Barcelona are reportedly moderately optimistic that Ansu Fati will be fit enough to play some part in the team’s crucial Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.
Fati has been sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained in the 3-3 draw against Celta Vigo but is closing in on a return to first-team action.
The 19-year-old was spotted heading into training on Tuesday despite the players having been given a couple of days off after the win over Villarreal.
✅ ANSU FATI, en el día de descanso del equipo, ha ido a entrenar.
Fati is said to be doing everything he can to be able to play in the match and there is “moderate optimism” at the club that he will be ready in time, according to Diario Sport.
However, the striker still has to “prove himself” with the group. The players return to training on Wednesday to start preparations for the visit of Real Betis at the weekend.
The report reckons that Xavi will only use Ansu “if he is one hundred percent and will not take risks” with the youngster.
Xavi spoke about Ansu’s fitness in his presser before the Villarreal match.
“He is doing very well, he has very good feelings. He has started to run, but we have to be careful. Then we will see if we can take the risk or not,” he said. “The other day we did it with Ousmane, he did not score but he was close and that is appreciated. Ansu is a very important player and we cannot risk losing him again, but it will depend on the player’s feelings.”
Barcelona will hope the youngster is available as a win is likely to be needed in Munich if the Catalans are to progress to the last 16. Ansu has four goals in eight appearances this season.
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Barcelona’s longtime crush Dani Olmo might not be an inevitability at the club after all. According to a report from Sport, Barcelona’s pursuit of the Spaniard might be over now that they’ve found a new winger to target.
The pursuit of Manchester City’s Ferran Torres has put the brakes on any sort of Olmo negotiations. It’s unclear if the arrival of Xavi in particular put the Olmo pursuit off, or if the change in direction is purely a financial move.
Torres has had success at the Etihad Stadium but as with most players at City, playing time isn’t all that consistent. Leaving the door open for a move to Barcelona. Given the injury history of any sort of attacking player at Barcelona, Torres should have a plethora of chances should he make the move.
There have been plenty of rumors already that Torres is keen to swap Barca for City but finding a way to make the deal happen remains a problem. Barca reportedly don’t want to/can’t pay more than €40 million but City want more like €60m.
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The new coach has to quickly adjust a tactic that went incredibly wrong with the last one
Barcelona’s win against Villarreal was a big one. It was the first time all season Barça have won back-to-back games in La Liga and it extended the unbeaten start of Xavi Hernández as manager. It was also a match that exposed a very worrying aspect of Xavi’s tactics that must be corrected very soon.
To make it as clear as possible: Xavi should drop his man-marking defensive system. Like, right now.
There is still a place in football for man-marking. It is not a defensive tactic of the past. Several of the top teams use today it in the buildup phase, because it’s the best way to shut down passing options and force opponents to either go long or try to dribble their way out of trouble, which can cause mistakes and lead to easy chances.
Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea goes man-to-man on the buildup. So does Julian Nagelsmann’s Bayern Munich. So does Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. It is still very effective. But all of those three teams have a simple rule: if man-marking doesn’t result in us winning the ball back or the other team crosses a certain spot on the pitch (usually the midfield line), revert back to our shape (Chelsea’s 5-4-1, Bayern’s 4-4-2, City’s 4-1-4-1) and defend in a zone.
That type of system that uses both man and zone depending on the situation or where the ball is certainly feels like the best current defensive strategy at the highest level. You can’t really defend the buildup in a zone; top teams will find the gaps and pass through you too easily. But defending man-to-man all across the pitch is quite simply suicidal. Assigning every player on the team a specific matchup and asking him to track his man no matter where he goes is the simplest way to destroy your shape, and top teams will easily figure out how to attack the massive spaces you’re leaving in behind.
Of all the problems with Ronald Koeman’s system at Barça, man-marking was without a doubt the worst. We covered this in our tactical analysis of the loss to Bayern at Camp Nou in the Champions League opener, where Nagelsmann and his players quickly figured out that moving around and changing positions would quickly expose the Barça defense.
Against Villarreal last Saturday, we saw the exact same problems. Barça started well and could have scored twice within the first 10 minutes, and after the first 20 it looked like they would destroy the Yellow Submarine. But Unai Emery quickly realized that right-back Eric García was man-marking left winger Moi Gómez, and asked Gómez to not play on the wing and instead move centrally whenever Villarreal had the ball.
He wanted García to vacate the right-back spot, follow Gómez whenever he went even if Gómez never touched the ball, and open up a giant space for left-back Alfonso Pedraza to explore. With Barça B winger Ez Abde making his first start for Barça and being new to such an aggressive a man-marking system, Emery got what he wanted. Time and time again.
That’s bad. Really bad. Abde lost Pedraza every single time, and Eric continued to follow Gómez around even after it was made clear that his man was never going to get the ball and was simply a decoy. The most concerning part about all of this was that Xavi did not adjust at halftime. The same thing kept happening, again and again and again.
There are two teams in Europe’s Top 5 leagues who defend man-to-man as aggressively as Xavi’s Barça have so far: Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta and Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United. Both of those teams have something in common: they are wildly entertaining and brilliant offensive sides, but are both horrible at the back which stops them from being truly competitive. Atalanta should be a serious Serie A contender every year, but they simply concede too many goals to be the best team in the league.
Leeds flirted with the Top 6 in the Premier League last season, but their defense let them down too many times. They are too injured to be fairly judged this season, but they’re still bad at the back.
After three games Xavi’s Barça seem to be going in the same direction: every game is going to be a lot of fun with plenty of chances for both sides, and if Barça score theirs and get some luck at the back they will win. Considering their attacking talent once the injured players return, they might win a lot more than they lose. But can they be truly competitive if they continue to allow so many big chances to teams with better attacking talent than Espanyol and Villarreal?
Xavi has already made tremendous improvement in the attacking side, and Barça will no doubt be a better team than they were under Koeman for that reason. But the defense will not improve if Xavi maintains the man-marking system. The reason it didn’t work under Koeman was not because Koeman was a bad coach: it’s because the players are not good enough to execute what is already a very risky system to begin with.
Ronald Koeman was too stubborn to admit his tactics did not fit his squad and refused to adjust. That was his biggest mistake.
Xavi cannot repeat it. For the team’s sake — and his own.
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It may seem a distant memory but it proved essential
Lionel Messi beat Robert Lewandowski to the 2021 Ballon d’Or, but it was close. Messi received 613 points, while the Pole got 580 and Jorginho got 460.
Messi’s Copa América campaign was surely the most important reason for his victory. He was the top scorer, top assister, and best player of the tournament, which he also won. He had a final to forget but was unplayable in essentially every other game.
However, his form for Barcelona should not be overlooked. He played the majority of his minutes with the Catalans for the time period that qualifies, which goes from January 1st to October 24th, when voting closed.
While his current team is Paris Saint-Germain, Messi had completed 90 minutes only 3 times for PSG across all competitions by the 24th.
Barcelona entered the new year 13 points back from first in La Liga, but what came was a blistering climb up the table, though it ultimately fell short.
In any case, Messi himself was in top form. He scored 23 goals and gave 8 assists in just 21 games, winning 16 man-of-the-match awards according to WhoScored. That allowed Messi to secure the Pichichi Trophy for the fifth time in a row, a new record. (It was also Messi’s 8th win overall, which extended his own record.)
Then, he won the Copa del Rey final with a brace and a man-of-the-match performance.
Still, with Barcelona finishing third in La Liga and out of the UEFA Champions League early, individual stats and a cup win would not be enough for Messi to win the Ballon d’Or.
That only really became a possibility when Argentina won the South American trophy, with Messi in the driver’s seat.
But we shouldn’t forget that Messi’s big numbers and elite performances with Barcelona played a part, too. Without those, he would’ve legitimately been a one-tournament wonder. And he would probably not win the prestigious individual award.
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The Ousmane Dembele situation is about to get all the more interesting. As December approaches, so does the supposed deadline for Barcelona and the Frenchman to renew their deal.
According to a report from Sport, Dembele’s camp has made it clear that if a deal isn’t reached by January, they won’t entertain offers to leave the Camp Nou in the winter transfer window. The options, according to Dembele, are either renew or leave for free in the summer.
Another meeting is planned for later this week which “could prove decisive” when it comes to Dembele’s future at the Camp Nou. Xavi has already said he wants the Frenchman to stay but the three-year renewal offer on the table is still unsigned as things stand.
What’s not clear, is that if they don’t reach a deal by January, if negotiations will continue into the New Year. We’ll just have to wait and see.
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Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or for a record seventh time on Monday but the GOAT’s victory has, perhaps unsurprisingly, not gone down well at Real Madrid.
Midfielder Toni Kroos spoke about the award on his official podcast and had a little rant about the fact that Messi had won instead of players such as Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“It’s absolutely not deserved,” he said.
“For me, Karim would have been the number one if you were really looking for the best individual player of the last year, because I can see from close quarters what an outstanding footballer he is.
“When I see how many decisive goals Cristiano has scored lately - Manchester United are still in the Champions League thanks to him alone - then, in my eyes, Cristiano would have also come before Messi.”
Benzema finished fourth in the final standings, while Ronaldo was down in sixth.
Kroos’s former Real Madrid team-mate Iker Casillas also had a bit of a pop in a post on Twitter.
“It is increasingly difficult for me to believe in football awards,” he wrote. “For me, Messi, he is one of the five best players in all of history but you have to know how to list the most outstanding players in a season. It’s not that hard.”
Real Madrid ended up empty-handed at the 2021 Ballon d’Or awards but it was a good night for Barca as Pedri won the Kopa Trophy, Alexia Putellas claimed the Women’s Ballon d’Or and Messi, of course, made even more history with his latest achievement.
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The final group game takes place at the Allianz Arena
Barcelona’s Champions League showdown with Bayern Munich on December 8 could be played without fans at the Allianz Arena due to the Covid situation in Bavaria.
Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder called for a return to empty stadiums on Tuesday ahead of a meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel and other state leaders.
“It makes no sense in the foreseeable future to admit viewers again,” he said.
“It is an important demand that we decide today that we will no longer admit viewers in the future. If that doesn’t work at the federal level, we would do it for Bavaria alone.”
It’s been reported that Bayern will play their next three home games (against Barca, Mainz, and Wolfsburg) without supporters in attendance.
Bayern’s next fixture is actually away from home and sees the Bavarian giants head to Borussia Dortmund for Der Klassiker.
Barca host Real Betis in La Liga on Saturday and will then turn their focus back to the Champions League.
Xavi takes his side to Germany knowing they must win to guarantee qualification to the last 16 but face a difficult challenge against a Bayern team that has already sealed top spot.
Barcelona will also qualify if Benfica fail to beat Dynamo Kiev. Should the two teams finish level on points then the Portuguese side will progress due to a superior head-to-head record.
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A round-up of the latest Barcelona news and rumors
Alexia wins 2021 Ballon d'Or - FC Barcelona
Alexia Putellas has won the Ballon d’Or 2021. The midfielder was named as the world player of the year in Paris on Monday night, where she was joined four team-mates who were also among the nominees (Paños, Paredes, Hermoso and Martens)
Pedri wins another award by taking Kopa Trophy - FC Barcelona
What a 2021 this is for Pedri. He may be out injured right now, but the Canary Islander is keeping himself busy collecting trophies. After being named in the Best XI of the European Championship, winning silver at the Tokyo Olympics, and being named Golden Boy by Tuttosport, Pedro González López has collected the Kopa Trophy for the world’s best player under the age of 21.
Messi wins Ballon d’Or - FC Barcelona
Leo Messi has won yet another Ballon d’Or. After a year in which France Football did not name a winner due to Covid-19, the Argentinian has been revealed as the world player of the year for 2021.
Two more kick off times confirmed - FC Barcelona
Two more kick off times have been confirmed for FC Barcelona with La Liga confirming the dates for weeks 18 and 19 of the league against Elche and Mallorca.
Barcelona set up meeting with Olmo's agent ahead of possible move - Football Espana
Barcelona are said to be set to meet the representatives Dani Olmo ahead of a possible transfer. Olmo was linked with Barca in the summer transfer window, and they actually made contact with RB Leipzig amid the departure of Antoine Griezmann, but it was too late.
Barcelona propose ambitious Cabral deal amid financial struggles - Football Espana
Barcelona continue to be linked with Barcelona Basel frontman Arthur Cabral. The Blaugrana are searching for ways to improve their squad during the transfer window, though they face a difficult task. As things stand, Barca are unable to sign players due to being too close their La Liga salary cap.
Roberto's future remains uncertain amid lack of Barca contract talks - Football Espana
Sergi Roberto continues to get closer to the end of his current Barcelona contract. Roberto is out of contract at Camp Nou at the end of the season, and there has been little movement in the way of talks over a new deal. The 29-year-old has been a fine servant for Barca since arriving as a youngster in 2006, but he now faces the prospect of having to leave.
Barcelona learn extent of Alba injury after Villarreal win - Football Espana
Barcelona have received an update on Jordi Alba’s injury. Alba started for Barca during their controversial win over Villarreal on Saturday evening. The Blaugrana won the clash 3-1, but for the second week running, they could count themselves lucky over a decision or two.
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Barcelona’s young midfielder Pedri used his platform at the Ballon d’Or gala to promote environmental causes and send support to those affected by a volcano in his native archipelago.
The youngster won the Kopa Award for best young player, and the Spanish international used his acceptance speech in part to promote important causes.
Pedri reminded people of the importance of using less plastic and said that recycling was crucial to help the environment.
His speech touched on many topics as he thanked those who helped him and sent support for those who need it.
“Thanks to everyone at Barça, all my coaches, all my teammates, especially the captains, who made it all easier - like Lionel Messi, who is here, thank you for all the help you gave me.
“I dedicate this award to my family, who always gave me advice” he said.
Messi was club captain when Pedri broke through for Barcelona last season. Moving onto a more somber, but still important, topic Pedri spoke about the recent eruption in La Palma, in the Canary Islands. Pedri is from a nearby island in the same Spanish archipelago.
“I want to make a special mention for the people in the island of La Palma, who are going through a tough time,” he said, sending his support to those affected by the volcano.
The eruption occurred in the Canary Islands, where he is from.
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Lewandowski didn’t end the night empty-handed. He picked up the striker of the year award as France Football came up with a couple of new prizes for 2021.
Messi also had some classy words of consolation for Lewandowski in his acceptance speech.
“Tell Robert that it is very special to have reached the final with him. Everyone agreed that last year you were the winner,” he said. “It couldn’t be done because of the pandemic, but I think you deserve to have this trophy at home.”
Messi ended last season by helping Barca win the Copa del Rey and scooping his eighth Pichichi award for being La Liga’s top scorer with 30 goals from 35 games.
He also broke even more records along the way. Pele’s mark of most goals for one club went, as did Gerd Muller’s record of scoring 30+ goals for 12 consecutive seasons. Messi even overtook Xavi’s record for most Barca apppearances.
The Argentine then headed off to the Copa America where he inspired his team to victory in Brazil and finally scooped a major honor at international level.
Of course it all went a bit wrong after that and Messi headed off to PSG. However, he’s already made it quite clear he’s determined to return to Barca once his time in France is up.
Congratulations Leo!
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Alexia Putellas has dedicated her Ballon d’Or win to her family, and in particular to her father. The FC Barcelona Femení and Spanish national team attacker capped off a banner year by being crowned the world’s best female player.
Putellas has talked over the years about her father, who died when she was a little girl, and was one of her main inspirations for taking up football.
“I want to dedicate - I’ll try not to get too emotional. At this time, to someone who is, and will always be, very important for me.”
She took a moment to collect her thoughts and people clapped.
She continued: “I do everything because of you. I hope you’re proud of your daughter, wherever you are, this is for you, dad.”
A few years ago, she told a Spanish newspaper that it was her father who first encouraged her to take up the sport.
“He gave me my start in football, he would take me to practices every day, for that reason, I would love it if he was still around.”
Putellas was born in Mollet del Vallès, in Catalonia, in 1994.
As a youth player she played with three of Catalonia’s biggest clubs: Sabadell, Barcelona, and Espanyol. It was with the latter that she broke through to first-team football, though she signed for Levante just one season after, before making another move after a single season again, this time to Barcelona.
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Alexia was part of the incredible team that swept everything before them last season, winning the Champions League, the league and the Copa de la Reina.
Barca Femeni’s dominance meant that five players were shortlisted for the award with Lieke Martens, Jennifer Hermoso, Sandra Paños and Irene Paredes joining Alexia.
It’s no surprise to see the captain, and reigning UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, finish top of the pile because she is quite simply the best player in the world.
Barca fans can also look forward to many more years of Alexia. The skipper put pen to paper on a new Barca contract back in October and extended her contract with the club until 30 June, 2024.
Congratulations, Alexia!
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Pedri was one of 10 nominees and beat off competition from players including Jude Bellingham, Mason Greenwood, Bukayo Saka, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz.
The youngster burst into the Barca team in 2020-21 after arriving from Las Palmas and became a regular, helping the Catalan giants win the Copa del Rey. He also played a key role for Spain at Euro 2020 and won silver at the Tokyo Olympics.
The teenager follows in the footsteps of Kylian Mbppe and Matthijs de Ligt who have both previously won the Kopa Trophy.
It’s the second individual award in a week for Pedri. He won the Golden Boy award last week, becoming the first Barca player since Lionel Messi to claim the prize
Pedri was also shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or and was ranked in 24th place. Not bad going by the youngster.
‘It would be a strong message for the whole world of football’
Barcelona defender Dani Alves has been asked for his thoughts on the 2021 Ballon d’Or with the winner set to be announced later today at a ceremony in Paris.
The Brazilian thinks the Golden Ball should be given to Christian Eriksen because it would send a “strong message” to the footballing world.
Eriksen collapsed on the pitch at Euro 2020 while playing for Denmark after suffering a cardiac arrest. The Dane received CPR and was shocked with a defibrillator before being taken to hospital.
The former Tottenham man was subsequently fitted with a heart-starting device and discharged from hospital, although he is not permitted to play again for Inter this season.
Alves thinks it would be a good idea to give Eriksen the award even though former teammate Lionel Messi is the best player in the world.
“Eriksen deserves the Ballon d’Or this year,” he said. “For what he’s been through.”
“It would be a strong message for the whole world of football, people would have more sensitivity.
“Messi is the best, he has been for 20 years, but it would be nice for everyone if Eriksen won it.”
The Brazilian also spoke about life back at Barcelona. Alves has been training with the first team but can’t play competitively until January. However, he is being tipped to make his first appearance since his return in the friendly against Boca Juniors on December 14.
“The feeling of having returned to Barcelona is different, the situation is more difficult and we must try to do things well,” he explained.
“We are in a phase of reconstruction, the club has to start again.”
Messi is expected to win the men’s Ballon d’Or for a record seventh time and claim top spot ahead of rivals such as Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema.
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A new report claims he’s no longer ‘non-transferable ‘
The future of Sergino Dest at Barcelona is making a few headlines on Monday with a new report suggesting the Catalans have a few doubts about the 21-year-old following the arrival of Xavi as coach.
Dest has been sidelined recently with a back problem but made his comeback as a late substitute against Benfica. However, he didn’t play at all against Villarreal and was not even called upon when Jordi Alba had to be replaced in the second half.
Mundo Deportivo reckon the fact Xavi’s not used Dest much is pretty telling and predict the American will really struggle for game time in January once Dani Alves is eligible to play competitively.
The report also reckons that within the club “there are certain doubts about Dest” and questions over whether he has the right profile. It seems the offensive side of his game is considered to be OK but there are issues with concentration in key moments and his ability to mark “important rivals.”
All of which means that Dest is, apparently, no longer considered ‘non-transferable’ even though he only arrived from Ajax a little over a year ago and has a contract that runs until 2025.
MD also reckon he’s one of even players (including Sergi Roberto, Clement Lenglet, Oscar Mingueza, Philippe Coutinho, Neto or Samuel Umtiti) who could potentially be used as part of a deal to bring Ferran Torres to the Camp Nou.
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A round-up of the latest Barcelona news and rumors
Recovery session after Villarreal win - FC Barcelona
The FC Barcelona squad were back at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on Sunday for a recovery workout following Saturday’s 3-1 win in Villarreal. The session was used to get their bodies in back in condition after the exertions of playing and the long coach journey back afterwards.
The week ahead at FC Barcelona - FC Barcelona
Following the 3-1 win in Villarreal, FC Barcelona now have the rare luxury ahead of a week without midweek fixtures in the build-up to Saturday’s game at home to Betis.
Frenkie de Jong back on target - FC Barcelona
Frenkie de Jong hadn’t scored for Barça since the Copa del Rey Final against Athletic Club on April 17, which topped off his most prolific season yet, with seven goals in all competitions.
Barcelona now know how much Manchester City want for Ferran Torres - SPORT
Barcelona have worked quietly on the signing of Ferran Torres in recent months, but there's no longer any need for discretion. All the cards are now on the table and Barça and Manchester City will try and find an agreement that satisfied all parties.
Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba is expected to be fit for Saturday’s La Liga clash against Real Betis at the Camp Nou despite being forced out of the win over Villarreal with an injury.
The Catalans have not issued an update on Alba’s condition which suggests it’s not too serious and Diario AS reckon he will be back for the weekend’s clash.
Alba asked to go off on the hour after feeling discomfort throughout the game but the report reckons he does not have a muscle injury and will be fine in 48 hours after popping a few anti-inflammatories.
Sergio Busquets is also fine despite being on the end of a very nasty challenge from Dani Parejo in the opening minutes of the game. He also avoided a booking which would have brought a one-game ban.
Barca had a recovery session on Sunday after the 3-1 win at Villarreal but the players now have two days off, as there’s no midweek game this week. The squad will return to training on Wednesday.
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A look at the latest gossip
Barca check on Martial
Today’s rumors start with news that Barca checked on Anthony Martial’s availability on a recent trip to Manchester to talk to City about Ferran Torres.
According to Ara, Mateu Alemany wanted to find out if the Frenchman could be offloaded this winter following the arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho at Old Trafford.
Barca are said to have “good reports” on Martial and he could be an option to move to the Camp Nou on loan in the Januay transfer window.
Barca discover Ferran Torres price
Of course, Ferran Torres appears to be Barca’s preferred choice but it’s likely any move for the Man City man will have to wait until the summer due to his price tag.
Sport report that the Premier League champions want around €80 million for Torres which is way out of Barca’s reach.
The report reckons Barca could stretch to €50m plus add-ons but it’s not clear if that offer would be enough to convince City to sell.
Julian Alvarez a target for Barca?
Barca’s financial problems mean there is also talk of other low-cost options the Catalans could potentially go for this winter.
One such player seems to be River Plate’s Julian Alvarez who the Catalans have reportedly been tracking “for months.”
Yet even Alvarez will not come cheap. The 21-year-old, who has scored 17 goals and contributed 6 assists this season, and is thought to be valued at around €20m.
Dembele wants ‘Ballon d’Or’ level salary
One way of raising some funds would be to sell some players, and Ousmane Dembele seems to be nearing the exit door as he is still yet to extend his contract.
Foot Mercato are now reporting that Dembele’s agent is demanding a “Ballon d’Or salary” if the Frenchman is to stay at the Camp Nou.
Another meeting has been scheduled between Barca and Dembele’s agent but the message from the player’s camp seems to be that the Catalans will have to splash out to keep the forward.
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The Frenchman has ruled himself out due to yellow card accumulation
Nabil Fekir, one of Real Betis’s most important players, will not be able to take the pitch as they take on FC Barcelona next Saturday due to yellow card accumulation.
He will serve a one match ban after getting booked during Betis’s 3-1 win over Levante today. He picked up the yellow in the 71st minute, when his team was winning 2-1. He would then assist Juanmi in the 78th before being substituted by Diego Lainez in injury time.
Fekir has been Betis’s most used player this season and is a key piece, acting as a playmaker for los verdiblancos.
He’s a French international who joined from Olympique Lyonnais in 2019.
In addition, Héctor Bellerín will also be unavailable due to a red card he got while taking part in Betis’s 3-0 win over Elche on the 21st.
Betis currently sit 5th in the table, four points ahead of Barcelona in seventh, although the Catalans do have a game in hand. Both are on a two-game winning streak. The match at Camp Nou will be hugely important if Xavi’s men want to at least register a top fourth finish this season.
Barcelona are still navigating an injury crisis, with Martin Braithwaite, Pedri, Sergio Agüero, Ansu Fati, and Sergi Roberto out injured. In addition, Dani Alves, Álex Collado, and Moussa Wagué are unable as they are not registered. The latter is also injured.
Gerard Piqué and Sergio Busquets are one card away from suspension.
For Betis, there are no injuries or suspension risks to report.
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Xavi will need to learn from this one and not repeat the same mistakes
It was a tale of two Barcelona teams against Villarreal on Saturday.
An excellent start, with Ez Abde in particular showing danger with every touch of the ball, and repaying his manager for showing confidence in him.
Halfway through the first period, however, the structure of the three-man backline broke down, with Eric Garcia getting exposed repeatedly on the right side.
Give credit to Ronald Araujo and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who covered for their teammates with important tackles and saves, and their manager who simply got the tactics wrong.
Photo By Ivan Terron/Europa Press via Getty Images
All was well to start things off.
Barcelona came out playing with energy, pressing high, and maintaining a dominant 80% possession up to the 20 minute mark.
For the first time in a long time, Barcelona looked dangerous on the right flank with Abde in attack mode.
Xavi deserves credit for this selection. Yusuf Demir and Ilias had good moments recently, but Abde is the one who can make the biggest impact on both sides of the ball.
Photo by Maria Jose Segovia/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
Once Villarreal discovered Barca’s defensive vulnerability on the left flank, the game turned, and the Catalans were fortunate to make it to half-time without surrendering any goals.
It was so bad, in my opinion, that a half-time adjustment was practically screaming out.
Put in Sergino Dest as the right full-back? That’s an option.
Stay with the three center-backs, but put Clement Lenglet on the left, with Ronald Araujo taking over for the overwhelmed Eric Garcia? Another logical choice.
But Xavi did nothing, and the problem not only remained in the second half, it got worse once Jordi Alba went down with an injury.
Even with a 1-0 lead, you could see the tide turning, and Barcelona without the needed in-game management to counter it.
Not having Alejandro Balde available was yet another frustrating setback for the manager.
But come on, this one was easy.
You have Sergino Dest. An incredibly versatile full-back who has already shown his ability to fill in on the left side with aplomb. He’s done it both for Barcelona this season and the USMNT.
Unless there’s something Xavi knows about Dest’s fitness that we don’t, this was unforgivable.
Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Oscar Mingueza has been struggling of late, and he was given the complicated task of playing on his weak side, and stopping Barcelona killer Samuel Chukwueze.
The moment Mingueza went in, and Abde came out, Villarreal put the pedal to the metal, determined not just to recover one point, but to take all three.
Abde was the best player on the day and he also, perhaps surprisingly, has the best dribbling record in La Liga. The teenager attempts a dribble every seven minutes and has completed 12 in 131 minutes played.
Why take him out with all the impact he was making, especially when Ousmane Dembele is capable of playing both sides?
But it wasn’t just the substitutions. His players weren’t playing the Xavi way.
Absolutely no pressing up front to win the ball back.
Without that, the game falls apart.
Hopefully Xavi gets on his forwards and attacking midfielders for their capitulation there.
In the end, however, the result is what counts, and the fury of attacks down the stretch will be what’s remembered.
So far, it looks like luck but may be on Xavi’s side, and that may be all he needs to learn his lessons, and make the team better the next go around.
How brilliant to see Memphis score the game-winning goal with such composure against the run of the play.
This is a man who has been struggling for form, but is undroppable with the lack of options up front.
Could this be the goal that starts a run of productivity?
Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images
Usually it’s Barca who surrender cheap goals on the counter attack, even when they’re dominating the game, but this time circumstances were reversed.
That’s football.
Good fortune will find it’s way to you at some point, but you have to do something with it.
Great to see Philippe Coutinho have a moment in the sun as well.
It’s hard to see him playing much going forward, but it would be a boost to have him gain confidence and play even a small role off the bench.
Xavi, this time around you got the result in spite of a poor performance.
That’s OK considering that recently the performances have been quite good, and the team deserved more than they got.
Good managers will recognize luck when they have it and won’t abuse it.
The team will not survive another outing like this.
Barcelona have had to wait until the end of November but have finally managed an away win in La Liga. They also picked up back-to-back wins in the league for the first time in 2021-22 which tells you plenty about how the season has gone so far.
It wasn’t a convincing win by any means but the three points were vital and should provide some much-needed confidence and belief going forwards. Barca now face Real Betis, Osasuna, Elche, and Sevilla before the end of the year.
1 - @FCBarcelona have won a @LaLigaEN away game for the first time this season (G6 W1 D3 L2) and also it’s the first time they’ve won back-to-back games in the competitions in 2021/22. Effect. pic.twitter.com/39DbYhwGNt
The victory means Xavi now has two wins and a draw in his first three games in charge and has seen his team score four times and (somehow) concede just once despite offering up plenty of chances. The results are improving but obviously there’s still a long way to go and a lot of issues to fix.
Xavi gets very lucky
There’s no doubt that Barcelona’s victory over Villarreal was pretty fortunate. A wild game at El Madridal saw some very dubious refereeing, Xavi coming up with some curious tactics, the woodwork hit a couple of times, and a little spat between the two managers after the game.
Dani Parejo could easily have been sent off in the opening minutes for a horrible foul on Sergio Busquets, while Villarreal wanted a penalty when Gerard Pique seemed to block Arnaut Danjuma’s shot with his hand. Neither decision was given.
Barca had started off well, with Gavi and Ez Abde both hitting the post, but then simply disappeared. Frenkie de Jong’s goal put the visitors ahead but after Samuel Chukwueze had equalized there only looked like one winner.
Yet somehow Barca stole it at the death. A long punt upfield from Marc-Andre ter Stegen found its way to Memphis Depay who showed remarkable composure to round Rulli, slot the ball home and put Barca 2-1 up.
And there was still time for more drama when Philippe Coutinho scored a penalty to complete the win. Xavi knew Villarreal didn’t deserve to lose and said as much after the final whistle. He’ll also know he needs to learn from this one.
Eric Garcia’s not a right-back
One of the problems with Barca’s set-up was the use of Eric Garcia on the right of the defense. The 20-year-old took over from Oscar Mingueza, who struggled last time out in La Liga, and simply highlighted how he isn’t a right-back either.
Indeed the right flank was an issue for Barca for most of the game and one which Villarreal exploited time after time. Changes looked almost certain at the break and it was a surprise when Xavi opted to keep things as they were.
Garcia had seemingly been tasked with following Moi Gomez everywhere, leaving the right side exposed. The decison also left 19-year-old winger Ez Abde neding to defend against Alfonso Pedraza which seemed to confuse the youngster.
There was also a clumsy moment from Garcia in the second half when he was a little fortunate not to concede a penalty after grappling with Raul Abiol. There wasn’t too much in it but you’ve certainly seen them given.
De Jong ends his La Liga drought
Barca’s first goal came from the boot of Frenkie de Jong who opened his account for the 2021-22 season and also ended his goal drought in La Liga. It’s been 10 months since the Dutchman last found the back of the net in the Spanish top flight.
De Jong won’t score too many easier goals either, althought it was nice to see someone actually following in and being on hand to tap home from close range for once.
28 - Frenkie de Jong has scored his first @LaLigaEN goal since January 2021 against Elche, ending his longest run without scoring in the competition with @FCBarcelona (28 games in a row). Smile. pic.twitter.com/Pi7n6H4she
There’s been plenty of talk about De Jong recently with suggestions even that Barca might be better off trying to sell the 24-year-old in the summer to try and raise some cash to strengthen the team elsewhere.
Yet this was a lively performance from De Jong who pulled the strings in midfield and should have had an assist in the opening 20 minutes. He teed up Memphis for a glorious chance that the Dutchman rolled wide and also played in Memphis to find Gavi who hit the post.
Confidence boosts for Memphis & Coutinho
Goals have been a problem for Barcelona this season, which is no surprise given the injuries to attackers, but they did manage to find two late strikes from two players who might just have needed them the most.
Memphis had missed a couple of great chances earlier in the game which looked to have sucked the belief out of the forward. Yet he took his goal superbly and admitted after the game his strike was a confidence-booster.
The Dutchman also unselfishly handed over penalty-taking duties to Coutinho who won the spot-kick after coming on as a substitute. He said after the game that the Brazilian had asked to take the kick and he agreed because, “he needed it for his confidence. If he is happy, I am happy.”
Coutinho is yet to start in Xavi’s three games in charge, which seems quite telling, and may not last much longer at the Camp Nou but despatched his penalty confidently which should help him.
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Memphis does it again! - FC Barcelona
Against Villarreal, Memphis scored in his fourth league game in a row. He now has eight in total, making him second top goalscorer in the championship, topped only by Karim Benzema.
Ez Abde shines in first start for FC Barcelona - FC Barcelona
Tacking, taking men on, crossing and even heading onto the crossbar… We had a bit of everything from Ez Abde in his first ever senior start in a blaugrana jersey. And he even played a role in the first goal of the night against Villarreal.
Xavi hails 'golden Barcelona win' away at Villarreal - Football Espana
Barcelona boss Xavi believes his side were fortunate to pick up a 3-1 La Liga win away at Villarreal in Saturday night action. Three points at El Madrigal means the Catalan giants have now secured six points from two league games under the former Spanish international. However, they were forced to survive a late scare as Samuel Chukwueze’s leveller cancelled out Frenkie de Jong’s controversial opening goal.
Marc Cucurella admits he'd like to return to Barcelona some day - Football Espana
Marc Cucurella has revealed that he’d like to return to Barcelona at some point in his career. Cucurella joined Brighton for €18m from Getafe this past summer, but speaking to DAZN in comments carried by Diario Sport admitted he’s pained to have never played at Camp Nou as a Barcelona player.
Barcelona are tracking the River Plate forward Julian Alvarez - SPORT
As Barcelona try to sign Manchester City's Ferran Torres, their top target to strengthen their attack, other names continue to be linked with the Catalan club. One of those players is the River Plate forward Julian Alvarez, with Esport3's Oriol Domenech reporting Barça's interest in the youngster.
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It’s an obvious statement to make, but that’s a game that Barcelona would’ve lost under Ronald Koeman.
At times there was about as much direction from the bench as the Dutchman seemed to muster, though Xavi rode his luck and eventually saw his side do enough to see the game out.
Indeed, there were large parts of Saturday night’s game that were a very tough watch indeed for Barca fans.
Play was disjointed and not at all fluid, and once the Yellow Submarine pulled one back, it appeared that the only winners, if there was to be one, would be the home side.
Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images
Bringing on Oscar Mingueza rather than Sergino Dest also appeared to be an odd decision from the coach though it’s possible Xavi has been conditioned by the issues that occur when rushing players back.
Reintroducing Ousmane Dembele gradually for example, is exactly the right way to be going about things, and with the expected addition of Dr. Ricard Pruna to the medical team, perhaps persistent injury concerns will once again become a thing of the past.
It would be easy to be overly critical, however, this is a project that is still in its infancy and there was enough to be happy about across the 90 minutes.
What seems obvious is that Xavi already has the buy in from his players that Koeman never did, and that’s a great basis from which to build.
As with the Villarreal test there will be bumps in the road along the way, and the important thing to note is how his young players bounce back from any disappointments.
Clearly, most of them have what it takes in terms of skill set to wear the blaugrana with pride, but what sort of mentality do they have? How long will the disappointments linger?
Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images
At least in Xavi they have a coach who perfectly well understands what’s necessary to succeed, both on and off the pitch. Maybe he’s a lucky coach too, and that’s certainly no bad thing.
Ultimately, playing eye-catching football with young bucks is all well and good, but at this stage all that matters is getting results and climbing back up the league table.
With over half of the season still to go, there’s plenty of time for more expansive fare further down the road.
For now, let’e enjoy the fact we’ve won two in a row for the first time this season, and a first away win to boot.
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Photo by Maria Jose Segovia/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
The left-back went off in the second half
Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba became the latest player to succumb to injury during Saturday’s La Liga clash at Villarreal.
The 32-year-old hobbled off in the 70th minute and was replaced by Oscar Mingueza for the final part of the game at El Madrigal.
Alba appeared to have suffered some kind of muscle injury to his left leg but it’s not clear yet how serious the problem might be.
Xavi said after the game that Alba had been struggling earlier in the game but decided to continue. He told reporters, “Jordi Alba already told me he was having discomfort at half time, but he wanted to stay on. He made an important effort to continue on the pitch.”
Barca do have a week until they play again which does give Alba some time to recover. The team’s next game is in a week’s time against Real Betis at the Camp Nou.
Xavi could turn to Alejandro Balde if Alba is forced onto the sidelines. The youngster was back with Barca B this weekend and came on as a substitute in Saturday’s defeat to San Fernando.
Alba joins Ansu Fati, Sergio Aguero, Pedri, Sergi Roberto, and Martin Braithwaite on the club’s lengthy injury list.
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Barcelona coach Xavi admitted his team got lucky against Villarreal on Saturday after picking up a first away win of the season in La Liga.
Frenkie de Jong put Barca ahead but Villarreal leveled through Samuel Chukwueze and looked the more dangerous team in the closing stages.
However, late goals from Memphis Depay and Philippe Coutinho gave Barca all three points and handed Xavi a second win in a row as first-team coach in La Liga.
Here’s what he made of the game.
“We dominated less than I expected but in the end we found the goal from Memphis. We have played against a good team and we have defended well but they have scored the goal from a silly throw-in. They are three golden points,” he said.
“Villarreal did not deserve to lose today. It was a very close game. It is the game, of the three that I have managed, that we have dominated the least and have deserved to win the least.
“We have to play better. We have to dominate more, overcome the pressure ... but we are on the right track. We will give everything, it will not be for sacrifice and work. They are three vital points.”
Xavi was also asked about rumors he wants Barca to sign Ferran Torres but said only, “it’s not the moment to speak about signings as we celebrate a win with the players we have here at the moment.”
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Barcelona have won back-to-back games in La Liga for the first time this season thanks to a hard-fought 3-1 victory away to Villarreal. Barça played their worst match under Xavi and left it very late, but got two goals in the last six minutes and escaped El Madrigal with three crucial points.
FIRST HALF
The first 10 minutes were wild at the Madrigal, with Dani Parejo almost breaking Sergio Busquets’ ankle in the first minute and not even getting a yellow card, Ez Abde having a header brilliantly saved by Gerónimo Rulli onto the crossbar, Gerard Piqué saving a shot by Arnaut Danjuma with his hand and not being called for a penalty, and both Memphis Depay and Gavi missing clear chances.
Barça dominated the next 10 minutes with some excellent offensive football and created a huge chance when Frenkie De Jong played a sensational through ball to put Memphis one-on-one with the keeper but Depay somehow missed the target completely. Barça had almost 80% possession in the first 20 minutes, and it looked as though they would be in control for the entire half.
But Unai Emery’s side grew into the game and started exploring a clear weakness in the Barça defense: young Ez Abde on the right wing and Eric García at right-back. The two players looked completely lost trying to track their men and Alfonso Pedraza became the most dangerous player on the pitch by constantly losing Ez Abde and running into the space vacated by García.
Villarreal created chance after chance that way, with two big ones falling to Danjuma but the Dutch winger was unable to beat Marc-André ter Stegen in goal. The Yellow Submarine finished the half as the superior side, and at halftime Barça were on the ropes and Xavi needed to make some serious adjustments to avoid disaster in the second half.
SECOND HALF
There was no tactical adjustment at the half, but Barça changed the game in the final period with an early goal: after a cross from Jordi Alba on the left, Memphis had his shot saved by Rulli but De Jong scored on the rebound into an open net and Barça took the lead just five minutes into the second half.
Villarreal stepped up their pressure after going behind and Barça completely lost their shape. The Blaugrana struggled to keep possession and their defense looked more and more disorganized, and they finally paid for it when Manu Trigueros played a ball over the top, Danjuma got to it before Piqué and Samuel Chukwueze then anticipated Óscar Mingueza and found the back of the net for the equalizer.
The home team continued to dominate in the final 15 minutes and had several really good opportunities to find the winner, but somehow, someway, the winner was scored by the visitors: after a long ball by Ter Stegen was not properly cleared by Pervis Estupiñán, Memphis Depay got to the ball before the Villarreal defense, rounded the keeper and nutmegged the defender at the line to give Barça the lead.
There was still time left for Villarreal to find an equalizer, but Barça made sure of all three points when Philippe Coutinho won a penalty and scored from the spot to make it 3-1. The final whistle came, and Barça have won two games in a row for the first time in the league this season.
This was by far the worst performance of the week, and Xavi didn’t help his team either. Barça were very lucky to win this one, but they never won these sorts of games under Ronald Koeman. Perhaps luck is on Xavi’s side, but he has a lot of work to do.
Barcelona vice-president Rafa Yuste was asked about rumors that the Catalan giants are trying to sign Ferran Torres from Manchester City before kick-off against Villarreal and admitted there’s been contact between the clubs.
The Catalans are said to have been secretly working on a possible deal for months. Yuste didn’t want to give too much away but did admit CEO Ferran Reverter had paid the Premier League champions a visit.
“Ferran is a great player, like others. We are working with discretion to seek the best for the club,” he said.
“We simply have friends at City, there is a very good relationship and Reverter has paid a courtesy visit.”
Reports of Barca interest in City first broke on Friday and have continued over the weekend. It’s been claimed Torres is pretty keen on a move to Barcelona and City may not stand in his way if he wants to go.
The problem, of course, is going to be how Barca can possibly finance a deal given their perilous financial situation. City are said to want around €40 million and Barca would surely have to offload players first.
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WELCOME TO EL MADRIGAL!!! The gorgeous home of Villarreal is the site of a huge La Liga match between the hosts and Barcelona, who come into this one looking to start a winning streak in the league after last week’s Derby victory. Xavi has already made his mark in the first two games and will be looking to stay unbeaten as manager, but it won’t be easy against a tough Yellow Submarine. This should be fun, and you’re welcome to join us to follow and comment all the action. Vamos!
(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: 2021-22 La Liga, Matchday 15
Date/Time: Saturday, November 27, 2021, 9pm CET/WAT (Barcelona & Nigeria), 8pm GMT (UK), 3pm ET, 12pm PT (USA), 1.30am IST (India, Sunday)
Venue: Estadio de la Cerámica (forever El Madrigal in our hearts), Villarreal, Spain
Referee: César Soto Grado
VAR: José Luis Munuera Montero
HOW TO WATCH, STREAM LA LIGA
How to watch on TV: Not Available (USA), TSN 5 (Canada), LaLigaTV (UK), SuperSport (Nigeria), MTV (India), Movistar LaLiga (Spain), others
How to watch online: ESPN+ (USA), LaLigaTV (UK), 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, watch the 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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Xavi tells Puig how to save Barcelona career amid exit links - Football Espana
Xavi Hernandez has told midfielder Riqui Puig what he must do to save his Barcelona career. Puig was linked with a move away from Camp Nou over the summer having failed to win over Ronald Koeman. But he gets a fresh chance under new boss Xavi, like the rest of the Barcelona squad.
Barça coach Xavi: The return of Dr. Ricard Pruna is fundamental - SPORT
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez confirmed he wants Doctor Ricard Pruna to return to the club in a press conference on Friday. Xavi has already decided to get rid of Lluis Til and Xavi Yanguas, who until now had been in charge of the first team's medical department. Pruna is who Xavi wants to replace them. He was previously the doctor at Barça during Xavi's time as a player.
Barça forward Dembele puts Newcastle United's offer on hold - SPORT
Barcelona are continuing to work on renewing Ousmane Dembele's contract renewal, so far without success. New coach Xavi considers the Frenchman an important part of his project and the club will try and tie him down to new terms. For now, however, the offer does not satisfy Moussa Sissoko, the player's agent.
Xavi has called up 23 players for Saturday’s match
The next Barcelona match is upon us! The Blaugrana travel to El Madrigal for a huge La Liga game against Villarreal, and Xavi Hernández has called up the following 23 players for Saturday’s clash:
Goalkeepers: 1. Marc-André ter Stegen, 13. Neto, 36. Arnau Tenas
Defenders: 2. Sergiño Dest, 3. Gerard Piqué, 4. Ronald Araujo, 15. Clément Lenglet, 18. Jordi Alba, 22. Óscar Mingueza, 23. Samuel Umtiti, 24. Eric García
Midfielders: 5. Sergio Busquets, 6. Riqui Puig, 11. Yusuf Demir, 14. Philippe Coutinho, 21. Frenkie De Jong, 28. Nico González, 30. Gavi
Forwards: 7. Ousmane Dembélé, 9. Memphis Depay, 17. Luuk De Jong, 33. Ez Abde, 37. Ilias Akhomach
For the first time in a while a Barça manager has no fresh injuries to worry about and Xavi is able to call up the same first team players that were in uniform against Benfica, as well as youngsters Akhomach and Ez Abde who return to the squad after being unable to play in the Champions League. Ansu Fati (hamstring), Pedri (thigh), Sergi Roberto (thigh), Martin Braithwaite (knee) and Sergio Agüero (heart) miss out through injury, while Dani Alves is unable to play until January.
Predicted starting XI (4-3-3):
Ter Stegen; Dest, Araujo, García, Alba; Nico, Busquets, De Jong; Demir, Memphis, Gavi
The match kicks off at 9pm CET/WAT (Barcelona & Nigeria), 8pm GMT (UK), 3pm ET, 12pm PT (USA), 1.30am IST (India, Sunday), and you can join us to follow and comment all the action.
VISCA EL BARÇA!
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Every time you think you’ve already seen everything that Barcelona’s all-conquering women’s team can do, they go ahead and find a way to outdo themselves. Last week was no different when they traveled to Sevilla for what could have been a tricky league match.
It wasn’t tricky. At all. Far from it. In fact, it was a 10-star performance as the champions completely dismantled the hosts en route to a sensational 10-1 win, featuring four goals from Jenni Hermoso in what was the most dominant victory for Femení this season.
But that wasn’t the only noteworthy news from the week for Barça Women. Captain Alexia Putellas was named the 2021 Women’s World Best Player by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, a good omen for the Barça superstar ahead of Monday’s Ballon D’Or ceremony.
⭐ Alexia Putellas has been named as The World's Best Women's Player of 2021 by IFFHS. pic.twitter.com/6017gnvqvW
Alexia, alongside four of her Barça teammates (Sandra Paños, Irene Paredes, Lieke Martens and Jenni Hermoso) will attend the ceremony in Paris and is expected to be officially named the world’s best player by France Football. The captain is the overwhelming favorite to win the award after winning a Treble with Barça last season and continuing her form into the new campaign, and any other winner would be an absolute shocker.
Women’s club football is currently in an international break so Barça won’t play this weekend, but they will return to action next weekend with a home game against Athletic Bilbao to start a busy December in which they’ll finish the Champions League group stage and play El Clásico against Real Madrid.
Before all that, though, we will celebrate the coronation of the world’s best footballer. Bow down to Queen Alexia.
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Barça travel to a historically tough ground to face a struggling Yellow Submarine in a crucial league match
Villarreal CF (12th, 16pts) vs FC Barcelona (7th, 20pts)*
*Points and positions at the time of writing on Friday
Competition/Round: 2021-22 La Liga, Matchday 15
Barcelona Outs & Doubts: Ansu Fati, Pedri, Sergi Roberto, Martin Braithwaite, Sergio Agüero, Dani Alves (out)
Villarreal Outs & Doubts: Gerard Moreno (out)
Date/Time: Saturday, November 27, 2021, 9pm CET/WAT (Barcelona & Nigeria), 8pm GMT (UK), 3pm ET, 12pm PT (USA), 1.30am IST (India, Sunday)
Venue: Estadio de la Cerámica (forever El Madrigal in our hearts), Villarreal, Spain
Referee: César Soto Grado
VAR: José Luis Munuera Montero
How to watch on TV: Not Available (USA), TSN 5 (Canada), LaLigaTV (UK), SuperSport (Nigeria), MTV (India), Movistar LaLiga (Spain), others
How to watch online: ESPN+ (USA), LaLigaTV (UK), others
Following a brutal goalless draw against Benfica in the Champions League, Barcelona are right back in action for a third game in seven days as they travel to the beautiful city of Villarreal to face the Yellow Submarine at the historically tough El Madrigal. (Don’t let anyone tell you the stadium has another name.)
Barça come into this La Liga match having finally returned to winning ways in the league thanks to a tough, narrow victory in the Catalan Derby against Espanyol in Xavi’s managerial debut. Even though the result against Benfica was disappointing, the first two games with Xavi in charge have been very encouraging to Barça fans and there is a hope that the short-term effects of the coaching change will be even more positive than expected.
There are still several problems in this team and they need time to recover the injured players and work on the issues that Xavi has already identified. No one ever thought this would be a quick fix, but Barça were very competitive in the last two matches and might make some noise this season if Xavi continues to evolve his side.
A good way to prove how good this team can be is a win away to Villarreal. Even though the Yellow Submarine hasn’t beaten Barça in their last 24 encounters, they always find a way to make it incredibly difficult. That’s especially the case at the Madrigal, and that’s even more true with Unai Emery in charge. The Europa League Daddy seems to relish coming up against Barça and making them suffer more than any other team, and he’ll undoubtedly come up with a good gameplan against Xavi.
Villarreal have been struggling as of late, and it’s no coincidence that this team has been very poor in front of goal since the injury to star striker Gerard Moreno. They clearly lack a scoring threat but can still be dangerous from set pieces and have enough strength in midfield to press Barça all over the pitch and force mistakes in bad positions for the Blaugrana.
This will be tough, sometimes a little too physical, and will probably be decided by a mistake on either side. Barça have to be ready for a battle, and must find a way to convert their chances against a good Villarreal defense.
Let’s dance.
POSSIBLE LINEUPS
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Dest, Araujo, García, Alba; Nico, Busquets, De Jong; Demir, Memphis, Gavi
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Photo By Ivan Terron/Europa Press via Getty Images/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23046811/1236848264.jpg)
Photo by Maria Jose Segovia/DeFodi Images via Getty Images/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23046814/1236851906.jpg)
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