSport 11 (Nigeria), SONY TEN 1 (India)

Online streaming: WatchESPN, Fox Soccer Match Pass (USA), BT Sport Live Streaming (UK), FuboTV (7-day free trial, click here to sign up)

(Listings via LiveSoccerTV)


LINEUPS

Barcelona

Starting XI: Ter Stegen; Semedo, Mascherano, Umtiti, Alba; Denis, Busquets, Paulinho; Roberto, Messi, Suárez

Bench: Cillessen, Digne, Rakitic, Vermaelen, Deulofeu, Alcácer, Gomes

Olympiacos

Starting XI: Proto; Elabdellaoui, Botia, Engels, Koutris; Odjidja, Tachtsidis, Romao; Carcela-Gonzalez, Figueiras, Fortunis

Bench: Kapino, Djurdjevic, Marin, Gillet, Vukovic, Androutsos, Pardo


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Olympiacos vs. Barcelona, 2017 Champions League: CONFIRMED Lineups, Live Game Thread

Lineups, television and streaming options, and full coverage of Olympiacos vs Barcelona in La Liga. Join the conversation!

MATCH INFO

Preview: Olympiacos vs. Barcelona, Champions League Round 4

Date/Time: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 9:45pm local time, 8:45pm (Barcelona & Nigeria), 7:45pm (UK), 3:45pm ET, 12:45pm PT (USA), 1:15am IST (India, Wednesday)

Venue: Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis, Piraeus, Greece

Television: Fox Soccer Plus (USA), BT Sport Extra (UK), SuperSport 11 (Nigeria), SONY TEN 1 (India)

Online streaming: WatchESPN, Fox Soccer Match Pass (USA), BT Sport Live Streaming (UK), FuboTV (7-day free trial, click here to sign up)

(Listings via LiveSoccerTV)


LINEUPS

Barcelona

Starting XI: Ter Stegen; Semedo, Mascherano, Umtiti, Alba; Denis, Busquets, Paulinho; Roberto, Messi, Suárez

Bench: Cillessen, Digne, Rakitic, Iniesta, Deulofeu, Alcácer, Gomes

Olympiacos

Starting XI: Proto; Elabdellaoui, Botia, Engels, Koutris; Odjidja, Tachtsidis, Romao; Carcela-Gonzalez, Figueiras, Fortunis

Bench: Kapino, Djurdjevic, Marin, Gillet, Vukovic, Androutsos, Pardo


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Around La Liga: Girona Shock Real Madrid, Valencia Keep on Winning

Valencia are second now

Newly-promoted Girona got a shock win against Real Madrid, in a game that had the backdrop of political intrigue. Meanwhile, Valencia won yet again, and are second. And Malaga have finally won a match.

Girona, the small club in Catalonia, not only won against the Madrid giants, but outplayed them on their way to a 2-1 win. Real Madrid actually took the lead first, against the run of play, through Isco. Girona hit the post twice before finally scoring, Cristhian Stuani getting the equalizer. And then Portu got the winner, with a hint of offside, but the victory was fully deserved anyway.

This all came as the Catalan parliament was declaring independence, a move the central Spanish government in Madrid opposes.

Villarreal drew 1-1 with Atletico Madrid, Carlos Bacca getting a late goal to cancel Angel Correa’s opener.

Meanwhile, Valencia got another result, this time, a slightly labored one. Alaves are now bottom of the table after los che put them away 2-1, with a 66th minute goal from Rodrigo Moreno breaking the deadlock.

Valencia is the form team now, with six wins in a row after their opening three matches ended in draws. Simone Zaza also got himself a goal again, keeping him three away from Lionel Messi.

Messi scored too, of course, as Barcelona stayed top with a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.

At the other end of the table, Malaga finally won a game, which took them out of last place. Recio scored the winner via penalty as Malaga defeated Celta Vigo 2-1.

Sevilla snapped a two-match losing streak, and broke Leganes’s 6-match unbeaten streak, with a 2-1 triumph. The winning goal came from Pablo Sarabia.

Las Palmas continued their freefall, losing their 7th La Liga game in a row, against a team they had beaten in the Copa del Rey - Deportivo La Coruña. That match - 3-1 to Depor - could have potential relegation-battle consequences at the end of the season.



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Barcelona-Olympiacos: When Will Lionel Messi Rest?

The Argentine star has played nearly every minute of every game for club and country...

Lionel Messi has played nearly every minute of the season for FC Barcelona, and dragged Argentina to the World Cup in between. He got a rest in the Copa del Rey clash against Real Murcia, but beside that, the question remains: will Messi get another break?

Ernesto Valverde didn’t rest him against Olympiacos at home, nor against bottom-of-the-table Malaga at home. Maybe for the best, as both contests were relatively tight: Barcelona won 3-1 against the Greeks, but had to do so a man down for an entire half, and they were lucky to win 2-0 against Malaga, with a Gerard Deulofeu goal being wrongly allowed to stand.

Will Valverde rest him against Olympiacos away, having not rested him in the home fixture? Barça are in a good spot in their group, but not an insurmountable one for Juventus to challenge.

Barcelona have a tough road ahead: at home to Sevilla (5th), away to Leganes (7th), away to Juventus in the CL, away to Valencia (2nd) come right after this match.

Then there's a cup game against Murcia, then home to Celta (14th), home to Sporting (CL), away to Villarreal (6th), home to Deportivo (16th), and then away to Real Madrid (3rd). All that before Christmas.

So in the next two months, Barça will have played 5 of the top 6 sides after them in the league, with 4 of those 5 coming away from home. That’s not to mention Juventus, and not to mention the various other challenges awaiting. You can’t rest Messi then, can you? So don’t you have to rest him now?

There is one other option: that Messi is allowed not to travel for the international break, when Argentina plays friendlies.

The albiceleste are scheduled to play Russia and Nigeria, both in Russia, on November 11th and 14th. These are just friendlies, but can Jorge Sampaoli afford not to have Messi as he tries to settle his team?

They’re not playing friendlies in the country the next World Cup takes place in by accident. These are tune-up matches for a team that barely qualified for the World Cup and needs to find a way to get their big players - particularly Mauro Icardi and Paulo Dybala - on the same page as the world’s best. Sampaoli is unlikely to agree to leave Messi out.

That leaves today’s match as a candidate for Messi to rest. Social media is already going crazy because of pictures of Messi touching the back of his thigh, or maybe just his posterior... Is he going to succumb to a muscular injury? Ousmane Dembele was lost for 3 and a half months for a muscular injury. Losing Messi in similar circumstances would wreck Barça’s season.

Of course, not even a professional doctor could tell you if he was on the verge of injury based on two pictures. Don’t trust Twitter experts. Yet, their concern is not unfounded. Messi has played a lot lately. He could, theoretically, be on the verge of overworking a muscle to the point of injury. Let’s hope not.



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Olympiacos vs. Barcelona live stream: Lineups, Kickoff time, TV listings, how to watch Champions League online

It’s a big European game for Barça, and you cannot miss it

It’s matchday! Barcelona return to Champions League action tonight with a trip to Greece for a big European game against Olympiacos.

Barça could guarantee a place in the knockout stages if they win and Juventus get at least a point against Sporting in Portugal, so the Blaugrana will no doubt be looking for three points in this game. There are a few key players missing out, but there’s still plenty of talent available to get a win against the weakest team in the group.

That was the case two weeks ago, when Barça cruised to a 3-1 victory despite being down to 10 men for the entire second half. The Catalan giants aren’t playing the most amazing football, but the results have been fantastic and that is good enough by now.

Ernesto Valverde will make an emotional return to the Greek champions’ home after several successful seasons as manager, and he’ll certainly look to get a win to have a perfect memory about tonight.

This is a very important European game for Barça, and Lionel Messi will be playing. So yeah, you really shouldn’t miss it.


MATCH INFO

Date/Time: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 9:45pm local time, 8:45pm (Barcelona & Nigeria), 7:45pm (UK), 3:45pm ET, 12:45pm PT (USA), 1:15am IST (India, Wednesday)

Venue: Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis, Piraeus, Greece

HOW TO WATCH, STREAM CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Television: Fox Soccer Plus (USA), BT Sport Extra (UK), SuperSport 11 (Nigeria), SONY TEN 1 (India)

Online streaming: WatchESPN, Fox Soccer Match Pass (USA), BT Sport Live Streaming (UK), FuboTV (7-day free trial, click here to sign up)


LINEUPS

Lineups will be posted when announced.



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FC Barcelona News: 31 October 2017; Barcelona Train in Greece, Ter Stegen Talks Up Leon Goretzka

A round-up of the latest Barcelona news and transfer rumors

Match preview: Olympiacos v FC Barcelona | FC Barcelona
Just one win from any of FC Barcelona’s three remaining games in Champions League Group D would almost certainly guarantee passage to the last sixteen. The first of those chances comes in Piraeus on Tuesday night (8.45pm CET) against an Olympiacos side that’s still looking for its first points.

Training at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium in Athens | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona work out in the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Athens ahead of Ernesto Valverde’s team’s match against Olympiacos at 8.45pm CET on Tuesday. The game is the fourth round of the Champions League group stage and if the blaugranas win they could book their place in the round of 16.

Valverde: Athens means a lot to me | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona face their fourth game of the group stage of this season’s Champions League on Tuesday when they take on Olympiacos in Athens (8.45pm CET). The Greek side need a victory if they are to have any hope of making the knock out stages and the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium will be a cauldron of noise for a game that also sees a return to the city for Ernesto Valverde.

This is why you should be stoked for Barça's match at Olympiacos | FC Barcelona
We've got the current standings, match info, quick stats, and live guide, all in one place!

Thomas Vermaelen could be key for Barcelona against Olympiakos | ESPN
There were 581 days between Thomas Vermaelen's last two Barcelona games. But the Belgian might not have to wait as long to make his next appearance for the club, which could come on Tuesday against Olympiakos, just seven days after he came in from the dark to take his place in the starting lineup against Real Murcia in the Copa del Rey.

Goretzka to Barcelona? Ter Stegen says Schalke star is ready for a 'top club' | Goal
Marc-Andre ter Stegen says Leon Goretzka is ready for “one of the top European clubs” as the Schalke star sparks interest from the likes of Barcelona. The 22-year-old midfielder has become one of the most sought-after talents in world football on the back of his displays for club and country.



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FC Barcelona News: 31 October 2017; Barcelona Train in Greece, ter Stegen Talks Up Leon Goretzka

Match preview: Olympiacos v FC Barcelona | FC Barcelona
Just one win from any of FC Barcelona’s three remaining games in Champions League Group D would almost certainly guarantee passage to the last sixteen. The first of those chances comes in Piraeus on Tuesday night (8.45pm CET) against an Olympiacos side that’s still looking for its first points.

Training at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium in Athens | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona work out in the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Athens ahead of Ernesto Valverde’s team’s match against Olympiacos at 8.45pm CET on Tuesday. The game is the fourth round of the Champions League group stage and if the blaugranas win they could book their place in the round of 16.

Valverde: Athens means a lot to me | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona face their fourth game of the group stage of this season’s Champions League on Tuesday when they take on Olympiacos in Athens (8.45pm CET). The Greek side need a victory if they are to have any hope of making the knock out stages and the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium will be a cauldron of noise for a game that also sees a return to the city for Ernesto Valverde.

This is why you should be stoked for Barça's match at Olympiacos | FC Barcelona
We've got the current standings, match info, quick stats, and live guide, all in one place!

Thomas Vermaelen could be key for Barcelona against Olympiakos | ESPN
There were 581 days between Thomas Vermaelen's last two Barcelona games. But the Belgian might not have to wait as long to make his next appearance for the club, which could come on Tuesday against Olympiakos, just seven days after he came in from the dark to take his place in the starting lineup against Real Murcia in the Copa del Rey.

Goretzka to Barcelona? Ter Stegen says Schalke star is ready for a 'top club' | Goal
Marc-Andre ter Stegen says Leon Goretzka is ready for “one of the top European clubs” as the Schalke star sparks interest from the likes of Barcelona. The 22-year-old midfielder has become one of the most sought-after talents in world football on the back of his displays for club and country.



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Three things Ernesto Valverde needs to do against Olympiacos

Time to seal a spot in the knockout round

Ernesto Valverde has his second homecoming this week as he visits his former club, Olympiacos, in Greece. The manager has a chance to secure a berth in the knockout stage for Barcelona. With that in mind, here are three things he needs to do against Olympiacos:

1. Play 4-3-3

The last time Ernesto Valverde faced Olympiacos, he had all the time in the world to build attacks from the back despite playing with ten men. The Greeks will not be as quiet at home, but their obvious intimidation is a major loophole waiting to be exploited. Ernie may not trust the 4-3-3 but it gives Barcelona the attacking edge needed to end the tie early.

2. Rest a few regulars

Rumours are floating around that Lionel Messi may have some discomfort in his hamstring. If that is indeed the case, there is absolutely no reason to start him. The same should be the case for any starter who isn’t at 100% physically. We need to win but not at the cost of our players.

3. Start Paulinho over Rakitic

I was strongly against the idea of Paulinho at Barcelona but after his powerful performances, I take my words back. Paulinho has been impressive in his time on the pitch and is currently a notch above Ivan Rakitic in the pecking order. The goal-scoring midfielder has all the tools to be a box-to-box player for Barcelona and 90 minutes in Greece will be a good opportunity to transition him towards being a starter.



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الاثنين، 30 أكتوبر 2017

UEFA Champions League: Olympiacos vs. FC Barcelona: Team News, Match Preview

Can Barça book a place in the knockout rounds with two games to spare?

Following a somewhat dramatic win away to Athletic Bilbao last weekend, Barcelona return to action on Tuesday night with a trip to the beautiful city of Athens for a crucial Champions League match against Olympiacos.

The Blaugrana comfortably beat the Greek champions at Camp Nou two weeks ago and reached nine points from their first three games, which put them in great position for early qualification to the knockout rounds. Thanks to other results in the group, Barça can qualify on Tuesday night with a win, so there’s no doubt the Catalan giants will be looking to finish the job early to avoid going to Turin needing a result against Juventus.

This will be a very emotional night for Ernesto Valverde, who returns to Olympiacos where he was widely successful as manager. The Greek club plan a great tribute to their former coach, and it will be nice to see someone recognize Valverde’s coaching ability for once.


MATCH INFO, TV/STREAMING

Date/Time: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 9:45pm local time, 8:45pm (Barcelona & Nigeria), 7:45pm (UK), 3:45pm ET, 12:45pm PT (USA), 1:15am IST (India, Wednesday)

Venue: Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis, Piraeus, Greece

Television: Fox Soccer Plus (USA), BT Sport Extra (UK), SuperSport 11 (Nigeria), SONY TEN 1 (India)

Online streaming: WatchESPN, Fox Soccer Match Pass (USA), BT Sport Live Streaming (UK), FuboTV (7-day free trial, click here to sign up)

(Listings via LiveSoccerTV)


TEAM NEWS

There are six first team players missing this one: Gerard Piqué is suspended, while Andrés Iniesta, Ousmane Dembélé, Rafinha Alcântara, Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan are out due to injury. Javier Mascherano and Thomas Vermaelen, who are in the squad, are not even close to 100% fitness so Valverde may need to play Lucas Digne at center-back, which happened under Luis Enrique so it won’t be a first for Digne.

The biggest question for this game will be the formation: Valverde has gone with a lineup designed to control matches, and although a 4-4-2 formation isn’t exactly the most updated tactic in football, it’s given the Blaugrana some very good results away from home. The performances haven’t been great, but it’s very important to note that Valverde has been at the club for THREE MONTHS and has had to deal with Neymar’s surprising departure and Dembélé’s injury when the Frenchman was just starting to adapt.

At this point it’s impossible to know which lineup Valverde will chose. There isn’t a clear Gala XI like we saw with Luis Enrique, which (AGAIN) is understandable given we’re still in October and Valverde is still looking at the whole squad to find the best players and systems.

Oh, and Barça haven’t lost in 14 games. So maybe we should give the coach some time to work on the performances while the results remain fantastic? Just a thought.


POSSIBLE LINEUPS

Barcelona

Ter Stegen; Semedo, Umtiti, Digne, Alba; Roberto, Rakitic, Busquets, Denis; Messi, Suárez

Olympiacos

Proto; Figueiras, Botía, Engels, Koutris; Romao, Gillet, Zdjelar; González, Fortounis, Emenike


PREDICTION

We all know how this game’s gonna go, right? Barça will be brutally efficient and avoid trouble, so I’ll go with 2-0 to the visitors.



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Lucas Digne Could Start at CB in the Champions League

Thomas Vermaelen might not be trusted coming back from injury

Gerard Pique is suspended due to a red card and Javier Mascherano is ill, so who is going to partner Samuel Umtiti in the center of defense? That’s the question for FC Barcelona to answer as they prepare to face Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League.

Logically, Thomas Vermaelen should play, right? After all, he is the fourth centerback in the squad. Well, according to today’s Mundo Deportivo, it might not be the case.

This is because Vermaelen missed the last match, the 2-0 triumph over Athletic Bilbao, with a hip injury. He did play in the cup but perhaps he will not be trusted for 90 minutes in a Champions League away match.

That leaves Lucas Digne as the candidate to start, with Jordi Alba playing at left-back. Digne has played as a CB in a three-man defense for Barcelona, and he was almost going to play in the middle of a back four against Las Palmas last season, until an injury to Mascherano forced Luis Enrique to shuffle the deck.

This just makes you wonder: why did Barcelona lobby Vermaelen to stay, given his injury history? Shouldn’t they have kept Marlon Santos instead, or signed someone else?



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Valverde talks Real Madrid, Valencia, Mascherano & Neymar ahead of Olympiacos clash

The boss has been taking questions once again

Ernesto Valverde and Barcelona are in Greece ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Olympiacos.

Ahead of the game the Barca coach faced the press and was asked about the match, Barca’s position in La Liga and if he would take Neymar back?!

Here are the best bits...

Valverde on Olympiacos

It's really exciting to come back to Athens, to this stadium, because it meant so much to me. We had some great games here but I'm also really looking forward to this game where we could even qualify for the next round. But it's also important for Olympiacos and to come to a club where I spent so long is obviously very emotional for me.

We know they played very defensively at Camp Nou. They have got three games left, so they really need to try and beat us. But they are playing at home, we know how much stronger they are with their fans behind them. They will try and do everything they can to beat us.

Valverde on Mascherano

Since the game against Murcia he's had a foot infection. We need to have a look at that. We are looking at him in training today. We'll find out how he is, Vermaelen has also had some issues but he's fit. Hopefully they can both play tomorrow.

Valverde on being eight points ahead of Real Madrid

It's a difficult league that we play in. We had to suffer to win at San Mames, Madrid lost in Girona, Atletico only drew with Villarreal, Valencia are second and struggled to beat Alaves. It's a league where you have to work really hard to win every game. All of us will slip up at some stage. This is a weekend that has shown how hard it is to win games in this championship and what it takes to win games.

Valverde on Valencia

We're worried about all of them and none of them. Of course they are the opponents who are directly behind us. But it's not a question of being worried. We are only worried about ourselves, we need to win our games and not look over our shoulders. It's still early days and these are not definitive games. Obviously Madrid are our natural rivals but Valencia are having a great season and let's not forget Sevilla. We have to worry about all of our oponents but more importantly about ourselves.

Valverde on Neymar - would you allow him back?

I always like these questions, people like to try and push you into saying something. I think it's best if I say nothing really!



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WATCH: Barcelona Femeni Still 1st After Top-of-the-Table Draw with Atletico Madrid

Atletico are still hot on their heels, though

FC Barcelona Femeni stay leaders, at least for one more week, thanks to a 1-1 draw with second-place Atletico Madrid. Atletico won the league last season, with the Catalans in second place, and the two look likely to battle for the championship once again.

Andressa Alves scored the opening goal for Barcelona in the 26th minute before Kenti equalized in the 63rd minute.

Barcelona and Atletico are tied on points, 19 for both, but Barcelona are leaders thanks to a much stronger goal difference.



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FC Barcelona News: 30 October 2017; 20 players travel to Greece for next Champions League match

A round-up of the latest Barcelona news and transfer rumors

Barça arrive in Athens - FC Barcelona
The FC Barcelona party landed in the Greek capital on Monday for their Champions League clash with Olympiacos

Stars that have played for both FC Barcelona and Olympiacos - FC Barcelona
Plenty of footballers wore both the blaugrana and the erythrolefkoi shirts at some stage of their careers, but are you able to identify them from these clues?

1962: When Barça visited Greece, and Olympiakos, for the first time - FC Barcelona
It's 55 years since the Catalans last visited the famous red-and-whites of Piraeus. We turn the clocks back to 1962 and find that footage of the historic first encounter has even survived!

Ter Stegen, a great match at San Mamés - FC Barcelona
The German goalkeeper was decisive against Athletic Club and saved the team on countless occasions

The squad list to travel to Greece - FC Barcelona
Ernesto Valverde has summoned a total of 20 players for the game against Olympiacos, corresponding to the fourth day of the group stage of the Champions League

Olympiakos to honour Valverde return | Football Espana
Olympiakos are set to honour returning former Coach Ernesto Valverde who travels to Greece in charge of Barcelona on Tuesday.

Barca eye Kimmich? | Football Espana
Barcelona are ready to challenge Manchester City on highly-rated Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich, according to reports.

Iniesta out of Olympiakos, Sevilla games | Football Espana
Andres Iniesta will miss Barcelona’s games with Olympiakos and Sevilla this week due to his left thigh injury, according to reports in Spain.

Juve withdraw Gomes interest? | Football Espana
Juventus have ended their interest in Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes and will pursue other targets, according to reports in Spain.



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Rumors: Barcelona want Kimmich, Neymar regrets leaving plus Koulibaly, Mina & De Ligt

Another week and another fresh batch of gossip

Barca want Joshua Kimmich

Today’s rumors start in Germany and with Joshua Kimmich who is apparently wanted by Barcelona and Manchester City.

According to SportBild (via Sport) both clubs were willing to pay €50 million for the youngster last season.

Bayern have since said that clubs would have to spend more than that to land Kimmich who has become a regular for Bayern.

Neymar misses Barca and regrets PSG move

Time to get the tissues out folks, because apparently Neymar misses Barcelona and wishes he had never left for all that money Paris Saint-Germain.

According to TV programme La Porteria on Beteve (via AS) Neymar has told friends he may have made a mistake and does not enjoy working under Unai Emery.

Neymar is also believed to be missing life in Barcelona, while his family are also not happy in Paris. Shame.

Juventus want Gomes in January

Over in Italy the talk is of Andre Gomes with the Corriere dello Sport reporting Juventus will make a move in January.

The Italian champions will open negotiations soon and are hopeful of getting him at a decent price.

However, there is also talk that Juventus may face competition from a Premier League club, although the report is refusing to name names.

Koulibaly, Mina & De Ligt on Barca’s radar

And finally today we end with reports that Barcelona could sign a new centre-back in January and are looking at three possible targets.

According to Goal, Barca have already tied up Yerry Mina who should arrive in the summer but also want a player with European experience.

Ernesto Valverde could therefore go with Matthijs De Ligt, Kalidou Koulibaly or Stefan De Vrij with Ajax’s De Ligt the current favourite.



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Brandt happy to hear of interest from Barcelona

The 22-year-old has been linked with the Blaugrana

Bayern Leverkusen’s Julian Brandt has said that it is an “honour” to hear of reports linking him with a move to Barcelona.

While it’s unclear how much interest, if any, Barca have in Brandt, there has been plenty of speculation recently of Robert Fernandez watching Bundesliga games.

Fernandez has apparently been out to Germany to scout Brandt, Jonathan Tah, Leon Bailey and Benjamin Henrichs, according to Sport.

Brandt was asked about the reported interest from Barcelona and well he seemed pretty happy about it.

"This is an honour in any case, I will not deny that now," he said. "Of course, this is always a sign that your achievements were not for nothing.

"And like I said, of course it reflects your performance on the pitch, but you have to block out something like that in the end.

"If you always float on a cloud and say: 'I'm such a cool guy, because this club wants to have me', this is the wrong way, because then you drop with your achievements."

Source | Omnisport

If Fernandez has watched Brandt in action this season, he is likely to have been impressed.

The 21-year-old has three goals and two assists for Leverkusen in seven Bundesliga starts and would be a cheaper alternative to Philippe Coutinho.



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الأحد، 29 أكتوبر 2017

Statistics & Tactics: Barcelona Are Creating More, But Ernesto Valverde is Still Experimenting

Barcelona are creating more chances

FC Barcelona had started this year by scoring more goals than xG statistics would have predicted, but that’s no longer the case. This suggests the team is picking up form, particularly when it comes to chance creation. Still, Ernesto Valverde may not have it figured it out just yet. He came out against Athletic Bilbao with a 4-4-2 lineup, and one wonders whether this was a temporary solution or one he is considering for the long term.

Barça beat Athletic in a tense, end-to-end match. Marc-Andre Ter Stegen had to save the Catalans several times, true, but Barcelona probably should have had a couple more goals themselves. Lionel Messi missed what should have been an easy chance, and Paulinho rattled the post as well, before both did in fact score in their 2-0 win.

Barcelona’s xG has been looking good over the past few weeks, and they even drew a match (1-1 against Atletico Madrid) that xG suggested they should have won. Previously, Barcelona was underperforming xG, which suggested that perhaps their run of victories was unsustainable.

Against Athletic, Valverde used a four-man midfield with three box-to-box players: Andre Gomes, Ivan Rakitic, and Paulinho. Gomes and Rakitic were given wide roles, with the Brazilian in a central position. This liberated Luis Suarez to play in an almost free role, rather than his awkward wide-left role he had been playing in lately.

Suarez didn’t score, but he did play better, helping create a couple of chances. His conversion rate is an issue right now, but maybe he just needs to get out of his slump by regressing to his mean.

The three midfielders served their roles, all three are asked to create, defend, and score. None will be in the team of the year, but they functioned well alongside the brilliant Sergio Busquets. It’d be interesting whether a more lithe player like Gerard Deulofeu or Denis Suarez could play one of these roles. They certainly can dribble more, but can they defend enough?

It’s no accident that Valverde kept both Deulofeu and Suarez out of this game. He correctly figured his old team’s best method of scoring would be through the air, and three of their four best chances came from headers. Twice Ter Stegen denied Aritz Aduriz, and Raul Garcia’s headed effort clipped the top of the crossbar.

Paulinho, Gomes, and Rakitic are all above 5’11” and are better in the air than Deulofeu or Denis Suarez. Valverde said he didn’t make further substitutions after his first because he thought his current team was the best at set piece situations.

The question this brings up is whether other players would have been better at preventing these situations, or maybe offered enough offensively to offset a defending deficiency.

We will see whether Valverde persists with a 4-4-2 formation or goes back to the standard 4-3-3. Ousmane Dembele will come back from injury in the near future, plus Deulofeu and Denis Suarez will be hard to continue to keep out of the team. But then again, not every opponent will be like Athletic Club. Against teams that defend deeper and don’t pose as much of an aerial threat, tricky players will be even more valuable.

It all could come down to whether Luis Suarez is justifying the switch enough for Valverde to continue to accommodate him into the XI.



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Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Barcelona, 2017 La Liga: Player Ratings

The scores from last night’s win

Marc-André ter Stegen

The best player on the pitch. Was asked on numerous times to make difficult saves and he rose to the challenge to keep Barça in the game and keep his clean sheet.

Sam says: 10

You say: 10


Jordi Alba

A very strong performance from the returning full-back. As well as putting in a good defensive display, Jordi Alba’s link-up play with Lionel Messi yielded the opening goal.

Sam says: 8

You say: 7


Gerard Piqué

Looked to struggle at time against Aduriz and could have been punished in the first half when the striker darted in ahead of him to meet a cross. Gathered more composure in the second half which was needed.

Sam says: 6

You say: 7


Samuel Umtiti

A good performance was somewhat soured towards the end of the game as some sarcastic clapping was lucky to not send Umtiti off. Beforehand, he was very good and kept two physical Athletic forwards at bay.

Sam says: 7

You say: 8


Sergi Roberto

Quieter than his counterpart on the other flank, Roberto didn’t see much of the ball on the right wing. However, he was vital at the back and prevented a constant supply of crosses to Aduriz.

Sam says: 6

You say: 7


Paulinho

Put in a good defensive display and was on hand to score Barça’s second which killed the game.

Sam says: 7

You say: 8


Sergio Busquets

Very good from Busquets again. Five tackles, one interception and a clearance made sure Barça kept that clean sheet.

Sam says: 8

You say: 7


Ivan Rakitić

A better performance from the Croatian than we’ve seen so far this season. Relying on Roberto to overlap and Rakitić played the majority of the game inside the field.

Sam says: 6

You say: 6


André Gomes

Essentially being played out of position, Gomes did okay in this game. However, twice he showed hesitancy when facing goal. He took too many touches when he should have been looking to get a shot away and subsequently wasted two good chances.

Sam says: 7

You say: 7


Luis Suárez

Yet another average performance from Suárez. Showed a brief glimpse of his old self in the 65th minute by skipping past the defender but he couldn't get the shot away.

Sam says: 5

You say: 6.5


Lionel Messi

Called upon again to create some magic when the players around him are struggling. Starting and ending the move that resulted in the opening goal of the game. Also made two good chances, one for Paulinho and one for Gomes, which should have been converted.

Sam says: 8

You say: 8


Nelson Semedo

Didn’t play long enough to warrant a full rating.

Sam says: N/A

You say: 7


The Team

A very poor performance from Barça was saved by the brilliance of Messi and a good defensive display

Sam says: 6

You say: 7


Ernesto Valverde

Continues to try and deploy Gomes and Rakitić on the wing when it is not working.

Sam says: 6

You say: 6.5


Man of the match?

Sam says: ter Stegen

You say: ter Stegen



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Athletic Bilbao 0-2 F.C Barcelona: Player Ratings

The scores from last night’s win

Marc-André ter Stegen

The best player on the pitch. Was asked on numerous times to make difficult saves and he rose to the challenge to keep Barça in the game and keep his clean sheet.

Sam says: 10

You say: 10


Jordi Alba

A very strong performance from the returning full-back. As well as putting in a good defensive display, Jordi Alba’s link-up play with Lionel Messi yielded the opening goal.

Sam says: 8

You say: 7


Gerard Piqué

Looked to struggle at time against Aduriz and could have been punished in the first half when the striker darted in ahead of him to meet a cross. Gathered more composure in the second half which was needed.

Sam says: 6

You say: 7


Samuel Umtiti

A good performance was somewhat soured towards the end of the game as some sarcastic clapping was lucky to not send Umtiti off. Beforehand, he was very good and kept two physical Athletic forwards at bay.

Sam says: 7

You say: 8


Sergi Roberto

Quieter than his counterpart on the other flank, Roberto didn’t see much of the ball on the right wing. However, he was vital at the back and prevented a constant supply of crosses to Aduriz.

Sam says: 6

You say: 7


Paulinho

Put in a good defensive display and was on hand to score Barça’s second which killed the game.

Sam says: 7

You say: 8


Sergio Busquets

Very good from Busquets again. Five tackles, one interception and a clearance made sure Barça kept that clean sheet.

Sam says: 8

You say: 7


Ivan Rakitić

A better performance from the Croatian than we’ve seen so far this season. Relying on Roberto to overlap and Rakitić played the majority of the game inside the field.

Sam says: 6

You say: 6


André Gomes

Essentially being played out of position, Gomes did okay in this game. However, twice he showed hesitancy when facing goal. He took too many touches when he should have been looking to get a shot away and subsequently wasted two good chances.

Sam says: 7

You say: 7


Luis Suárez

Yet another average performance from Suárez. Showed a brief glimpse of his old self in the 65th minute by skipping past the defender but he couldn't get the shot away.

Sam says: 5

You say: 6.5


Lionel Messi

Called upon again to create some magic when the players around him are struggling. Starting and ending the move that resulted in the opening goal of the game. Also made two good chances, one for Paulinho and one for Gomes, which should have been converted.

Sam says: 8

You say: 8


Nelson Semedo

Didn’t play long enough to warrant a full rating.

Sam says: N/A

You say: 7


The Team

A very poor performance from Barça was saved by the brilliance of Messi and a good defensive display

Sam says: 6

You say: 7


Ernesto Valverde

Continues to try and deploy Gomes and Rakitić on the wing when it is not working.

Sam says: 6

You say: 6.5


Man of the match?

Sam says: ter Stegen

You say: ter Stegen



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FC Barcelona News: 29 October 2017; Barcelona Survive Athletic Bilbao Scare to Remain Unbeaten

A round-up of the latest Barcelona news and transfer rumors

Athletic Club 0-2 FC Barcelona: Survival at San Mamés | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona are always being heralded for their dazzling attacking football, but sometimes it’s good old-fashioned defending (and goalkeeping!) that wins games. And tonight was one of those nights.For long periods on Saturday evening, it was Athletic Club that were piling on the pressure and Barça that were on the back foot.

Barcelona owe 'large part' of Athletic Bilbao win to Ter Stegen - Busquets | ESPN
The goalkeeper has now kept 10 clean sheets in 13 appearances since the Spanish Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid, enabling league leaders Barca to record their best ever start to a La Liga season. "The truth is we struggled a lot, especially in the second-half," Busquets told Movistar after the game.

Ernesto Valverde: 'Difficult match, important win' | FC Barcelona
“It is important to win difficult games. Athletic caused us lots of difficulties. They raised the intensity and the ball spent more time closer to our goal than we got it to theirs. But we have shown why our defensive record is so good.”

HIGHLIGHTS: Athletic vs Barça | FC Barcelona
Another win for FC Barcelona in the league as nine wins and a draw from their opening 10 games in La Liga give them a four point advantage over second placed Valencia. A goal from Leo Messi in the first half and another in injury time from Paulinho handed Ernesto Valverde all three points on his first return to San Mamés to take on Athletic as Barça coach.

First win for Valverde on his return to San Mamés | FC Barcelona
Ernesto Valverde has registered another first as Barça coach after his side’s 2-0 win against Athletic Club thanks to goals from Leo Messi and Paulinho. The man nicknamed Txingurri was in charge of the Basque side for six seasons yet as visiting coach he had never previously recorded a victory in five visits. As coach of Espanyol, Villarreal and Valencia his trips to San Mamés had ended in four defeats and a draw in La Liga and in the Copa del Rey.

Barça are the woodwork kings in La Liga | FC Barcelona
There is no team in La Liga that has hit the woodwork as much as FC Barcelona. According to OPTA stats, the blaugranes have hit the post or the crossbar on 13 occasions in 16 matches this season in all competitions.



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FC Barcelona News: 29 October 2017; Barcelona Survive Athletic Bilbao Scare to Remain Unbeaten

Athletic Club 0-2 FC Barcelona: Survival at San Mamés | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona are always being heralded for their dazzling attacking football, but sometimes it’s good old-fashioned defending (and goalkeeping!) that wins games. And tonight was one of those nights.For long periods on Saturday evening, it was Athletic Club that were piling on the pressure and Barça that were on the back foot.

Barcelona owe 'large part' of Athletic Bilbao win to Ter Stegen - Busquets | ESPN
The goalkeeper has now kept 10 clean sheets in 13 appearances since the Spanish Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid, enabling league leaders Barca to record their best ever start to a La Liga season. "The truth is we struggled a lot, especially in the second-half," Busquets told Movistar after the game.

Ernesto Valverde: 'Difficult match, important win' | FC Barcelona
“It is important to win difficult games. Athletic caused us lots of difficulties. They raised the intensity and the ball spent more time closer to our goal than we got it to theirs. But we have shown why our defensive record is so good.”

HIGHLIGHTS: Athletic vs Barça | FC Barcelona
Another win for FC Barcelona in the league as nine wins and a draw from their opening 10 games in La Liga give them a four point advantage over second placed Valencia. A goal from Leo Messi in the first half and another in injury time from Paulinho handed Ernesto Valverde all three points on his first return to San Mamés to take on Athletic as Barça coach.

First win for Valverde on his return to San Mamés | FC Barcelona
Ernesto Valverde has registered another first as Barça coach after his side’s 2-0 win against Athletic Club thanks to goals from Leo Messi and Paulinho. The man nicknamed Txingurri was in charge of the Basque side for six seasons yet as visiting coach he had never previously recorded a victory in five visits. As coach of Espanyol, Villarreal and Valencia his trips to San Mamés had ended in four defeats and a draw in La Liga and in the Copa del Rey.

Barça are the woodwork kings in La Liga | FC Barcelona
There is no team in La Liga that has hit the woodwork as much as FC Barcelona. According to OPTA stats, the blaugranes have hit the post or the crossbar on 13 occasions in 16 matches this season in all competitions.



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Talking points from Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Barcelona

Plenty to talk about after yet another win

Another win, another less then convincing display but Barcelona remain top of La Liga and yet to taste defeat this season.

Again it was Lionel Messi who made the difference, but just as important were Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Samuel Umtiti.

Here’s a few thoughts after the game at San Mames

Barcelona and the woodwork

Much has been made of the fact that Barcelona have already scored five own goals this season, suggesting the Blaugrana have had more than their fair share of luck.

However, there’s another telling stat, which suggests that actually Barcelona and Messi in particular are a little unfortunate not to have scored even more this season.

The little genuis hit the woodwork again on Saturday, the 10th time already this season he has been denied by the goalframe, while Barca have hit the woodwork 13 times in their last 16 games.

Just how good is Ter Stegen?

As well as Messi, Barcelona have Marc-Andre ter Stegen to thank for victory after yet another superb performance from the goalkeeper.

Ter Stegen has been brilliant all season and seems to go from strength-to-strength and you have to wonder just where does he rank at the moment?

The recent FIFA best awards were derided for not including Manchester United’s David De Gea on the list.

Meanwhile, Ter Stegen finished seventh behind,Buffon, Neuer, Navas, Courtois, Lloris and Oblak - a fair reflection?

Defensive indiscipline could cost Barca

Like Ter Stegen, Samuel Umtiti has been a rock for Barcelona this season but he was a little fortunate to stay on the pitch at San Mames.

Booked in the second half, he then proceeded to sarcastically applaud the referee and while you can maybe understand his frustration, we’ve seen players sent off in the past for the same reaction.

The booking is Umtiti’s fourth on the season, taking him one game away from suspension, with Gerard Pique also on four - one more for either and they will be handed a one-game ban.

Valverde line-up frustrates, but he keeps winning

Once again Valverde’s starting XI caused raised eyebrows. We had Sergi Roberto at right-back once again with Andre Gomes again featuring.

Yet again there was no game time for Denis Suarez or even Gerard Deulofeu, with Valverde only using one sub, bringing on Nelson Semedo for Gomes.

It’s difficult to understand Valverde’s thinking right now, but it’s also difficult to argue with 28 points out of 30 in La Liga so far.



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السبت، 28 أكتوبر 2017

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Barcelona, 2017 La Liga: Match Review

Barcelona extended their unbeaten run to start the season with a hard-fought, yet unimpressive win at the always difficult San Mames. The Catalans were led by a first half goal by Lionel Messi and an excellent performance by Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Late in the game Paulinho added a goal to secure the three points.

Ernesto Valverde once again surprised many with his starting eleven, including in it the likes of Sergi Roberto at right back and Andre Gomes in a midfielder/winger role. Jordi Alba returned from injury and Paulinho replaced the injured Andres Iniesta.

Barcelona started brightly, allowing the hosts very little, while coping excellently with Athletic’s high press. The constant movement from Barcelona’s players allowed a surprising amount of space in attack on numerous occasions, however space in front of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was hard to come by. Still, Barcelona had a good chance to open the scoring just six minutes in as Unai Nunez’s clearance found Lionel Messi 25 yards out, but the Argentine’s powerful drive was handled by Kepa.

After the early dominance in possession from Barcelona, Athletic started to show life in attack, but the Barcelona defense was up to the task early. The hosts had a penalty claim waved off in the 14th minute after a lovely run by Inigo Lekue down the left side before the ball hit Samuel Umtiti in the elbow, but due to the fact the arm was completely tucked to the body, the referee correctly didn’t point to the spot.

But the hosts were clearly gaining momentum and they should’ve taken the lead just before the 20 minute mark when they had three golden opportunities. First, Inaki Williams sent a cross from the right side to Aritz Aduriz who easily beat Gerard Pique to the header, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen made the diving save. Then, a lovely combo from a long range free kick sprung Williams again, but his low goalmouth cross was somehow cleared away by the Barcelona defense. Moments later, the hosts had their best chance of the game, with Aduriz going one-on-one on ter Stegen, but the German didn’t panic. He waited for Aduriz to commit to the low shot and made a brilliant diving save to keep the game scoreless.

Two minutes later, in the 21st minute, Barcelona missed a chance they should’ve converted. Against the run of play, Barcelona combined brilliantly in midfield, with crucial passes from Paulinho and Luis Suarez springing Messi behind the defense. A goal was seemingly the only option for the Argentine, but after skipping to the right of the goalkeeper, Messi caromed the ball off the post.

The frantic pace of missing glorious chances slowed down considerably, as both defenses tightened their ranks and didn’t allow much for about 10 minutes. Barcelona took a couple long range shots that were right at Kepa or wide of goal, courtesy of Ivan Rakitić, Paulinho and Suarez, while Athletic didn’t threaten at all.

Barcelona were regaining control of the game after the three minutes break-down that should’ve resulted in at least one goal, and the Catalans were rewarded in the 38th minute. Alba was played through deep on the left wing, sending a low ball into the danger area just before it crossed the goal-line. On the receiving end was Messi who this time made no mistake, slotting the ball into the back of the net for the lead.

The Catalans could’ve doubled their lead just two minutes later. Rakitić and Messi were combining excellently on the right wing, before Messi received the ball inside the area, playing a perfect pass to the wide open Paulinho who first-timed it on goal, but bouncing the ball off the crossbar. Just moments later, Suarez had a great chance from a free kick just outside of the area, but the ball was excellently blocked.

Before the break, Athletic had one last chance to change the score before the halftime whistle from a corner kick, but they couldn’t take it. With mere second added on, referee whistled for halftime, ending a thrilling first half of football.

The hosts came storming out of the gate, looking to catch Barcelona flat-footed, quickly winning a corner kick, but the defense cleared the cross. A long range free kick moments later was also easily cleared. But Athletic’s early press wouldn’t let up so easily and the Barcelona defense was tested a couple more times.

Barcelona also launched a promising counter attack early, with Messi springing Gomes, but for some reason the Portuguese international didn’t get a shot off. But the opening of the second half was almost completely about Athletic, who came very close to tying the game up in the 53rd minute. An excellent cross was floated in from the corner kick to Raul Garcia who headed on goal, but he was denied by the crossbar.

Barcelona struggled mightily in the second half, and it wasn’t solely due to Athletic’s better play. Barcelona’s passes were off target and there were too many turnovers on the ball. Around the one-hour mark the Catalans started playing something resembling football again and they quickly created a decent chance, with Messi finding Gomes, but he was denied by a diving Nunez. Minutes later, in an eerily similar play, Nunez made another diving block to prevent a dangerous shot, this time on Suarez.

But Athletic continued to be the better team and they continued their search for the equalizer, and their first substitution in the 68th minute signaled an even more attacking formation, with creator Benat taking the place of holding midfield Mikel San Jose. The hosts seemed hungrier on the pitch. 50-50 balls were more often than not won by Athletic players while Barcelona often seemed unsure about what to do with the ball – something that made Valverde very unhappy on the bench.

In the 78th minute, Athletic tested ter Stegen again. Aduriz was allowed plenty of space on Athletic’s left wing, but his plan of sneaking the ball inside the near post was thwarted by ter Stegen. With time winding down Athletic’s press intensified but Barcelona were hanging on. Valverde made his first, and only, substitution in the 83rd minute. Nelson Semedo took Gomes’s place, resulting in Roberto taking his position higher up the pitch.

Two minutes later, ter Stegen made another brilliant save, again on Aduriz. The tall striker was somehow left wide open on a corner kick and he glanced a perfectly placed header aimed just inside the near post, but ter Stegen kept the ball from crossing the line.

After Messi sailed a free kick over the crossbar in the 90th minute, three minutes were added on. Athletic were preparing for one last final push, but a turnover in midfield sprung Barcelona on a three-on-two counter attack. Messi passed the ball to Suarez on his left and the Uruguayan send a good shot on goal, but Kepa made a strong save. The rebound, however, fell right to the waiting feet of Paulinho who pushed the ball into the empty net to decide the game.

With the win Barcelona extended their La Liga lead over Valencia back to four point. The Catalans will be in action again in just three days when they travel to Greece to take on Olympiacos.



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Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona, 2017 La Liga: Final Score 0-2, Barça stay unbeaten with tough road win

And breathe.

Barcelona remain unbeaten in La Liga and will be on top of the table for another week thanks to a very difficult 2-0 win away to Athletic Bilbao. In what was a very tense game from start to finish, the Blaugrana managed to defend a narrow lead in the second half and will leave the San Mamés with a win and a clean sheet. Not bad.

FIRST HALF

The first half was action-packed: both teams looked to attack from the start, and what promised to be a physical battle was actually a pretty entertaining game. Barça started slowly and needed time to establish control of the game, but once they did the chances started coming, including an unbelievable miss from Lionel Messi who rounded the keeper but hit the post.

Athletic also had their chances, the biggest of them when Aritz Aduriz was through on goal and one on one with Marc-André ter Stegen, but the Bilbao striker’s shot was weak and straight to Ter Stegen. Barça were clearly the better team at the end of the half, and after a wonderful passing sequence Jordi Alba found Messi inside the box, and this time Leo couldn’t miss: 1-0 Barça.

At halftime, a very entertaining game of football had Barça ahead, but the game was far from over.

SECOND HALF

Barça looked to keep possession and not concede any dangerous chances in the second half, and the plan worked. The Blaugrana managed to avoid trouble by controlling the ball inside Bilbao’s half and even created some good chances, but a combination of timely blocks from Athletic and poor finishing from Barça kept the score at 1-0 heading into the last 15 minutes.

Bilbao stepped up the pressure at the end of the game, as expected, and Ter Stegen had to make a wonderful save after a corner to keep the clean sheet. The final five minutes were very nervous, but Barça managed to double their lead with Paulinho and kill the game in the last minute.

This was tough, but it’s always tough at the San Mamés. Barça had a good performance at a difficult ground and were able to defeat a really strong opponent in their home. You know, this team is not that bad.


Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Piqué, Umtiti, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Paulinho; Messi, Gomes (Semedo); Suárez

Goals: Messi (36’), Paulinho (90’+2)

Athletic: Kepa; Bóveda, Nuñez, Laporte, Lekue; Iturraspe, San José (Beñat); Williams (Susaeta), Raúl García, Córdoba; Aduriz

Goals: None



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Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona, 2017 La Liga: CONFIRMED Lineups, Live Game Thread

Lineups, television and streaming options, and full coverage of Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona in La Liga. Join the conversation!

MATCH INFO

Preview: Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona, La Liga Matchday 10

Date/Time: Saturday, October 28, 2017, 8:45pm local time, 7:45pm (UK & Nigeria), 2:45pm ET, 11:45am PT (USA), 12:15am IST (India, Sunday)

Venue: San Mamés, Bilbao, Basque Country

Television: beIN SPORTS (USA & Canada), Sky Sports Football (UK), SuperSport 7 (Nigeria), SONY TEN 2 (India)

Online streaming: beIN SPORTS CONNECT (USA & Canada), Sky GO (UK), FuboTV (7-day free trial, click here to sign up)

(Listings via LiveSoccerTV)


LINEUPS

Barcelona

Starting XI: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Piqué, Umtiti, Alba; Rakitic, Paulinho, Busquets; André Gomes, Messi, Suárez

Bench: Cillessen, Semedo, Digne, O. Busquets, Denis, Deulofeu, Alcacer

Athletic Bilbao

Starting XI: Kepa, Boveda, Laporte, Nunez, Lekue; San Jose, Iturraspe, Garcia; Williams, Aduriz, Cordoba

Bench: Herrerin, Saborit, Etxeita, Benat, Rico, Susaeta, Merino


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

If you haven't already, sign up for an SB Nation account and join the conversation on Barca Blaugranes, where we'll have full coverage of every Barcelona match this season, with breaking news, opinion, and tactical discussion.



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Barcelona vs. Athletic Bilbao live stream: Lineups, Kickoff time, TV listings, how to watch La Liga online

It’s a crucial game for Barça today, and you cannot miss it

One of the toughest matches of any season for Barcelona has arrived: the Blaugrana travel to the Basque Country tonight for a meeting with Athletic Bilbao, and this definitely will not be an easy game for the La Liga leaders.

Athletic have always been a tough team to beat at home, but over the last few years they’ve become a powerhouse thanks to one man: current Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde, who had a lot of success with Bilbao and made them one of the top teams in the league.

Now Valverde is with the Blaugrana, of course, but Athletic remain a strong, tough team that plays with passion and are very well supported by their amazing home crowd, and there’s no way they’ll make things easy for Valverde and his men tonight.

But Barça have Lionel Messi, and it’s safe to stay their chances of winning are always good when Messi is playing. Leo has scored some amazing goals in Bilbao over the years, and he’s no doubt looking forward to having another great performance at the San Mamés.

This promises to be a very entertaining match, and you really cannot miss it. It’ll be super, super, super fun. Oh, and Messi is playing. You’re watching it, right?


MATCH INFO

Date/Time: Saturday, October 28, 2017, 8:45pm local time, 7:45pm (UK & Nigeria), 2:45pm ET, 11:45am PT (USA), 12:15am IST (India, Sunday)

Venue: San Mamés, Bilbao, Basque Country

HOW TO WATCH, STREAM LA LIGA

Television: beIN SPORTS (USA & Canada), Sky Sports Football (UK), SuperSport 7 (Nigeria), SONY TEN 2 (India)

Online streaming: beIN SPORTS CONNECT (USA & Canada), Sky GO (UK), FuboTV (7-day free trial, click here to sign up)


LINEUPS

Lineups will be posted when announced.



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FC Barcelona News: 28 October 2017; Andres Iniesta Out Injured, Andre Gomes Receives Offers

Squad announced for trip to Bilbao, Alba in but injured Iniesta out | FC Barcelona
Andrés Iniesta has pulled the gracilis muscle in the right thigh will have to miss this weekend’s game at Athletic Club, but it’s too early to tell whether the injury will also affect his availability for the trip to Greece. Thomas Vermaelen is also unavailable after picking a hip injury, and with Ousmane Dembélé, Rafinha, Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal also side-lined that’s six first team players that are currently out of action.

Ernesto Valverde: Athletic are a dangerous team | FC Barcelona
The football never stops and this Saturday La Liga returns with FC Barcelona visiting San Mamés for the week 10 clash with Athletic Club Bilbao. The fixture is a special one for coach Ernesto Valverde who returns to the club where he was both a player and a coach. “Athletic is a dangerous side and they always give it everything,” said the Barça boss in his pre-game press conference at the Ciutat Esportiva.

Barcelona's Ernesto Valverde focused on football amid Catalonia uncertainty | ESPN
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde wants to keep the focus on football after Catalonia's parliament voted to establish an independent republic on Friday. Spain's senate responded by granting the country's prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, powers to impose direct rule on the region, with the final outcome still far from certain.

Athletic Club v FC Barcelona: Did you know? | FC Barcelona
Saturday 8.45pm brings the latest episode in a saga that dates back 115 years. Here are ten things you might not know about this weekend's clash between the Basque and Catalan giants.

Aleix Vidal linked to Sevilla return | FC Barcelona
Aleix Vidal’s future at Barcelona is growing increasingly uncertain and former club Sevilla are hopeful of re-signing the full-back, according to reports in Spain. The 28-year-old initially joined the Blaugrana from the Andalucian club in the summer of 2015 for a €28m which included add-ons.

Barca receive Gomes offers - report | Football Espana
Barcelona have received offers for Andre Gomes from Juventus and an unnamed Premier League club, according to reports in Spain. Tuesday’s Copa Del Rey clash at Real Murcia was only the 24-year-old’s second start under Ernesto Valverde, who is understood to be a fan of the midfielder but would sanction a transfer.



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Three things Ernesto Valverde needs to do against Athletic Club

الجمعة، 27 أكتوبر 2017

Barcelona announce squad for La Liga match against Athletic Bilbao

Ernesto Valverde has called 20 players for Saturday’s visit to San Mamés

The next Barcelona match is upon us! The Blaugrana face a very tough trip to the Basque Country for a La Liga game against Athletic Bilbao, and Ernesto Valverde has called 20 players for the trip, with 18 of them selected to be in uniform tonight.

This is the full squad:


Goalkeepers: 1. Marc-André ter Stegen, 13. Jasper Cillessen

Defenders: 2. Nélson Semedo, 3. Gerard Piqué, 14. Javier Mascherano, 18. Jordi Alba, 19. Lucas Digne, 23. Samuel Umtiti, 39. David Costas

Midfielders: 4. Ivan Rakitic, 5. Sergio Busquets, 6. Denis Suarez, 15. Paulinho Bezerra, 20. Sergi Roberto, 21. André Gomes, 30. Oriol Busquets

Forwards: 9. Luis Suárez, 10. Lionel Messi, 16. Gerard Deulofeu, 17. Paco Alcácer


Andrés Iniesta (thigh) and Thomas Vermaelen (hip) were the latest to join the injury room, which is getting bitter by the minute. That’s six players with fitness problems now, which leaves exactly 18 first teamers available for selection to face Athletic. The good news is that Jordi Alba is back from a muscle problem, and Valverde has called two youngsters to be part of the squad: midfielder Oriol Busquets and defender David Costas.

Predicted starting lineup (4-4-2):

Ter Stegen; Semedo, Piqué, Umtiti, Digne; Roberto, Rakitic, Busquets, Denis; Messi, Suárez


The match kicks off on Saturday at 8:45pm CET / 7:45pm (UK & Nigeria) / 2:45pm ET, 11:45am ET (USA), 12:15am IST (India, Sunday), and you can join us to follow and comment all the action.

VISCA EL BARÇA!



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WATCH: Ernesto Valverde’s Special Away Trips - Athletic Club Bilbao and Olympiacos

Valverde is loved in both Bilbao and Athens

In their upcoming two matches, FC Barcelona will be visiting teams at which their current coach, Ernesto Valverde, is loved. Valverde played for and coached Athletic Bilbao, and that’s Barcelona’s next opponent in La Liga. He also coached the Greek team Olympiacos, who are Barça’s next opponent in the UEFA Champions League.

For Athletic Club, Valverde was a key player for years and, as a coach, won them their first trophy in 31 years - the Spanish Supercup against FC Barcelona, no less - and got them into the Champions League. For Olympiacos, he won the league three times and the cup twice.

Here’s him talking about his feelings for the upcoming trips:

Valverde also did a fun quiz about previous meetings between Barça and Athletic Club:



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