الثلاثاء، 30 أبريل 2019

Klopp talks Messi ‘threat,’ says Liverpool miss Coutinho ‘a lot’

The Reds boss has been giving his view

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had plenty to say about Barcelona ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final at the Camp Nou at his pre-match press conference.

The Reds boss spoke about Lionel Messi’s promise at the start of the season “to bring this beautiful trophy back” and said it “sounded like a threat to me!”

The German also talked about Philippe Coutinho, who will face his former team, and admitted the Brazilian is greatly missed at Anfield.

“We miss Phil Coutinho a lot because he is a world class player and I loved working together with him but we had to deal without him and we did well,” he said

”When I first heard he wanted to go to Barcelona I couldn’t imagine it would be good, but we did good.”

Source | Yahoo Sport

Klopp also went on to say a draw “would not be the worst result in the world” but went on to insist that his team would be going for the win.



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Barça vs Liverpool (1st leg): Preview

The champions of Spain face a formidable opponent in their first European semifinal in four years, and winning at Camp Nou is a must

FC Barcelona vs Liverpool FC


Competition/Round: 2018-19 UEFA Champions League, Semifinal, 1st Leg

Barcelona Outs & Doubts: Rafinha, Jean-Clair Todibo, Thomas Vermaelen, Jeison Murillo, Kevin-Prince Boateng (out)

Liverpool Outs & Doubts: Adam Lallana (out), Roberto Firmino (doubt)

Date/Time: Wednesday, May 1, 2019, 9pm CET, 8pm BST/WAT (UK & Nigeria), 3pm ET, 12pm PT (USA), 12.30am IST (India, Thursday)

Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Referee: Björn Kuipers (NED)

How to watch on TV: TNT (USA), BT Sport 2 (UK), SuperSport 3 (Nigeria), SONY TEN 2 (India), Movistar Liga de Campeones (Spain), others

How to stream: B/R Live (USA), BT Sport Live (UK), Movistar+ (Spain), others


Following a victory over Levante at the weekend to officially crown them as back-to-back champions of Spain, Barcelona return to action for the biggest game of the season: the first leg of the Champions League semifinal against Liverpool. Why is this the biggest game of the season if there’s still a second leg to play? Because this one is at home, and if Barça don’t get a good result at Camp Nou they’ll have to find a way to win at Anfield, where the Reds have been pretty much untouchable this season.

Personally speaking, I could not be more terrified of this Liverpool team. I am a person who generally respects the opponent ahead of Barça games anyway, but man, Liverpool are just a different monster. Virgil Van Dijk is a one-man defensive unit who destroys attacking players week in and week out, and even though Mohamed Salah always gets all the headlines, it’s Sadio Mané who freaks me out and could have a monster two games if Sergi Roberto (expected to start both games) isn’t at his best.

This team is fantastic, and it wouldn’t be a shock or a huge disappointment if they went to the Final and knocked out Barça in normal conditions, with both games being really close and decided on details. Barça have been borderline incredible in almost every European game they’ve played this season, and hopefully they’ve saved their absolute best two games for this semifinal. It’ll be tough, it’ll be nervous, it’ll be close, and Liverpool deserve every bit of respect. English media thinks they’re Pep Guardiola’s Barça, obviously, but it’s a danger to look at their bias and start to underestimate Liverpool.

Get ready for a war. A fun war, with two great teams and the best player of all time fighting in it, but a war nonetheless. Let the games begin.


POSSIBLE LINEUPS

Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Roberto, Piqué, Lenglet, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Arthur; Messi, Suárez, Coutinho

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mané


PREDICTION

This will be really, really, really hard, but the team looks focused and motivated: 2-0 Barça, a monster defensive performance and a Messi Special.



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Rakitic explains what Barca need to do against Liverpool

The midfielder has warned of the threat the Reds possess

Ivan Rakitic has been talking about what Barcelona need to do against Liverpool ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final against the Reds.

The midfielder is well aware of the threat posed the attackers such as Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane and says they are tough to defend against.

“I have a lot of respect for Liverpool as Klopp’s teams have always been very organised, and he has managed to improve his players,” he said.

”It will be quite difficult to defend them because they are very good. We need to stop them running at our defence. We are going there to score but we mustn’t lose our heads

”I hope we can stop them as soon as possible, control the tempo of the game and keep them away from our goal.

”We have to understand that they are a good team who know what football they [need to] play. We have to prepare our game, play a great match and understand what we have to do.”

Rakitic is expected to start the game for Barcelona along with Sergio Busquets and Arthur in midfield. The Croatian’s only goal in the competition this season came against English opposition back in October when he scored a cracker against Tottenham.



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Thiago Messi asked his dad why he was criticized. Watch the video kids made to reassure him.

An Argentine TV channel showed Lionel Messi’s son the video message from Argentine kids

It may be hard to believe, but Lionel Messi has his share of critics in his native Argentina. On the radio show, Club Octubre, the Barcelona star candidly revealed that his son Thiago even asked about it.

“My son asks me why they ‘kill’ me in Argentina,” the footballer admitted.

It was because of this that TyC Sports created a video to show the six-year-old child and his dad.

“They’re kids from Argentina who are your age,” the presenter said before rolling the clip. “They want to tell you what they think about your dad.”

“Hello Thiago, I’m Felipe. We want to tell you that we love your dad and the national team,” one kid says.

“This message is for you Thiago. Stay calm because your dad is a genius. And here in Argentina, we love him,” another says.

“Messi, we love you.”

“Your dad is the best in the world. We love you.”

“We love you, Messi.”

“I play football and I watch all his matches.”

“He should be proud of his dad because he has football in his heart and gives it to all Argentines. When I grow up, I wanna be like him.”

Those are just some of the messages the kids gave in the video.

Some kids also mentioned that they hoped Messi would carry Argentina to Copa América glory this summer. In the interim, he has the UEFA Champions League (with a semifinal against Liverpool tomorrow) to try to win, as well as the Copa del Rey final against Valencia.



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Valverde talks Suarez, Messi & Klopp ahead of Liverpool

The latest from the Barcelona boss

Ernesto Valverde faced the press ahead of Wednesday’s eagerly-awaited Champions League semi-final first leg against Liverpool at the Camp Nou.

The Barcelona boss talked about his key men Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez and also spoke about the threat offered by Liverpool and how his team can cope with the Reds.

Here are the best bits:

Valverde on Messi

Lionel is feeling fine, and throughout this month we have been able to rest him more than others. We have been playing three games a week, we’ve played United and now it’s Liverpool. The workload is high but we are ready for this.

Valverde on Suarez

Suarez has played every game. I’d have liked to given him a bit of a rest against Levante. I have a feeling he is motivated to play against Liverpool but Luis is motivated to play against every team. He is like that.

Valverde on Liverpool

Liverpool are a very powerful team, who play with a great level of pressure and rhythm. They’ll be a very difficult opponent to beat. Our intention is to win, but we know the value of stopping them from scoring. We have to play two good matches.

They have extraordinary forwards, the press really well and they have a lot of pace. They’re a tough side to beat. They’ve lost once in the league all season. That tells you a lot about them.

They have a set game that feeds the three attackers; they push forward their defence and they want to steal the ball in your area to throw it fast to the forwards. They are good in aerial duels and we need to be up to the task. You have to have an answer to their impetus and you have to know how to overcome the suffocating pressure they implement.

Valverde on Klopp’s comments

The Camp Nou fans have been decisive in the last few weeks, we’ve seen quite a few games with over 90,000 fans. We feel it and our rivals feel it, so we want them to feel it tomorrow. I think Jurgen’s words were more about taking drama out of the day. It’s a football game, a pitch, and 22 players ready to play.



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Barcelona respond to Jürgen Klopp: ‘Camp Nou is our temple’

Klopp had said that Camp Nou was “just a stadium.”

FC Barcelona’s official twitter account has issued a response to Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp as the two sides are due to meet tomorrow in the UEFA Champions League semifinals at Camp Nou.

Klopp had previously said that Camp Nou is “just a football stadium and not some sort of temple or something.”

Without mentioning the German by name, Barça put out a tweet across its Twitter accounts in various languages, simply reading: “This is Camp Nou. Our home. Our temple. Our fortress.”

The Camp Nou has been a fortress indeed for Barça - not just this season, but in previous years. But perhaps they have yet to host an opponent as fierce as Liverpool.

On the other hand, the Reds are arguably yet to visit a ground that will be as difficult as Camp Nou.



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Lionel Messi wins prestigious award from Catalan government

Messi is awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi

Ballon d’Or, World Cup Golden Ball, La Liga player of the year, Golden Boot... you would think Lionel Messi has won every award there is. But today he has received something he has never won before, something that transcends football.

The Barcelona star has received the Creu de Sant Jordi (St. George’s Cross) award, one of the highest honors bestowed by the government of Catalonia.

The award was created in 1981 to be given to people who have done outstanding work to help the Catalan people and culture.

The government praised Messi’s ability on the pitch, saying he is the best footballer in the world. In addition, they highlighted his charitable work with the Leo Messi Foundation, including helping kids get sporting equipment.

They also said he has given a lot of support to hospitals in the region, in particular for the Sant Joan de Déu hospital. He helped in that hospital’s construction of a new pediatric cancer center.



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Boateng thought he was joining Espanyol not Barcelona

Kevin-Prince Boateng thought he was going to a different Barcelona team when he and his agent talked in January. The 32-year-old forward was under the impression he was going to sign for Espanyol in the winter transfer window.

“[The transfer to Barcelona] went also very fast for me. I just have the best agent in the world.
“But under pressure I play best. I was the best man on the pitch and after the game my agent came to me and said, ‘we’re going to Barcelona.’

“I thought he meant Espanyol. But he immediately said, ‘no, the right ones.’ That was incredible. I could not believe it until the sporting director called me.”

Kevin-Prince Boateng | Source

These are a pretty hilarious series of events to admit took place. Boateng was just happy to be heading to Barcelona as a city, and then had the added benefit of heading there to play for one of the largest football clubs in the world.



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FC Barcelona News: 30 April 2019

Spanish FA approves Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup changes | Sky Sports
The Copa del Rey switches to a single-match format, with the exception of the semi-finals, which remain a two-leg tie. Teams involved in the Spanish Super Cup - Barcelona, Valencia, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid - will not have to participate in the first two rounds of the Copa. The final is on April 18, 2020.

Kuipers to referee Barcelona’s first leg against Liverpool | Marca
Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers has been appointed to take charge of Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Liverpool at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night. Neither Barcelona nor Liverpool have suffered defeat with Kuipers as referee, though the Blaugrana’s 0-0 draw with Juventus in the Champions League quarter-finals in 2017 saw the Catalans eliminated after their 3-0 first-leg defeat.

Barcelona’s big doubt: Coutinho or Dembele against Liverpool? | Sport
Ernesto Valverde can’t complain. Barcelona are arriving at the crucial stage of the season with all their players available with the exception of the injured Rafinha. There are no banned players, either, as they prepare to face Liverpool on Wednesday. There’s a lot to choose from and there’s only one big doubt: Philippe Coutinho or Ousmane Dembele?

Barcelona to copy Guardiola’s City against Liverpool in Champions League - sources | ESPN
Sources have told ESPN FC that Ernesto Valverde and his staff are confident going into the semifinal first leg this week, but they are aware the tie against Liverpool is Barca’s toughest test in recent years. Valverde has spent hours going over 24 carefully selected Liverpool games from this campaign, but it is their two matches against Guardiola’s City side which he has been paying particular attention to.

Luis Suarez and Coutinho: Liverpool’s familiar rivals | Marca
On Wednesday at Camp Nou, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho are set to take on the club at which they made their names. As they look to gain a place in the final of the Champions League with Barcelona, their former side Liverpool stand in their path.

Barcelona and Alisson meet again in the Champions League | Marca
Standing in the way of Barcelona and the Champions League final is a familiar foe from last season’s quarter-final collapse against AS Roma. The goalkeeper in that unforgettable tie, which saw Barcelona squander a 4-1 advantage from the first leg and suffer elimination at the hands of the Serie A club, was none other than Liverpool’s Alisson.

Barcelona ready to colour Europe | Marca
Barcelona and the Camp Nou are prepared to welcome Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night. The club have unveiled the enormous mosaic that will greet the players as they come onto the pitch, with over 90,000 cards to be distributed around the stadium.

De Jong: I don’t expect to be a starter at Barcelona | Marca
Frenkie de Jong is aware that signing for Barcelona from Ajax this summer won’t make him an automatic starter at the Camp Nou, despite his hefty transfer fee and impressive performances for the Dutch side this season.

The life of Barcelona’s backup goalkeeper | Marca
Being a second-choice goalkeeper at Barcelona isn’t easy. Even though Pep Guardiola started the trend of rotating goalkeepers depending on the competition, those who don’t feature the most inevitably end up wanting more minutes. The last to happily fill the role was Jose Manuel Pinto, who spent six and a half years as substitute goalkeeper without any complaints.

‘Japanese Messi’ Kubo ready for European return after premature Barcelona exit | Goal
Goal understands that Barca made a promise to Kubo that they would continue to follow his progress given he was the most talented of those who were forced to leave La Masia four years ago, and they are not about to renege on that vow. An offer is set to be made with the proviso that he would likely start out life within the Barcelona ‘B’ side or even out on loan elsewhere in Spain or further afield in Europe.



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How will Barcelona line up against Liverpool?

الاثنين، 29 أبريل 2019

Klopp: Barca’s Camp Nou is ‘no temple of football’

The Reds are the next visitors to the stadium in the Champions League

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has come out with some pretty interesting comments ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final against Barcelona.

The German will take his Liverpool side to the Camp Nou for the first leg of their clash and doesn’t seem too impressed with the home of the Spanish champions.

“The Camp Nou is just a stadium. It is pretty big, but it is no temple of football,” he said.

”It had to arrive at some point. You see the other teams who have a bad time when they play there and now we will experience it. Although of course we hope to play well.

”If you play against Barcelona, you are certainly not favourites. This is a fantastic game for all football supporters.”

Source | DAZN (via Goal)

Barcelona possess a tremendous home record in the Champions League. They have gone 31 games unbeaten and have not tasted defeat at the Camp Nou in the competition since 2013.



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Suarez: We ‘can’t be distracted for a second’ against Liverpool

The striker says his team need their best performance of the season

Luis Suarez says Barcelona can’t afford to be distracted for a second in their Champions League semi-final against Liverpool.

The striker is set to face his former team in Wednesday’s first leg and is well aware of the danger posed by the men from Anfield.

“In the Champions League you can’t be distracted for a second because you end up paying for that. It’s true that in the last game at home to Manchester United we had 5-10 really bad minutes and we almost paid for that.

“That shows you what the Champions League is and also what happened last season so we have to use that as experience. This team has too much experience to fall into that trap, we have to know what kind of game we are in and that if we want to get to the final and achieve our objectives then we cannot be distracted for a single minute in either of the two games.

“We will have to play the best we have this season, even better than the ones we have played, knowing how tough it will be against Liverpool. “

Source | FC Barcelona

Suarez has been in great form this season and has 21 La Liga goals to his name, but he’s still yet to score in the Champions League this season.

The Uruguayan did think he’d finally got on the scoresheet against Manchester United, only to see his header come off Luke Shaw and go down as an own goal.



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Beware, Liverpool: Messi is happy, rested, and posting insane stats

Messi has been resting more this season but his goal and assist tallies are still sky-high

Lionel Messi means business. This season he has taken on a plan that includes less starts than in the previous campaign, and reports say he’s in a great mood and ready to take on Liverpool.

With 38 starts so far this season, he has 10 less than in Ernesto Valverde’s first season in charge.

His lowest total starts since the 2008-09 season is 41, which happened both in that season and in 2015-16. Messi will probably at least match that total, given Barcelona still have two semifinals to play and the Copa del Rey final, at least, to compete in. But that’s still quite a low number. It’s even more remarkable when you consider how many matches Messi has skipped in international breaks for Argentina.

Diario SPORT claims the star is “in the happiest moment of his life,” especially as he is finding success both on the pitch and off it. He is reportedly very happy in his marriage, and delighted to be a proud father of three sons.

Barcelona have just won La Liga and are looking to add two more trophies this season for an unmatched third treble, but doing so will be extremely difficult with Liverpool in the semis and (should Barça advance) either Ajax or Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League final, not to mention the Copa del Rey final against Valencia, all left to play.

However their task seems much more achievable when you consider Messi’s crazy statistics.

According to stats from Transfermarkt, Messi has played 3,573 minutes this season, in which he has scored 46 goals and given out 22 assists. That means he is averaging about 1.7 goals + assists per 90 minutes, a staggering total.

Liverpool will have to be at their best to keep him out, although they have reasons to be confident as well. They have what many are saying is the best defender in the world, Virgil van Dijk, as well as a super-charged frontline of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mané.



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Spanish Supercup moves to a “Final Four” format, possibly in Saudi Arabia

The Spanish federation has already approved changes

The Spanish football federation has approved a change in the format to the Spanish Supercup starting next season, moving to a four-team format in January.

Previously, the Supercup pitted the winners of La Liga against the winners of the Copa del Rey in a two-legged affair, home and away. This season, it was a single match played in Morocco.

Now, four teams will qualify, the winners and runners-up to La Liga and the cup. As things stand, that means Barcelona will qualify as La Liga champions, Atlético Madrid as league runners-up, and Valencia as either winners or runners-up of the cup. The fourth spot will likely go to Real Madrid, who are third in the league, since Barça are the other cup finalists.

Federation president Luis Rubiales has admitted that hosting the tournament in Saudi Arabia is a real possibility, but denies that an agreement has been reached. However, changing the timing of the competition from August to January suggests Saudi Arabia as a host is definitely on the table, given that it might have been chosen to time with colder temperatures in the area.

Changes to the Copa del Rey are also being considered, specifically, having each round until the semis be a single match, rather than a two-legged tie.



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Barcelona-Liverpool Tactical Preview (UEFA Champions League Semis, 1st leg)

Can Barcelona beat the press?

FC Barcelona will need to be at their very best to get past Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League semifinal as it pits the two favorites to win the competition outright.

Barça come into the match having already faced English opposition. The Catalans dispatched Manchester United in the quarterfinals with relative ease, but they will have a much harder time matching up with Liverpool.

The Reds not only are a more talented, more cohesive, and more consistent unit, but they are arguably, a much tougher stylistic fit for Barça.

Liverpool’s frenetic pressing and pace could prove a huge matchup problem for the Catalans if they are not at their absolute sharpest while moving the ball from defense to midfield.

Fitness and form

Both teams come into the match in absolute top form. Barça are coming off a routine win that has made them La Liga champions. While perhaps that could be cause for concern of a hangover, there is a huge morale boost in it as well.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are neck-and-neck with Manchester City in the Premier League and dismantled Huddersfield on Friday.

Liverpool have an extra day’s rest and have played one match less since the previous round of Champions League fixtures, although Ernesto Valverde has rotated more than usual to try to keep his team fresh over that time period.

Having recovered Thomas Vermaelen from injury, Barcelona’s only miss is Rafinha. That has been the case for a while, so it won’t change Valverde’s plans.

Roberto Firmino, Fabinho, and less crucially, Adam Lallana have been listed as injury doubts for the Reds. But I imagine they will all play if they have to, particularly the first two.

Barcelona are unbeaten in 22 matches and won 13 of the last 15. Liverpool are unbeaten in 19 matches, and won the last 10 in a row. It’s a true clash of the titans.

Team selection

Most of Barcelona’s starting XI basically picks itself, and the three players who miss out from the starting lineup almost always make it onto the pitch as substitutes anyway.

Marc-André ter Stegen, Jordi Alba, Gerard Piqué, Clément Lenglet, Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, Lionel Messi, and Luis Suárez seem like locks to start, with a choice between two in every other place in the lineup.

First, should it be Nélson Semedo or Sergi Roberto who starts at right-back? Semedo has the pace to help Barça match up with Liverpool better, but Roberto has more creativity and can help control games with his passing.

Then, should we see Arturo Vidal or Arthur in midfield? Arthur helps control the flow of the game with his metronomic passing but Vidal offers an X factor and a player that can singlehandedly kill counters with his energy and tackling.

And finally, the question worth hundreds of millions: Philippe Coutinho or Ousmane Dembélé? Coutinho is picking up some form after struggling through a really rough patch and is keen on proving to his former team he’s made the right choice in leaving. Meanwhile, Dembélé should finally be back to full sharpness after his injury layoff.

Coutinho’s strength is he’s more careful with the ball, being by his nature an attacking midfielder, and can help play tight combinations. Dembélé has that pace that Barcelona need to match up with Liverpool better. He can stretch defenses. He’s also a risk taker, sometimes he makes what seems like a silly mistake but other times he can make things happen out of nothing. Definitely another X factor.

There is perhaps one additional possibility for Valverde: playing with an extra midfielder. He’s shown he is willing to do it to stop other teams that pose unique challenges, like Real Betis. In that case, perhaps we will see Vidal and Arthur together, while sacrificing a forward. Another option is to play both Semedo and Roberto together.

For Liverpool, it’s the same, most of the team picks itself. Alisson is the #1 keeper, while Andy Robertson is indisputable at left-back. Virgil van Dijk is perhaps their best player, and his partner is likely to be Joel Matip.

At right-back we can expect Trent Alexander-Arnold, unless Klopp wants to be more conservative and play Joe Gomez there. The three in midfield could be Naby Keïta, Fabinho, and Jordan Henderson. Georginio Wijnaldum is an option in midfield, particularly if Fabinho is not 100%, or he could replace Keïta. James Milner is another player that could play a role.

The front three are sure to be Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino (if fit), and Sadio Mané.

Firmino was rested in Liverpool’s 5-0 thrashing of Huddersfield with a muscular problem, but it’s almost sure he’ll play against Barcelona.

Matchups

Barcelona’s midfield, especially with Arthur, will be a bit more technical than Liverpool’s. With Messi dropping in from the forward line, Barça will seek to dictate the tempo of the match. However, Liverpool are a team that retains possession really well. They are not a counterattacking team, primarily. Even in their games against Manchester City this season, Liverpool won the possession battle in one of the two games. Both times, it was close. They do, of course, clearly rely on quick transitions and the speed of their forward line. But they are not a team that relinquishes possession, sits deep, and hopes to break - not even against the likes of City.

ESPN reports that Valverde is looking at those City games with a close eye. One was a 2-1 win for City, and the other was a 0-0 draw that could have ended in another victory for Pep Guardiola’s men if not for a penalty miss from Riyad Mahrez.

Lenglet has spoken about watching video obsessively, and reports say that Valverde and his staff are scouting Liverpool with great intensity.

Despite the fact City got the best of Liverpool over the two games, they were extremely close affairs and they needed a good deal of good fortune to secure the results.

For Barcelona it matters a lot how they start both halves, when Liverpool press the strongest. They will want to be patient and avoid making mistakes when playing from the back.

This is not the Liverpool of last season, they are a bit more considered and a bit more measured. They are more comfortable building play through possession and taking less risks in attack. In short, they are more mature and more patient.

Both teams use their fullbacks to create chances, which means there is an element of risk on both flanks for both teams. You can imagine Robertson or Alexander-Arnold notching an assist as much as you can imagine the space they leave behind being exploited by Barcelona. Or Alba or Roberto getting an assist. Or Salah and Mané motoring forward as Barça’s fullbacks are caught upfield.

Other players will have to help out. For example, Liverpool’s two wingers may have to go back to protect the flanks, or they will use one of their midfielders on either side to help protect the flank - particularly, they need to defend Alba’s flank.

For Barcelona, Messi will probably not offer a lot of defensive support so the right-sided midfielder (Rakitić probably) will have to compensate and act as both an auxiliary winger and an auxiliary fullback when needed.

One key battle is Van Dijk vs, Messi. By consensus, we are talking about the best defensive player in the world against the best attacker in the world. We could go all day talking about their virtues, but perhaps we should also recognize that both will depend heavily on their supporting casts to help them make the maximum impact.

I’d like to highlight another battle, though, and that’s Firmino vs. Busquets. Firmino is one of the best false-nines that exist, and he’s great at coming back to close down the opposition’s deepest midfielder. He can also help Liverpool in their midfield battle. Busquets was a little out of sorts in the first leg against United but he was back to his best in the return. Let’s see what kind of form he’s in.

Speaking of United, the blueprint for Barcelona’s success vs. Liverpool may be in that tie. Barça scored three at home and kept it extremely tight in the return leg, keeping the ball and not allowing the Red Devils many chances at all. On the other hand, Liverpool will see the opening of the second leg, in which United pressed and harassed Barça, as a blueprint. They’ll be looking to exploit the high line.

ESPN says that their sources have informed them that Valverde is willing to hit the ball long if necessary. This strategy has mixed success because Barcelona is relatively small among the forward and central midfield lines. One thing I wonder is if they will try to play long passes from goal kicks. If so, one thing to keep in mind is you can’t be offside from a goal kick. Placing your forwards very, very high can stretch the defense a bit. Hitting it long to the middle of the park - but not longer - can be riskier as Liverpool can easily turn that into attack.

Set-pieces will be important, and Liverpool are quite good at them. But Barcelona have the best free kick taker in the world and two important threats in the air - Piqué and Lenglet - so it cuts both ways.



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Denis rules himself out for the rest of the season

The midfielder has been on loan Arsenal

Denis Suarez has revealed he will not play again this season due to a groin injury which means he can’t even train at the moment.

The midfielder has had a pretty tough season and this will be a further blow to the 25-year-old.

He left Barcelona in January after making just two substitute appearances in La Liga and joined Arsenal on loan, but he has struggled to make any impact at the Gunners.

Denis has managed just 67 minutes in the Premier League and 28 in the Europa League, and there seems no chance Arsenal will be taking up the option to sign him permanently.



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Ter Stegen ‘full focus’ now on the Champions League

FC Barcelona News: 29 April 2019

Barça Women 1-0 Bayern Munich: A historic win! | FC Barcelona
Barça Women have made history. For the first time, they will be in the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, after beating Bayern Munich in the semifinal of the competition. A huge crowd of 12,764 people, a Club record for a women’s home match, watched the game at the Miniestadi.

Valverde, the sixth coach to win his first two league campaigns for Barça | FC Barcelona
After beating Levante 1-0 at the Camp Nou, FC Barcelona lifted its 26th league title. An eighth domestic championship in the last eleven years, and the tenth for Lionel Messi. It’s also the second in two seasons for Ernesto Valverde, a goal reached by only five coaches previously in the history of the club.

The Liga champions quiz | FC Barcelona
Test your knowledge of our league title success... both past and present!

Arturo Vidal, the king of back-to-back league titles | FC Barcelona
While FC Barcelona has won its eighth La Liga title in 11 seasons, the midfielder Arturo Vidal won his eighth league title in a row. It was Vidal’s first La Liga with Barça, ​​but before arriving here, the Chilean had won Italy’s Serie A with Juventus in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 and Germany’s Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Minimal use of Messi in April | Marca
Throughout his sporting career, Messi has never had so much rest in April since he settled in the Barcelona first team. He has only played less in three seasons, but this was due to injury. In April 2019, Barcelona had eight games and in four of them, the No.10 was not in the starting eleven, which means he has played for 465 minutes.

Cillessen wants to leave Barcelona this summer | Marca
The 30-year-old has been the backup to Marc-Andre ter Stegen since arriving from Ajax in the summer of 2016, regularly impressing in the Copa del Rey but having only played 28 times in total for the Blaugrana, and the Dutch national team No.1 is determined to be playing regularly.

Barcelona in frame for Lille winger Nicolas Pepe | Football Espana
Lille winger Nicolas Pepe is set to announce his future club next week with Barcelona in the frame, according to Diario Sport. Ivorian winger Pepe has an impressive 19 goals and 12 assists in Ligue 1 this season, having also found the back of the net 14 times last season.



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Clean Sheet Sweep: Barcelona’s High-Flying Defence

الأحد، 28 أبريل 2019

Busquets says it will be tough for teams to match Barca’s record

The club have won 8 out of the last 11 titles

Sergio Busquets was full of praise for his Barcelona team after helping the club win La Liga yet again on Saturday.

The midfielder was crowned a league champion for the eighth time in his career, and he reckons teams will find it really tough to match Barcelona’s recent run.

“It’ll be difficult for anyone to win 8 out of 11 league titles again,” he said.

“LaLiga has the best teams, who fight for all the European trophies, so it’s very difficult to win. What we’ve achieved is historic.”

Source | Sport

Barcelona’s win against Levante means the title is wrapped up, but the team still have plenty left to play for in a season that promises much.

Next up is the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Liverpool, while Valencia await in the Copa del Rey final in May.



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De Jong says he ‘must stay hungry to keep improving’

The midfielder says he knows how he can get better

Frenkie de Jong says he must stay hungry to keeping improving and knows he is not “top of the world yet.”

The 21-year-old midfielder will join Barcelona in the summer from Ajax on a five-year contract in a deal worth €75 million.

De Jong has shone this season for Ajax in the Eredivisie and the Champions League and says he’s not worried by his big price tag.

“I think that as a football player you will always have points for improvement. I certainly do. I am still a young player. I am still not at the top of the world. To get there I have to stay hungry to keep improving myself.

“In general I have no problems with it [his price tag]. Everyone is free to say something about me. I think I have a reasonable idea of ​​what I can improve.”

Source | Football Oranje

The midfielder returns to action with Ajax on Tuesday in the Champions League when they face Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-finals.

If the Dutch side were to progress they could meet Barcelona in the finals, providing Ernesto Valverde’s men see off Liverpool.



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Cillessen admits he wants to leave Barcelona

The goalkeeper is after regular playing time

Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen has admitted he wants to leave the Camp Nou in the summer in search of regular playing time.

The Dutch international has only made seven appearances for Ernesto Valverde’s side this season and has now stated his intention to move away from the club.

“After this season I will go on vacation first and then I hope to find a new club to get more playing time.”

Source | Ziggo Sport

Cillessen’s final appearance for Barcelona is likely to be in the final of the Copa del Rey against Valencia on May 25.

The goalkeeper has won the trophy twice before but will be aiming to go out on a high by helping Barca lift the trophy once again.



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Messi, Suarez and Barca stars celebrate La Liga triumph

Barcelona Femeni reach Champions League final

They’ll play Chelsea or Lyon in the final

Barcelona Femeni secured their place in the Champions League final on Sunday after beating Bayern Munich 2-0 on aggregate in their semi-final clash.

The team were leading 1-0 from the first leg and doubled their advantage just before half-time through Mariona Caldentey’s penalty.

Barcelona were reduced to 10 in the second half when Kheira Hamraoui saw red. The sending off means she’ll now sadly miss the final.

The team also needed goalkeeper Sandra Panos to produce a superb save to preserve her clean sheet.

Despite being a player down Barcelona managed to hold on for the win and book their place in the final in Budapest on May 18.

Here’s how the team celebrated at the final whistle.

Manager Ernesto Valverde and Carles Alena were part of a record crowd of 12,764 at the Mini Estadi to watch the game.

Barcelona go on to play either Chelsea or Lyon in Hungary. The two teams play their semi-final later on Sunday at Kingsmeadow with the French side 2-1 up from the first leg.

The team’s win makes it a memorable weekend for the club after the men’s side clinched the league title on Saturday night.

They’ll now be hoping they can match the women’s side and book their place in the final of the Champions League by beating Liverpool.



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No doubting Barca’s La Liga dominance proves their credentials

10 for Messi, eight in 11 for Barca, two in two for Valverde

It wasn’t quite the fiesta that everyone expected but Barcelona got the job done and that’s surely all that matters at this stage.

Ernesto Valverde has never been the most popular coach amongst cules, but let’s firstly tip our collective hats to a man who has won two La Liga titles in his two seasons as Barca coach, losing just three games in the process.

Unbeaten in the domestic competition since November, whichever way you dress it up, that is a sensational record. To knock him for one poor Champions League night in Rome is inherently wrong.

The best teams are generally considered to be those who’ve won their domestic competition, and in the last decade no one in Spain has come close to matching Barca’s superiority.

Lionel Messi’s 10th league title - more than any other player in club history - was poetic, given that the winning goal would be scored by the Argentinian. As captain, he’s led from the front throughout this campaign.

He’s been relied upon to deliver the goods again throughout 2018/19 - something he’s done with incessant relish - but perhaps more than ever, he’s been front and centre in virtually every game he’s played.

I genuinely can’t recall a performance from him in 2018/19 that has been below par, and like the finest of vintage wines, Messi is maturing with age. There won’t be too many arguments, if any at all, that this has been one of his best seasons in an individual level.

Right from the off, from his first words as captain before the Joan Gamper Trophy, we knew he was focused, but it’s all well and good setting out your ambitions at the beginning of the season. To then go on and deliver at the consistently high level he has takes a very special player indeed. But then we knew that already, right?!

His example has clearly rubbed off on his team-mates too, with the starkest change coming in Ousmane Dembele’s level of performance, albeit the Frenchman was off the pace against Levante and may have hindered his chances of getting a start against Liverpool.

Arturo Vidal and Clement Lenglet have been two high-quality additions whilst Arthur Melo has been a revelation.

Sure, there’s been the odd hiccup, including some head-scratching winter signings, but by and large this has been a successful campaign. One where we’ve made the difficult look routine... again.

They’ll have to work incredibly hard for it, but a third treble in 10 seasons for this team would be a fitting way to end 2028/19.



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Three things we learned from Barcelona 1-0 Levante

FC Barcelona News: 28 April 2019

La Liga Champions! | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona clinched the 2018-19 La Liga title after beating Levante at Camp Nou on Saturday night, mathematically eliminating second-place Atlético Madrid from contention and giving Ernesto Valverde’s team its first title of the season with three league games still to play. It is the earliest calendar date in the 21st century on which Barça have captured the La Liga title.

FC Barcelona 1-0 Levante: We did it! | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona are Liga champions again. And they’ve done it playing football that has thrilled the world and with no fewer than three games in hand. Atlético Madrid had done their homework earlier in the day, so the Catalans needed all three points from their game with Levante, and those three points proved a lot harder to peg down than many would have expected.

8th Liga in 11 years | FC Barcelona
The 2018/19 league title is further proof that FC Barcelona has been the absolute dominant force in Spanish football of recent years. Eight out of eleven possible Liga trophies are testimony of that. With Leo Messi, the greatest player of all time among the team’s ranks, Barça have been practically unstoppable for over a decade.

Camp Nou salutes its champions | FC Barcelona
On the night of 27 April 2019, FC Barcelona got to celebrate a Liga title for the 26th time in club history! And for the second year in a row … and the eighth season in the last eleven! After an almost perfect championship, the Catalans have made sure of the trophy with three games to spare as the modern-day Barça legend continues.

Messi becomes FC Barcelona player with the most LaLiga titles | FC Barcelona
Leo Messi is no stranger to lifting the LaLiga trophy, and FC Barcelona’s 2018/19 title win is accompanied by a new honour for the Argentinian superstar. He is now a ten-time winner of LaLiga, making him the most decorated player in the club’s history in that regard.

Six key moments in Barça’s title triumph | FC Barcelona
The first big win of the season was the first LaLiga edition of El Clásico at the Camp Nou, as Ernesto Valverde’s men took a comprehensive victory against Real Madrid. A spectacular Luis Suárez hat-trick, plus further goals from Philippe Coutinho and Arturo Vidal, gave the three points to FC Barcelona.

Barcelona should enjoy ‘every minute’ of ‘best player in the world’ Messi, says Suarez | Goal
Luis Suarez says that his Barcelona team-mates have to enjoy “every minute” that Lionel Messi plays because he is “the best player in the world” after the Argentine secured the La Liga title for the club. The Argentine came off the bench to score the winner in the Blaugrana’s 1-0 victory over Levante on Saturday, handing them the Spanish domestic title in dominant fashion once again.

Valverde: Messi is the ‘core’ of Barcelona’s championship-filled era | ESPN
Lionel Messi’s goal earned Barcelona the La Liga title on Saturday and coach Ernesto Valverde says the forward is the main reason the Catalans keep on dominating in Spain. Messi’s second-half strike against Levante brought Barca the La Liga crown for the 26th time in the club’s history, with 10 of them coming since the Argentine made his debut in the 2004-05 season.



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How the papers reacted to Barca’s La Liga triumph

السبت، 27 أبريل 2019

Rakitic: We may wake up with a headache but we’ll be ready for Liverpool

The midfielder will enjoy the team’s title celebrations

Ivan Rakitic says Barcelona will celebrate their La Liga triumph after lifting the trophy on Saturday but will be ready for Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final against Liverpool.

The midfielder was happy to admit he had already hit the beers after helping Barcelona beat Levante 1-0 and may even wake up with a bit of a headache.

However, the Croatia international says his team will then turn their attentions to a couple of crucial games against Jurgen Klopp’s men.

“I’m not going to lie, I’ve already had a beer. We will enjoy tonight, we deserve it. Then we’ll rest.

“Tomorrow we have the day off so maybe we’ll wake up with a headache! Then we’ll think about the Champions League.”

Source | Mundo Deportivo

Barcelona’s players deserve to celebrate after retaining their title with games to spare, but they’ll need to be at their best when Liverpool visit the Camp Nou on Wednesday.



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Valverde happy to win La Liga but looks to ‘challenges ahead’

The Barcelona boss won his second title on Saturday

Ernesto Valverde has happy after watching Barcelona win La Liga on Saturday with a 1-0 victory over Levante.

The Barcelona praised his side for their efforts this season but is looking ahead with Liverpool up next in the Champions League.

“We are happy, but we still have challenges ahead,” he said.

”Winning the title with distance and with margin are things that with the competitors we have is difficult.”

Source | Goal

Lionel Messi came off the bench to score the only goal of the game, and Valverde also said it was always the plan for the captain to play “at least 45 minutes” ahead of the Liverpool clash.



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Iniesta congratulates Barca on ‘spectacular’ La Liga triumph

A special message from a special player

Andres Iniesta sent a special message of congratulations to Barcelona after his former club clinched the Spanish title on Saturday with victory over Levante.

Lionel Messi scored the only goal of the game to deliver an eighth title in 11 years to Barcelona and their 26th league title in total.

The club legend sent a video message from Japan to Barcelona, and he seemed pretty pleased after watching Ernesto Valverde’s men pick up another trophy.

Check it out:



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The best pics as Barcelona beat Levante to win La Liga



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Barcelona 1-0 Levante: Review

Recap of the action from Barcelona’s title clinching win.

Barcelona were able to survive a last minute push from relegation-threatened Levante to secure a 1-0 win and officially become crowned champions of the 2018-19 La Liga season. Until taking the lead midway through the second half, courtesy of who else but Lionel Messi, the hosts were by far the better side on the pitch, but threatened with the loss, Levante mounted a strong offensive, but ultimately fell short.

With the title on the line, Ernesto Valverde fielded a strong starting lineup, but some rotation remained with the Champions League looming. Most notably, Messi and Sergio Busquets stayed on the bench while Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele both started.

Barcelona wasted no time in their effort to secure the last three points to secure the title, and less than two minutes in, the hosts had their first opportunity to open the scoring. The play started deep in Barcelona territory with Nelson Semedo making a crucial pass to Dembele to start the break. In the final third, Dembele combined with Arturo Vidal who found Luis Suarez inside the area, who quickly fired on goal, but Aitor Fernández made a strong save.

Three minutes later, the shot-stopper was called into action again, this time denying Coutinho’s try from outside of the area. From the ensuing corner kick Barcelona threatened again, but neither Clement Lenglet nor Gerard Pique could get the crucial touch. The visitors offered little in attack in the opening stages, but even when they ventured forward, the Catalan defense easily coped with the danger.

After a lively opening ten minutes, the next ten offered little excitement, but as soon as the clock struck 21, Barcelona were at it again, with Suarez making a powerful run down the left side, before powering a drive on goal, but Aitor showcased lightning quick reflexes, flashing the right hand to make a great save. Four minutes later Barcelona had another chance, this time Arthur finding Coutinho in enough space inside the area to test Aitor, but the goalkeeper again made the save. Aitor won another battle with Coutinho the very next minute as the Brazilian’s header went too much down the middle to cause more problems.

The duo were at it again in the 27th minute, Coutinho taking aim from outside of the area, but the 27-year-old goalkeeper was in perfect position to make another save – his seventh. More excitement came in the 31st minute when Suarez went down inside the area, but Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea waved play on. Coutinho’s frustrating, yet highly eventful, night continued in the 41st minute when he stepped up to take a free kick won by Suarez, but the Brazilian’s shot rattled off the crossbar. The halftime whistle blew quickly after the conclusion of the 45 minutes, and the two sides somewhat shockingly went into the break scoreless.

Coutinho surely would like to have finished off at least one of his scoring chances, but he would not get a chance to feature on the scoreboard as he was left in the dressing room during the break, replaced by Messi. Messi quickly became highly involved, first combining with Dembele to create a half-chance that was cleared at the last second, and then taking a shot from the edge that was saved.

Barcelona continued to push forward and Levante were struggling to contain the Catalans, but the scoreless tie remained. That appeared destined to change in the 57th minute as Aitor was a mere spectator of Ivan Rakitić’s curling effort, but the ball whistled wide of the far post. Dembele attempted a similar shot three minutes later, but the result was similarly disappointing.

In the 62nd minute, the deadlock was finally broken. Dembele’s run from the left sideline in between two defenders was crucial as at that point the attack appeared dead, but that move to the middle broke the play wide open. However, the play stalled now on the right side, but a lucky bounce to Vidal allowed the Chilean to head the ball forward to Messi who juked past two defenders and slotted the ball out of Aitor’s reach and inside the far post for the deserved lead.

A lapse in concentration in defense immediately after the restart almost allowed Levante to level the score, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen made an excellent save on Borja Mayoral. From the following corner kick ter Stegen had to be alert again, punching the ball away. A couple minutes later, Barcelona’s carelessness on the ball, first by Rakitić, then by Jordi Alba, led to two excellent chance for the visitors. First José Luis Morales aimed wide while one-on-one with ter Stegen, then Enis Bardhi fired a close range free kick right into the wall.

Sloppiness from the Catalans continued as Levante continued to press forward, and Barcelona couldn’t organize their ranks, allowing the visitors to remain dangerous. Valverde made his second substitution in the 73rd minute - Busquets replaced Arthur. Barcelona finally returned to the attack with 15 minutes left to play and immediately there was danger for Levante, but from a very good spot Vidal couldn’t power his shot on goal.

Shortly thereafter ter Stegen was called into action again, calmly making a tricky save look easy. The back and forth action continued with Messi taking the next stab at changing the score, but again Aitor made the save. Sergi Roberto was the last Barcelona player to enter, in the 84th minute, replacing Dembele.

With time running out and points needed to maintain top-flight status, Levante were pushing forward, often leaving acres of space to exploit, but Barcelona couldn’t add to their lead. Not only that, Levante came within an inch of tying the game up in the 90th minute. Indecisiveness in defense allowed Bardhi to take a shot that hit the far post and bounced back into the hands of ter Stegen. Two minutes were added on and Levante continued to push for the equalizer. Barcelona were able to defend a last minute corner kick, and with three games to spare Barcelona were crowned La Liga champions for the 26th time in their history and their eight title in eleven years.

After a short period of on-pitch celebrations, the RFEF president Luis Rubiales handed the trophy to the captain, Lionel Messi, to hoist, and present to his teammates and fans. The celebrations will be short lived, however, as all of Barcelona’s focus will now turn to the Champions League where on Wednesday Liverpool awaits.



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Barça 1-0 Levante: CAMPEONES

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the eighth time in 11 years and the second straight season, Barcelona are champions of La Liga. The Blaugrana dominated the first 60 minutes of their match against Levante at Camp Nou, and a Lionel Messi goal in that period was enough to clinch the victory and the championship.

FIRST HALF

It was abundantly clear from the very beginning that Barça wanted to be champions, and they started to attack immediately thanks to a very focused and dynamic front trio of Ousmane Dembélé, Luis Suárez and especially Philippe Coutinho, who constantly moved around the final third and fired shots at goal. Barça were sharp and creative with the ball, and they just could not find a way to beat Aitor Fernández in the Levante goal. The visitors parked the bus from the start and offered no danger, and all they did was survive.

That really was the whole story of the first half, and at halftime the only question was if Barça would be able to find the winner in the final 45 minutes.

SECOND HALF

Things didn’t change to start the second half: Barça continued to dominate the ball, attack the Levante box and fire shots at goal. Lionel Messi came on for Coutinho at halftime, and the captain was instantly involved in the offensive moves. And after 60 minutes of pressure, Barça finally found a goal: Arturo Vidal won a challenge at the edge of the box and the ball fell to Messi, who easily beat his defender and scored the opener.

Levante enjoyed 10 good minutes after conceding and caused the Barça defense a few problems, but the Blaugrana weathered the storm and continued to create chances. As time went on, however, it was key for Barça to score a second goal and kill the game against a good attacking side. They didn’t, and Levante came extremely close to an equalizer, even hitting the post with two minutes to go.

But Barça survived, and the final whistle came to end the game and officially crown the best team in Spain as back-to-back La Liga champions. Well done, boys. You are awesome.


Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Semedo, Piqué, Lenglet, Alba; Vidal, Rakitic, Arthur (Busquets); Dembélé (Roberto), Suárez, Coutinho (Messi)

Goal: Messi (62’)

Levante: Fernández; Coke, Vezo, Rober, Luna; Vukcevic (Bardhi); Jason, Rochina (Martí), Campaña, Simon (Morales); Mayoral

Goals: None



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Lenglet explains how Pique helps him at Barcelona

The duo have made a strong centre-back pairing

Clement Lenglet has been talking about his partnership with Gerard Pique in the heart of the Barcelona defence and just how his fellow centre-back helps him out.

The Frenchman has become a regular alongside Pique in his first season at Barcelona and has been full of praise for his team-mate,

“He is very intelligent. Geri helps me a lot. He makes everything easier for you. He helps me to interpret the game and does not need to say it with words.

“Just looking at him is enough. We do not talk much. But you look at Gerard’s position, you look at his attitude, you look at his game and that’s enough for you. He is a very composed person and never transmits the feeling of nerves to anyone.

Source | El Periodico

Lenglet seems to have moved ahead of Samuel Umtiti in the pecking order at Barcelona, but he’ll face a fight to keep hold of his place in the team now the World Cup winner is back to fitness.



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Barça vs Levante: LIVE BLOG!

Follow along as Barça try to win La Liga!

WELCOME TO THE GREATEST STADIUM ON EARTH!!! Camp Nou is ready to rumble as Barcelona face Levante with the La Liga title on the line. If Atlético Madrid don’t lose to Valencia, Barça have to match their result to clinch the championship, and it won’t be easy against a dangerous attacking team that will play without fear. This should be a fun night, and it could end with Barça fans around the world celebrating back-to-back titles. So join us to follow and comment all the action! LET’S LIVE BLOG AND WIN LA LIGA!

(Note: the comments will be open only when the team news come out, because our commenter people love commenting and sometimes there are too many comments in the comments section)


MATCH INFO

Competition/Round: 2018-19 La Liga, Matchday 35

Date/Time: Saturday, April, 27, 2019, 8.45pm CET (Barcelona), 7.45pm BST/WAT (UK & Nigeria), 2.45pm ET, 11.45am PT (USA), 12.15am IST (India, Sunday)

Venue: Camp Nou, Barceona, Catalonia, Spain

Referee: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea

HOW TO WATCH, STREAM LA LIGA

How to watch on TV: beIN SPORTS En Español (USA & Canada - Spanish only), Eleven Sports 1, ITV 4 (UK), SuperSport 7 (Nigeria), SONY TEN 2 (India), Movistar Partidazo (Spain), others

How to stream: beIN SPORTS CONNECT (USA & Canada), ITV Hub (UK), Movistar+ (Spain), others


Matchday Thread Rules

We don’t have a lot of rules here, but there are a few things to keep in mind when joining our matchday threads:

Even if the referee sucks or we lose the game, no swearing. It’s just unnecessary. Also, don’t discuss illegal streaming links. Those who do it will be warned, and those who post links will be instantly banned. Finally, be nice to each other. This is a Barcelona community and we don’t need to offend one another.

Have fun with the game! Forever and ever, no matter the competition, VISCA EL BARÇA!



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FC Barcelona News: 27 April 2019

Barcelona set to seal eighth La Liga title in 11 years | Evening Standard

Barcelona are set to win their eighth La Liga title in 11 years on Saturday. Ernesto Valverde’s men will be crowned champions if they beat Levante, or they will also take the title if Atletico Madrid lose to Real Valladolid.

Malcom: I have the day Messi applauded my Champions League goal recorded | Marca

Malcom has been talking about life at Barcelona and how he felt when Lionel Messi applauded his goal against Inter Milan. He said: “During the game he is looking at the defence, it’s position and what he is going to do. It’s amazing. It is a unique feeling to play with him. I have the day that Messi applauded my Champions League goal recorded, I will never forget it.”

Chelsea knock Barça out of UEFA Youth League following penalty shootout | Sport

Chelsea knocked Barcelona out of the Youth League on Friday on a penalty shoot-out. Barcelona twice led the game, which finished 2-2, but were defeated on penalties. Chelsea go on to face Porto in the final on Monday.

Ansu Fati confirms his intention to renew contract with Barcelona | Sport

Barcelona starlet Ansu Fati spoke about his intention to stay at the club after the team were defeated in the semi-finals of the Youth League. He said: “I have always wanted to be here and I hope I can continue at the club. I want to keep winning titles with Barça. I’ve always won and won and won in La Masia and now we’ve lost La Liga and the Youth League. But there are still years ahead of me [at the club] and I have to keep going.”

Luis Suarez insists Philippe Coutinho will always face criticism | Metro

Luis Suarez has been talking about the criticism Philippe Coutinho has faced this season at Barcelona. He said: “Philippe is a friend, he’s young, and I try to advise him. At Liverpool he proved the player he is. It was hard for me and I told him it would be the same. You have to accept criticism but the most important thing is that he’s comfortable, happy, his team-mates trust in him, the manager trusts in him.”

European Golden Shoe: The players chasing Lionel Messi | Mirror

Lionel Messi still leads the race for the European Golden Shoe and looks set to land the award for a fifth time. However, there are still other players in contention with Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe and Sampdoria’s Fabio Quagliarella currently Messi’s closest contenders.



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Firmino could miss Barcelona clash with injury

The forward has a muscle problem

Liverpool may have to make do without Roberto Firmino for Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona at the Camp Nou.

The Brazilian missed the Reds’ Premier League win over Huddersfield Town on Friday, and manager Jurgen Klopp offered an update after the match.

“Bobby trained on Thursday completely normal. It was not high intensity, we had to work on set-pieces a bit, a couple of things.

”I didn’t see it in training, it happened obviously in the last situation in training, he felt the muscle a little bit.

”Now that’s the official diagnosis: he has a small tear in a very small muscle. Apart from the word ‘tear’ everything is positive.

”It’s Bobby so he might be ready for Wednesday, but we don’t know obviously in the moment.

”Because it’s him it’s more likely than not, but we will see. Of all the badness you can get it’s pretty much the best, but it’s still bad enough that he couldn’t play tonight.”

Source | Sky Sports

Firmino would be a big miss for Liverpool if he does not recover in time. He’s a key part of their frontline alongside Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah and has 16 goals and seven assists for the season.



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Barça squad named for Levante

Ernesto Valverde has called up 22 players for Saturday’s title decider

The next Barcelona match is upon us! The Blaugrana welcome Levante to Camp Nou for the game that could clinch the La Liga title against Levante, and Ernesto Valverde has called up 22 players for Saturday’s matchup:


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

Defenders: 2. Nélson Semedo, 3. Gerard Piqué, 6. Jean-Clair Todibo, 15. Clément Lenglet, 17. Jeison Murillo, 18. Jordi Alba, 23. Samuel Umtiti, 24. Thomas Vermaelen

Midfielders: 4. Ivan Rakitic, 5. Sergio Busquets, 7. Philippe Coutinho, 8. Arthur, 20. Sergi Roberto, 21. Carles Aleñá, 22. Arturo Vidal

Forwards: 9. Luis Suárez, 10. Lionel Messi, 11. Ousmane Dembélé, 14. Malcom, 19. Kevin-Prince Boateng


It is interesting that Valverde has picked all of his available players for the game since only 18 can be uniform. There might be a reason for that: if Atlético Madrid lose to Valencia, Barça will be champions without playing, and if that scenario happens Valverde will be free to rest four key players for the Liverpool game without any repercussions for this match. We’ll really have to wait for the team news to find out who’s in and out of the final eighteen, but we already know Rafinha will be missing out due to injury.

Predicted starting XI (4-3-3):

Ter Stegen; Semedo, Murillo, Umtiti, Alba; Vidal, Rakitic, Arthur; Malcom, Messi, Dembélé


The match kicks off at 8.45pm CET (Barcelona), 7.45pm BST/WAT (UK & Nigeria), 2.45pm ET, 11.45am PT (USA), 12.15am IST (India, Sunday), and you can join us to follow and comment all the action.

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