Barcelona has played 22 official games (12 in the Liga, 5 in the Champions League, 2 in the Copa del Rey, 2 in the Spanish Super Cup and 1 in the European Super Cup)

Goals:
Player - La Liga – CL – Copa – SSC/ESC/WCC - Total
Messi 7 1 1 2 11
Pedro 3 2 3 2 10
Ibra 8 1 0 0 9
Keita 6 0 0 0 6
Bojan 1 0 2 1 4
Pique 2 1 0 0 3
Xavi 0 0 1 1 2
Alves 2 0 0 0 2
Henry 1 0 0 0 1
Total 30 5 7 6 48


Assists:
Player - La Liga – CL – Copa – SSC/ESC/WCC - Total
Xavi 5 1 0 1 7
Ibra 4 1 0 1 6
Messi 4 0 0 1 5
Alves 4 1 0 0 5
Iniesta 2 1 1 0 4
Pedro 0 0 2 1 3
Keita 2 0 0 0 2
Busquets 2 0 0 0 2
Jeffren 0 0 2 0 2
Abidal 1 0 0 0 1
Maxwell 1 0 0 0 1
Bojan 0 0 1 0 1
Puyol 1 0 0 0 1
Henry 0 1 0 0 1
Dos Santos 0 0 1 0 1
Total 26 5 7 4 42


Yellow Cards:
Player - La Liga – CL – Copa – SSC/ESC/WCC - Total
Keita 4 0 0 0 4
Puyol 1 2 0 1 4
Toure 1 1 0 1 3
Pique 2 0 0 1 3
Alves 1 1 0 1 3
Ibra 3 0 0 0 3
Xavi 1 0 0 1 2
Chygry 2 0 0 0 2
Iniesta 1 1 0 0 2
Pedro 0 1 0 1 2
Busquets 1 0 0 0 1
Henry 0 1 0 0 1
Messi 0 0 0 1 1
Jeffren 0 0 1 0 1
Total 17 7 1 7 32


Red Cards:
Player - La Liga – CL – Copa – SSC/ESC/WCC - Total
Busquets 1 0 0 0 1
Total 1 0 0 0 1


Minutes Played:
Player - La Liga – CL – Copa – SSC/ESC/WCC - Total
Valdes 1080 450 0 300 1830
Xavi 970 450 25 290 1735
Pique 894 450 0 286 1728
Keita 981 363 80 300 1724
Puyol 877 360 60 300 1597
Alves 743 450 90 300 1583
Messi 841 360 30 210 1441
Abidal 663 448 33 210 1354
Ibra 760 355 0 152 1267
Busquets 761 113 180 45 1099
Toure 388 338 90 280 1096
Pedro 574 195 180 143 1092
Iniesta 630 328 65 0 1023
Henry 348 174 0 244 766
Maxwell 417 2 180 90 689
Chygry 567 - 90 0 657
Bojan 123 29 180 133 467
Marquez 155 80 180 0 415
Jeffren 75 5 142 17 239
Pinto 0 0 180 0 180
Dos Santos 0 1 100 0 101
Gai 0 0 57 0 57
Fontas 6 0 32 0 38
Soriano 0 0 6 0 6

1. The gallery mosaic that greeted fans and players at the Camp Nou on  Sunday was staged in commemoration of Barcelona’s 110th anniversary. The Catalan club was founded by Hans Gamper on November 29, 1899.

2. The most anticipated game of the season gathered 97,131 spectators, a new season record, topping last Tuesday’s 93,524 fans that watched the Barcelona-Inter Milan Champions League match/Eto’o’s homecoming.

3. Among those that watched at the Camp Nou were foreign dignitaries as well as Catalan actor  Eduard Fernández wearing an Alcorcón scarf, and legendary Belgian cyclist and long time Barcelona admirer, Eddy Merckx, who officially became a socio before the match  (he is member # 171, 070).

4.  In the tunnel before the match kickoff,  Barcelona goal keeper Victor Valdes sported the most serious demeanor neither speaking nor joking with Madrid players as did his team mates who were part of the Spanish selection.

5.  Self confident “10-20 goals” Cristiano Ronaldo fished for his first foul 35 meters from goal but managed to drive his free kick straight into Barcelona’s wall.  Ronaldo and team mate former Lyon striker Karim Benzema continue their record of not scoring against Barcelona despite many opportunities in the past.

6. Guardiola is said to have been so angered by the expulsion of Sergio Busquets that he could be heard scolding the player from the stands.  Busquet’s expulsion is the 7th earned by a Barcelona player in an El  Clásico match, the last player sent off being defender Oleguer Presas in the 2006/07 season.

7.  The last time that Barcelona won twice in succession against Madrid at the Camp Nou dates back to the era of the legendary Dream Team under Dutch coach, Johan Cruyff.

8. Legendary striker Cesar Rodriguez remains Barcelona’s top goalscorer against Madrid (14 goals) while Alfredo di Stefano leads the whites against the blaugrana with 12 goals.

9. The most repeated scoreline at the Camp Nou (8 times) are 2-1 and 1-0.  The last 2-1 result was recorded in the 1992/93 season with goals from Baker and Stoichkov for Barcelona and Michel for Madrid. The last 1-0 win dates back to the 1996/97 season with the Brazilian Ronaldo scoring the lone goal.

10. Last Sunday’s El Clásico between the two Spanish clubs was the 80th played at home.  Their head to head record shows that Barcelona have now won 46 matches (57%), Madrid with 18 wins (23%), and the rest, draws (16 matches).  For the last decade , it’s 4 home wins and 2 away for Barca, and 3 + 2 for Madrid, both team with 5 draws each.

Speaking to a news agency reporter after the draw for the Copa del Ray was made today, Sevilla coach, Manolo Jimenez said he can accept the result of the draw but stated that after this round “one of the favourites for the title will be eliminated,” and he hopes that “it will be Barcelona,” acknowledging however that “it will not be easy at all” even though he has “full confidence” in his players.

He lamented the fact that “it is demonstrated once again that, in this type of competitions, the luck of the draw is very important.”

Touching on his rival Barcelona, the current title holder, Jimenez said that “last season they were unshakable and now, not so much, but we’ll see in January, the month in which both teams will have absences due to the African Cup,” adding, “By then, everything (team’s strength) will be obvious, especially if there are fresh injuries.”

Jiménez also said he “likes playing the first match away” because “the home ground factor is always crucial.”

He also thought it is unfair that the winner of the Barcelona – Sevilla tie has “to face the winner of the Valencia – Deportivo tie in the quarters.”

“It would be unjust that to be the Champion of Spain, one has to eliminate two or three of its (favourites) rivals (in a row). It would make for a great tournament but very unbalanced,” he explained.

His opposite number, Pep Guardiola however is unfazed about the issue, saying “A ball is a ball – referring to the small balls in the drawing bowl – and you cannot do anything to control the outcome, it was the one that was picked up.”

The Barcelona coach said he predicted “two good games, both in Barcelona and Seville,” that will pit the two best ranked teams in la Liga who are still alive in the Copa.

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has revealed how current Barcelona goalscorer Thierry Henry suggested he join Arsenal a few years ago.

The Argentine international, who joined City in the summer from Manchester United, said he bumped into Henry in the carpark after Arsenal had played Tevez’s former club West Ham in 2006 and the Frenchman said he should come and join him at the Gunners.

“When I was left on the bench at West Ham and we were playing Arsenal, Thierry Henry bumped into me in the car park afterwards,” Tevez said.

“He said, ‘Hey, what are you doing here? Come and play with us – it’s incredible that you can’t get a game in this team'.”

But Tevez said he was happy to fight for his place in the team at Upton Park at the time and has done the same at every other club he has been at.

“Having got this far in my career, fighting for my place doesn’t bother me. I’m used to it. I’ve had it at all the big clubs I’ve played for,” he added.

“At Boca, Corinthians, West Ham, United and City. It's normal for there to be lots of good strikers. I never let my head drop. The harder the challenge, the more effort I put in to win a place. That’s what I am doing here.”

MESSI WINS BY A LANDSLIDE

Ballon d’Or 2009. He is the 8th blaugrana to get the award

1st – Luis Suárez (1960)

2nd – Johan Cruyff (1971, 1973 and 1974)

3rd – Hristo Stoichkov (1994)

4th – Ronaldo (1997)

5th – Rivaldo (1999)

6th – Figo (2000)

7th - Ronaldinho (2005)

8th – Messi (2009)

Leo beats records (in Ballon d’Or’s election) getting the most votes difference ever.

La Masia participates for the first time and, among Messi, there are Xavi (third) and Iniesta (fourth) too.

Copa (del Rey): Barça – Sevilla in round of 16. An infernal drawing which complicates the tough “January uphill”*

Losing (playing) away is forbidden for the 4th time. Xerez – Barça (22h, Gol Tv/C+ Liga)

[Non Barça Related]

Real Madrid release their most intimate clothes.

* The “January’s uphill” is an Spanish expression to call the post-Christmas’ holidays period during which there are some economical difficulties. In the newspaper, it refers to  the fact that they will have some tough matches in Copa del Rey (against Sevilla in round of 16 and, if they qualify, they could have Valencia or Deportivo) and they will have to face at least 7 matches during that month.

MESSI WINS BY A LANDSLIDE; (BARÇA) HOME-GROWN PLAYERS WIN THE OTHERS BY A MILE

Barça growns up (players who win) Ballons D’Or, Madrid buys them.

1st – Messi. With 473 votes, is the most voted player in history

2st– Cristiano Ronaldo. Madrid’s new signing slips between three blaugranas.

3rd – Xavi. The first catalan player in the podium

4th – Iniesta. Got better position than Kaká and stills growing up (as a player).

Xerez – Barça (22h, Gol TV/C+Liga)

Guardiola rests Piqué.

Sevilla, tough rival for Copa (del Rey).

PICHICHI
Rank --- Player -------------------Team ----------- Goals
1.----David Villa  --------------- Valencia  ----------------------- 10
2.----Zlatan Ibrahimović ----- Barcelona ----------------------- 8
3.----Lionel Messi ------------- Barcelona ----------------------- 7


ZAMORA
Goalkeeper ---------- Goals ---- Matches --- Average --- Team
Víctor Valdés ------------- 8 --------- 12 ----------- 0.67 ------ Barcelona
Iker Casillas ---------------9 --------- 12 ----------- 0.75 ------ Real Madrid
Juan Pablo Colinas ------10 --------12 ------------ 0.83 ------ Sporting Gijon

Ibra: “Iker, there’s only so far you can see in the mirror.”

“You can now look at us through these binoculars.”

Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola, in the Xerez pre-match press conference yesterday, other than talked about the upcoming match also touched on a number of issues beseeching the team lately.

First off he wanted his players to approach tonight’s match with the same motivation that they have last season, the kind that shows that they want to be “champions”.

After facing two emotionally-charged matches against Inter Milan and Real Madrid, Barcelona travel to la Liga bottom club, in a match Guardiola expects maximum efforts from his players saying that is the only way to go if they “really” want to “have a very good year again,” and reminding them that “last season, it was never easy playing against teams like these.”

Failing to win away from home in the League since September 27 when they won against Malaga (0-2) Guardiola repeated, “Last season, we were passing tests such as these, and it would be a good thing to win since we want to break this run of away draws.”

Mindful of the significance of tonight’s match, the Catalan coach said, “We are the only team playing tomorrow and we can take advantage of this (to extend points lead).”

Still touching on the “room for improvement” topics, the Barcelona coach said he will call up the just discharged defender, Gabriel Milito, “as soon as possible.”

He also complained about Barcelona having to play two consecutive late night matches set by the Spanish Professional Football League (LFP); against Xerez and Deportivo which have a 22.00 pm kick-off time, reiterating that these matches mean the players will have “problems with having to recover the following day” that can only be helped by “maintaining a correct diet”, especially considering they have to make a four-hour long flight to Kiev after these matches.

Finally asked about the grudges made by several players over lack of playing time, Guardiola said he understands their feelings but warned that he prefers the complaints be made internally and “not done publicly”, specifically referring to 19-year old striker, Bojan Krkic.

Turning to the issue of the supposedly unsettled Ivorian midfielder, Yaya Toure having the same problem, in an interview with ‘France Football’ magazine, the coach just said, “As much as we know, he has said nothing about it (to us).”

President of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta takes the twenty-first century adage of “work hard, party harder” quite seriously. Prior to this week, Barca were facing the possibility of elimination at the group-stage of Champions’ League and were trailing La Liga leaders Real Madrid by one point. They however, turned things around. Over the week, Pep’s men earned a hard fought victory over arch rivals Real Madrid to regain the league leadership after pulverizing Inter Milan earlier to smoothen their path towards the Round of 16.

Laporta decided that grand happiness deserves grand celebration and let his hair lose in the Luz de Gas discotheque in Barcelona. He was seen drinking champagne and dancing on the night of El Clasico.