Barca Blaugranes - All Posts

FC Barcelona News: 21 May 2013; Barça's Next Season Kits Revealed, Jose Mourinho To Leave Real Madrid

2013-05-21T10:57:30Z

Barca offer up ‘Homage to Catalonia’ with new kits | World of Sport - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
La Blaugrana will maintain blue and red colouring for the home jersey, as well as switching back for next season to a regular and more traditional striped pattern, with a yellow V-shaped collar marked out. The shorts and socks are blue, with the socks including yellow detailing. The away style, as reported as far back as last September, adopts the colours and design of the Senyera, the flag that represents four of Spain’s autonomous communities.

The highlights of the league title celebrations | FC Barcelona
On Sunday, FC Barcelona received the 22nd league championship trophy in a celebration held in the Camp Nou after the final whistle of the match against Valladolid. The stadium was a fitting backdrop to the party to celebrate the success.

Three points away from best home record | FC Barcelona
After the win against Valladolid, Barça have accumulated 17 victories and 1 draw in 18 league games in the Camp Nou. If they beat Málaga in the last game, they will have equalled the Club’s record of points in a 20-team First Division set in the 2009/10 season.

Four training sessions and a derby | FC Barcelona
With just two league matches left, the players can face the last lap of the season with the league title already in the bag. However, the work continues with four training sessions this week and a derby game on Sunday in the Cornellà-El Prat stadium (kick-off 8 pm).

Azulgrana RoundUp, Week 31 - Messi: "I'm only focused on staying at FC Barcelona" | FC Barcelona
Leo Messi sat down with Televisión Azteca’s Inés Sainz last week to give his take on FC Barcelona’s 2012/13 season. "I was very happy to win La Liga," starts Messi, "the Spanish league is a very important competition because of the rivals we had to go up against, like Real Madrid; they are one of the best teams in the world."

Piqué: "I give our season a high mark" | FC Barcelona
Gerard Piqué has taken a look back over the season for Barça TV. The defender was interviewed for ‘El Marcador’ following the win against Valladolid and the celebration of the league title with the fans. "The fans were looking forward to enjoying the league with us and once again they proved it by coming on a difficult day".

Barcelona's Muniesa faces uncertain future - Goal.com
"The fact is that I know nothing," the 21-year-old told Marca. "I would like to stay, I have always said that. "But here they haven't told me anything. I live in hope. If I am not here, I'll play somewhere else, but my future is uncertain.

Mourinho's act at Real had worn beyond thin - ESPN FC
His unnecessary inability to avoid feuding with Iker Casillas will forever remain an unsightly scar on Jose Mourinho's reign at Real Madrid which, perhaps, awards ultimate victory in the battle of wills between two Iberian footballing powerhouses to Casillas in that Mourinho's failure and departure were announced on the Madrid captain's 32nd birthday.

In Mourinho's departure, both sides can shoulder the blame - Sid Lowe - SI.com
Pérez called the conversations with Mourinho "frank," but his tone was conciliatory. He said they had talked about the things they could improve, which was an odd thing to say: after all, they won't be improving anything together. "We decided it was best to end the relationship," Pérez said.

'The Special End' for Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid - ESPN FC
Marca's cover said [in English] 'The Special End', while AS' headline read 'Lots of noise, but few nuts' - a Spanish version of 'Much Ado About Nothing'. Diego Torres of El Pais, who often has an 'inside-line' to the Bernabeu dressing-room, wrote that "Of all the coaches who have been awarded three years to work at Madrid, Mourinho has the worst results in terms of trophies won."

Love over money – why Mourinho had to leave Real Madrid | Early Doors - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
And it was a job well done, initially. Mourinho put Raul and Guti in their places, restored a winning mentality to a squad who had coasted for too long, and brought back the Liga title in record-breaking fashion. European performances improved, although without full conquest, and it seemed the club were on track to usurp or at least match Barca.

Atletico give green light for Falcao exit - Goal.com
Atletico Madrid general manager Miguel Angel Gil Marin has stated that any decisions attacker Radamel Falcao will make regarding his future will be backed by the club - even if it means allowing him to leave. The Colombia star has scored on 28 occasions during his 33 appearances this season, heavily contributing to Atleti's third-place finish as well as securing the Copa del Rey trophy.

Mallorca keep their hopes alive | Sky Sports Football
Mallorca moved to within three points of safety courtesy of tonight's win with two matches remaining although fellow battlers Real Zaragoza have a better head-to-head record between the two sides this season. It thus looks grim for Mallorca.

FC Barcelona News: 20 May 2013; Barça Celebrate Title With Win, Victor Valdes Reaches Milestone

2013-05-20T12:39:29Z

FC Barcelona - Valladolid: No easing up from the Champions (2-1) | FC Barcelona
The game was a tester physically, played in the pouring rain, and mentally with the title already won, but Barça did the job and took a two goal lead into the break – thanks to a Pedro strike and an own goal from Marc Valiente. Valladolid managed to pull a goal back from the penalty spot late on but nothing was going to stop Barça from celebrating the title in front of the Camp Nou faithful with a win.

Jordi Roura: "We've had to overcome many difficulties to win this league title" | FC Barcelona
"To start, I want to thank the people who came out this Sunday, it was a terrible day, but they came and they endured until the end. Throughout the year the fans have been with us. Thank you for cheering us on." Those were the first words out of Jordi Roura’s mouth in the post-match press conference after tonight’s match against Valladolid.

Barcelona celebrate La Liga success but health worries cast doubt over Vilanova future - Goal.com
Press speculation in Spain on Sunday suggested Barca may look for a coach to take over for next season if the oncologic cancer immunotherapy treatment does not prove successful, but sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta refuted claims that the Catalan club may replace their coach.

Víctor Valdés enters the 500 club | FC Barcelona
Víctor Valdés took his place among a select group of FC Barcelona players this Sunday as he completed his 500th match in the Blaugrana strip. Up until today, only Xavi, Puyol and Migueli had accomplished this feat.

Tito Vilanova: "Here you have it!" | FC Barcelona
The rain that soaked pitch during the match between FC Barcelona and Valladolid was quickly forgotten when the league champions trotted out onto the pitch after the match. It was time to celebrate the well earned title after a season marked by many difficulties. "It’s a real joy and pleasure to offer you this Liga.

Javier Mascherano: "We should to be satisfied with La Liga" | FC Barcelona
Javier Mascherano returned to FC Barcelona’s starting line-up after he picked up a knee injury which effectively kept him off the pitch for six weeks. "The truth is that these past six weeks have been very hard for me, it’s always difficult and tough when you get injured, especially when the team is in such a crucial stretch of the season," said the Argentinian.

Scolari: Neymar will be a Barcelona idol - Soccerway
"He is an example to follow as a sportsman," Scolari told Canal+. "I have spoken to Sandro Rosell about how he behaves on the training pitch and about his personality. And he really is an example to follow. "Barcelona are clearly leading the race for his signature. He would be a great signing for Barcelona.

21 years ago... FC Barcelona wins its First European Cup with a Legendary Goal at Wembley | FC Barcelona
The course of FC Barcelona’s history changed forever on May 20 of 1992. Johan Cruyff’s last instruction to his players before they stepped onto the pitch was: "Go out and enjoy it". The match went to extra time after a scoreless draw. In the 111th minute, Ronald Koeman’s brilliant free kick clinched Barça’s first European Cup victory.

Leo Baptistao to Atleti imminent | Football Espana
Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano are reportedly on the verge of confirming Leo Baptistao’s transfer to the Vicente Calderon. Speculation as been ongoing since the turn of the year that the two Madrid sides had reached an agreement for a summer move for the player, priced at around the €6m mark.

Decision on Campbell future this week - ESPN FC
"In the coming days, Arsenal will make a decision about this," Batica said. "Joel is very happy at Betis but, at the same time, all options are open - staying in Seville, returning to London, or another loan to a European team. The argument with most weight will be how much time he gets to play, with regular games so that Joel can keep progressing."

Rayo survive Levante fightback | Sky Sports Football
Top scorer Piti gave Paco Jemez's side a first-half lead which was cancelled out by Robert Acquafresca but then quickly restored by Franco Vazquez. Piti struck again, this time from the penalty spot, to increase Rayo's advantage but Vicente Iborra set up an exciting finish to the game by scoring with four minutes remaining.

Depor survival ambitions alive | Sky Sports Football
Deportivo La Coruna kept their ambitions of surviving in the Primera Division alive with a tense victory over Espanyol at Riazor. The Galicians took the lead through a wonderful goal by Bruno Gama five minutes into the second half, with Nelson Oliveira making sure of the points with his fine lob in stoppage time.

Narrow win for Bilbao | Sky Sports Football
Helder Postiga headed Zaragoza into the lead after 14 minutes but an equaliser from Fernando Llorente on 80 minutes and then a stoppage-time winner from Ibai Gomez condemned them to defeat. Zaragoza now occupy the final relegation spot and are one point behind Deportivo La Coruna, their main rivals to avoid the drop who beat Espanyol.

La Liga: FC Barcelona 2-1 Real Valladolid: Match Review

2013-05-19T21:00:43Z

Barcelona secured their 30^th victory of the La Liga season on Sunday, seeing off the threat of Miroslav Ðukić’s Real Valladolid at the Camp Nou. Pedro Rodriguez put the Blaugrana ahead on 21 minutes, slotting the ball under Jaime after a delightful through ball from Xavi, and Marc Valiente (own goal) doubled Barcelona’s lead with a little under five minutes remaining in the first half. Despite creating a number of chances, Barcelona couldn’t find a third and conceded a late consolation from the penalty spot after Martin Montoya’s foul on Manucho.

Barcelona

Valladolid

Possession

71%

29%

Total Shots

Shots on Target

Pass Accuracy

91%

77%

Fouls

Offsides

Yellow Cards

Red Cards

Tito Vilanova made seven changes to the team that defeated Atletico Madrid last weekend at the Vicente Calderon, with Javier Mascherano slotting back into the centre of defense after a six week absence. Sergio Busquets also made his first La Liga in over two months, and was joined in midfield by Xavi and Andrés Iniesta, while Martin Montoya made his tenth La Liga start of the season. Would Barcelona be able to defeat Real Valladolid without Lionel Messi in attack, or would Miroslav Ðukić’s side stun the Camp Nou crowd by securing a share of the spoils?

The La Liga trophy was scheduled to be presented at the end of the proceedings tonight – of course, Barcelona secured the title last weekend, when city rivals Espanyol held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw – but there was still something to play for, and that’s for each team. Barcelona needed a win to move three points closer to the 100 point mark and provided the Blaugrana defeat Real Valladolid and Malaga, they can also equal another points record – for the best home record in a La Liga season. That record of 55 points was coincidentally set in 2009/10, as Barcelona secured the La Liga title in a season that many deemed disappointing. Sound familiar? All the while Real Valladolid were playing for pride – and for prize money. Given the current state of La Liga, every place and every win can make a difference to a club’s finances – not to mention the psychological boost that a favourable result against Barcelona at the Camp Nou can bring.

But no matter how much a team might want to reach a 100 point target, or how much a team might want to win at the Camp Nou, it isn’t quite the same as fighting for the title, or fighting for survival. In other words, this match had a real "end of season" feel about it. And why not? It’s been a long, arduous season for Barcelona. This was their 58^th match of the campaign, there wasn’t really anything on the line – why not slack off, just a little bit anyway? The chances were still going to come – it was simply a question of whether (or perhaps, more appropriately, when) Barça would convert.

David Villa was the first to try his luck, attempting a trademark curler from the left-hand side of the Valladolid penalty area – and he wasn’t far off finding the back of the net either, probably coming closer to a goal than he did last weekend, when his shot was deflected past Courtois by Gabi, gifting Barcelona a 2-1 victory over Copa del Rey winners Atletico Madrid. Nevertheless, it was an encouraging sign for Barcelona and El Guaje, and Martin Montoya followed it up five minutes later with a shot of his own after a marauding run from right-back, but his goal-bound effort was blocked by the Valladolid defense. I’m sure everyone agrees that Montoya should have started a few more matches this season, and he probably wouldn’t have started this match if not for the injuries suffered by both Dani Alves and Adriano Correia, although that doesn’t mean that Montoya hasn’t impressed in the few minutes he has been given this season.

Maybe he is a little more hesistant offensively than Dani Alves, and perhaps he wanders a little too central when he does venture forward, but Montoya is an effective option in attack – and seldom puts a foot wrong at the defensive end. I can certainly understand why Inter Milan are rumoured to be interested in securing his services for next season anyway, although given time, I’m sure Tito Vilanova will gradually begin to incorporate Montoya into the starting XI.

Gerard Piqué was the next Barça player to register a shot, although even after three attempts from various players, Barcelona were yet to force a save from Jaime, the Valladolid goalkeeper. Was Barcelona missing Messi? Was Tito Vilanova right to start with Cesc Fàbregas in the centre of attack? Could the Blaugrana break the deadlock? Thanks to a little help from Jesus Rueda, Barcelona would do just that on the 21^st minute, as Pedro slid the ball past Jaime after a superb intervention and through ball from Xavi sent the Spaniard through on goal. It was Xavi’s 10^th assist of the season, and Pedro’s sixth goal of what has ultimately been a rather forgetful La Liga campaign for the winger.

Real Valladolid responded by forcing a save out of Victor Valdés, who had barely seen a touch of the ball in the opening stages of the match, although even that was a hopeful effort from Oscar – Valladolid simply couldn’t exert a sustained period of pressure on the Barça defense. Gerard Piqué was performing well, almost certainly aided by the return of Javier Mascherano – and neither Montoya nor Jordi Alba had been threatened on the flanks. Barcelona were in control, and with less than five minutes remaining in the opening period, they doubled their advantage; again thanks to a little help from Real Valladolid.

This time it wasn’t Jesus Rueda, it was his central defensive partner Marc Valiente who had a momentary lapse in concentration, as he unintentionally diverted Xavi’s corner kick into the back of the net. Who says Barcelona can’t threaten from set pieces?

Neither manager made a change at the break, either content or simply acceptant of the night’s proceedings. Barcelona were well on their way to their 30^th La Liga victory of the season, while Valladolid needed a miracle to salvage anything from this match at the Camp Nou. And let’s be honest here, there’s not a single player on the Valladolid roster capable of inspiring a miraculous comeback against Barcelona. For Miroslav Ðukić, it was a case of damage limitation – and for Barcelona, the party could begin. The La Liga trophy would be presented to a rather sparse Camp Nou crowd in a little under an hour – the result was secure; why not enjoy the rest of the night?

Instead of playing another pass in the final third, Xavi tried his luck from long-range on the 52^nd minute, drawing a fingertip save from Jaime in the process and Pedro could have easily grabbed his second of the night around ten minutes later, but he lost his composure, blazing Barcelona’s best chance of the half over the bar on 63 minutes after nice work from Cesc Fàbregas. The Catalan midfielder had been relatively quiet tonight; maybe the introduction of Thiago would spark Cesc into action?

Replacing Sergio Busquets just moments after Pedro’s wasteful effort, Thiago probably would have preferred a starting role in tonight’s match, rather than a cameo appearance in a comfortable victory. As much as Thiago may have wanted to push the tempo and showcase his talents, it appeared as though both sides had almost settled on the 2-0 score-line. Ðukić made his first change of the night on 68 minutes, replacing Oscar with former Real Madrid youngster Alberto Bueno and Bueno was soon joined in attack by former Manchester United youngster Manucho, who replaced the ineffective Javi Guerra. Jonathan dos Santos was brought on for a rare cameo appearance as well, replacing Andrés Iniesta with less than 15 minutes remaining as Barcelona pushed for their third goal of the evening.

Rather surprisingly, Martin Montoya came close to extending Barcelona’s lead on 80 minutes, but this time the talented right-back was denied by Jaime who was all too happy to concede a corner – and Montoya’s effort was followed up by shots from Cesc Fàbregas, David Villa and Pedro – all of whom could have done better with their chances. In particular, Pedro should have tucked home his second of the evening after Villa’s shot was parried by Jaime, but again, the Spaniard couldn’t direct his shot on target.

So, try as they might, Barcelona couldn’t find their third goal of the evening, while Real Valladolid helped themselves to a late consolation after an error in midfield from Jonathan dos Santos led to Martin Montoya’s rash challenge on Manucho in the Barça penalty area. Victor Perez stepped up, and converted the penalty with aplomb to notch his fourth goal of the season – but it wasn’t enough to threaten the Blaugrana, who moved to within six points of equalling Real Madrid’s 100 point record. Next week, Barcelona travel across town to face Espanyol, but until then, Visca el Barça!

La Liga: FC Barcelona vs Real Valladolid: Live Game Thread

2013-05-19T18:15:38Z

La Liga: Jornada 36
Kickoff: Sunday, 19 May 2013; 21:00 CET
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Referee: Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva

Line-ups:

FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Victor Valdes; Martin Montoya, Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba; Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez; Pedro, Cesc Fabregas, David Villa

Substitutes: Jose Manuel Pinto, Marc Bartra, Alex Song , Jonathan Dos Santos, Thiago Alcantara, Alexis Sanchez, Cristian Tello

Real Valladolid (4-2-3-1): Jaime; Mikel Balenziaga, Jesús Rueda, Marc Valiente, Carlos Peña; Álvaro Rubio, Víctor Pérez; Daniel Larsson, Óscar González, Omar Ramos; Javi Guerra

Substitutes: Dani, Henrique Sereno, Javier Baraja, Lluís Sastre, Valdet Rama, Alberto Bueno, Manucho

FC Barcelona News: 19 May 2013; Tito Vilanova To Return To New York, Mascherano and Valdes Given Green Light

2013-05-19T11:42:00Z

Vilanova in New York from Monday to Friday | FC Barcelona
Tito Vilanova has confirmed at a press conference that he will have further treatment for cancer next week in New York. The pioneering treatment has been developed at a specialised centre and is proving particularly effective.

Tito Vilanova: "We owe it to our fans, we have to finish strong" | FC Barcelona
"We have 91 points, and we know we have the chance to reach 100 points. We’ll try to win our remaining three matches. The more goals we score, the better. We can’t stop competing, that’s the only thing I wouldn’t like. We owe our fans and we have to finish the season in strong fashion," said Vilanova.

Green light for Mascherano and Valdés | FC Barcelona
Both Mascherano and Valdés were given the green light to return to competitive play after today’s session. It’s worth noting that the Argentinian tore his MCL during the PSG-Barça play off on April 2nd, while the keeper was recovering from plantar fasciitis. Both players trained with the team.

Valladolid to kick off league celebration | FC Barcelona
After the parade on Monday, the Camp Nou will host the second part of the league title celebration. Curiously, Barça were crowned champions of the Spanish league when they hosted Valladolid at the Camp Nou three years ago.

Leaders from start to finish for the second time | FC Barcelona
For only the second time in history, FC Barcelona has topped the league table for all 38 rounds of the championship. From beginning to end. Barça seized first place in the opening match of the season thanks to 5-1 win against Real Sociedad, with goal difference separating them from the other sides that won their matches.

Spotlight on Real Valladolid | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona arrived in Valladolid on December 22nd of 2012 for the last match of the calendar year. The game against the Pucela ended in a 1-3 for the Blaugrana thanks to a first half strike from Xavi (min 42) and goals from Messi and Tello after the break.

Atlético Madrid the opponent in the Spanish Super | FC Barcelona
Atlético Madrid will play FC Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup. Atlético beat Real Madrid 2-1 on Friday evening in the Spanish Cup Final to qualify for the Spanish Super Cup for the first time since 1996. They needed extra time to win the Cup for the first time in 17 years.

Transfer news: Santos reveal opening bid from Barcelona for Neymar | Sky Sports
"There is no agreement for Neymar, there are talks, I met [Barcelona's president Sandro] Rosell and [Barcelona's sporting director] Raul Sanllehi last week," he told Radio A Xarxa. "We had a very frank conversation. Talks need to continue because the offer was not good enough."

Barça B - Alcorcón: The two points slip away in the 92nd minute (1-1) | FC Barcelona
Barça B once again saw how the two points slipped away from their grasp in the final minute of a match. Despite putting in a very solid performance in the first half, which included a goal from Sergi Gómez, the Blaugrana conceded a goal to Alcorcón in the second.

Atlético end 14-year Madrid curse with a Copa Del Rey win for the ages | Sid Lowe | guardian.co.uk
Cibeles was all dressed up with nowhere to go. Friday night in Madrid and the goddess of victory had been getting ready for weeks. Those council workers had long been and gone, circling her with barriers three deep and leaving her gleaming. Now she only needed to wait, resplendent atop her chariot. Soon they would come, and in their thousands, just as they do every time Real Madrid win a trophy.

Mourinho has 'badly damaged' Real Madrid's image, claims Juan Carlos - Goal.com
"With Mourinho's tenure, in terms of his performance as a coach, we have to look at hard numbers," the 48-year-old Spaniard stressed. "And if we do that then the balance has not been good. But then again, in terms of other aspects, the balance has been far worse.

Real Sociedad stay on course for Champions League - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
San Sebastian-based Sociedad and Valencia, who won 1-0 at Getafe in the earlier kickoff, are tied on 62 points with two matches left, with the Basques ahead in the standings thanks to a superior head-to-head record. Sixth-placed Malaga's hopes of returning to Europe's elite club competition are over as they are now eight points behind Sociedad and Valencia.

Crucial win for Granada | Sky Sports Football
Granada edged the encounter in every department but the lead given to them by Youssef El Arabi's 23rd-minute goal was being increasingly tested until the decisive incident in the 79th minute, when Fernando Nano felled Yacine Brahimi in the penalty area. Nano saw red and Guilherme Siqueira's cheeky dinked penalty wrapped up three vital points, before Diego Buonanotte added an exclamation mark late on.

Elche back in top flight after 24-year absence - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Alicante-based Elche, who play in green and white, last featured in La Liga in the 1988-89 season and spent seven terms in the third tier in the 1990s. Their golden period came in the 1960s under coach Heriberto Herrera and they finished fifth in the first division in 1963-64 behind Real Madrid, Barcelona, Real Betis and Real Zaragoza.

La Liga: FC Barcelona vs Real Valladolid: Predict the Score

2013-05-19T08:05:36Z

Barcelona may have crashed out of the UEFA Champions League in a rather humiliating fashion, but if this week has proved anything, it's that the grass is not always greener on the other side. After all, no matter how "badly" you feel the season has gone for FC Barcelona, it's been far worse for Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid. Just a year after setting a record for points gained in a single La Liga season, Los Blancos fell out of the title race early, and never looked like recovering. Victories over the Blaugrana in the Supercopa de Espana, and in the Copa del Rey in particular appeared to demonstrate Real's undoubted ability - but ultimately, Real Madrid have failed on each and every front this season. Their club captain has been alienated, their manager has caused rifts at virtually every level - and thanks to Atletico Madrid and Miranda's extra-time winner, Real will finish the season without a major trophy. All the while, Barcelona edge closer to equalling that 100-point mark set just last season. So much for a disappointing season eh?

Even in the face of illness, injuries and morale-crushing defeats, Barcelona have consistently bounced back from every single challenge and may yet register the most successful La Liga campaign in their history. Sure, we would have loved to have contested the UCL final at Wembley, but really, who can complain? If anything we should be grateful for this team - and the worrying thing for the rest of La Liga is that Barcelona can and almost certainly will improve over the summer. A new striker to take some of the pressure off of Lionel Messi, and an elite centre-half to help solve the Blaugrana's defensive troubles. Will they move one step closer to the century mark, or will Valladolid end Barca's hopes of a 100 point season? Predict the score in our poll, and comment with your prediction below to be in with a chance of winning a prize at the season's end. Best of luck!

La Liga: FC Barcelona vs Real Valladolid: Full Match Coverage

2013-05-19T07:49:29Z

Full coverage of Barcelona's La Liga encounter with Real Valladolid, as the Blaugrana look to move three points closer to equalling the 100 point record set by Real Madrid last season

FC Barcelona prepare to host Real Valladolid in the penultimate home match of their 2012-13 La Liga campaign tomorrow, as the Blaugrana set their sights on matching the 100 point record set by Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid just a season ago. Valladolid have performed admirably in their first season back in the Spanish top flight and are guaranteed a comfortable mid-table finish under the guidance of Serbian manager Miroslav Ðukić – who looks set to mastermind one of Real Valladolid’s most successful seasons in recent memory (Valladolid have not finished in the top half of La Liga since 1999/2000, when Gregorio Manzano was at the helm). Will Ðukić be able to steer Valladolid to a famous victory over Tito Vilanova’s record-breakers, or will Barça move one step closer to their 100 point target?

TEAM NEWS

BARCELONA

Javier Mascherano has finally received the medical green light to return to action, roughly six weeks since he suffered a knee injury in a 2-2 UEFA Champions League draw with Ligue Un champions, Paris Saint-Germain. Also returning to the fold is Victor Valdés, who has missed the past two La Liga fixtures with a foot injury, although it’s not all good news for Tito Vilanova, as Lionel Messi misses out with yet another thigh injury. There are also question marks over the fitness of Eric Abidal, who has struggled in recent weeks with a niggling calf complaint, and of course, it wouldn’t quite be right if Adriano wasn’t carrying some sort of knock. Dani Alves has missed training this week with a back complaint – which forced the Brazilian off in last week’s win over Copa del Rey winners, Atletico Madrid – and Carles Puyol continues to recover from knee surgery. With that in mind, will we finally see some of the promising La Masia youngsters given a shot in the first team?

After shaking off his foot injury, Victor Valdés should reclaim his place in the Barcelona goal – although if the rumours are to be believed, this may be one of the last times we see Valdés between the sticks in a Blaugrana shirt. With just three matches remaining this season, and a year left on his contract, there is a very real possibility that Valdés will leave for pastures new in the summer – wouldn’t it be nice if Valdés could say goodbye to the club with three consecutive clean sheets? Hopeful to say the least, but hey, a kid can dream right?

As both Dani Alves and Adriano are doubtful for tomorrow’s match, Martin Montoya should start his tenth La Liga match of the season – which isn’t a bad total, considering the relatively unnecessary criticism that Tito has faced in recent weeks – and Montoya may be joined in defense by Marc Bartra, who looks set to benefit from Adriano’s latest injury with a place in tomorrow’s starting XI. Rather surprisingly, it will only be his fourth La Liga start of the season (provided he does start of course), which probably demonstrates why Barcelona are prioritising the signing of an elite centre-half this summer. Bartra might have potential, and is a decent stop-gap at the moment, but ultimately no-one at the club quite believes he is ready for a place in the starting line-up. Regardless of whether Bartra starts or not, Gerard Piqué is certain to fill the other centre-back role, with Jordi Alba manning the left-flank.

Sergio Busquets has had another week to recover match fitness and I believe that Busi will return at pivote tomorrow, to make his first La Liga start in over two months. Ideally, Busquets will be accompanied by Thiago and one other in midfield – despite reports of interest from abroad, I’d be surprised if Thiago did leave the Camp Nou this summer, particularly as Barcelona’s brightest prospects – and that one other will probably be Andrés Iniesta, although I wouldn’t be surprised to see Iniesta and Xavi start together in midfield with Lionel Messi sidelined.

Speaking of Lionel Messi, with the Argentine out of the picture for what should be the rest of the season, this could be an opportunity for another Barcelona attacker to lead the frontline. Perhaps not literally – that job will almost certainly fall to Cesc Fàbregas – I’m talking about leading the team with goals, and impressive all-round appearances. Alexis Sánchez appears to be our guy in that respect; with three goals and an assist in his last three La Liga appearances, the Chilean is finally living up to his price-tag – but it could equally be Cristian Tello or even Pedro who steps up in the next three matches to fire Barcelona to a century of points. As for tomorrow, I expect to see Sánchez, Cesc and Tello in attack, although I would quite like the opportunity to see if Alexis can work in tandem with Pedro – possibly with Pedro or Alexis as the "9" in our usual 4-3-3.

REAL VALLADOLID

Ðukić will be without his compatriot and starting right-back for the visit to the Camp Nou tomorrow, as Antonio Rukavina picked up his fifth yellow card of the season last weekend against Deportivo La Coruna. Perhaps more worrying though is the news that Patrick Ebert (who assisted Javi Guerra’s 48^th minute winner in last weekend’s win over Depor) also misses out with the flu. The German midfielder has been influential in Valladolid’s season, and will be sorely missed.

FORM GUIDE

Barcelona: WLDLWW

Real Valladolid: LWDDLW

LAST MEETING

Real Valladolid 1-3 FC Barcelona – 22^nd December 2012 – La Liga

Barcelona secured a valuable three points away from home as goals from Xavi, Lionel Messi and Cristian Tello were enough to see off the threat of Real Valladolid, who nearly made a contest of the match with Javi Guerra’s goal in the 89^th minute.

LIKELY LINE-UPS

Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdés; Montoya, Bartra, Piqué, Alba; Busquets, Thiago, Iniesta; Sánchez, Fàbregas, Tello

Real Valladolid (4-2-3-1): Hernández; Baraja, Valiente, Rueda, Balenziaga; Sastre, Rubio; Bueno, Oscar, Omar; Guerra

MATCH PREDICTION

Without Lionel Messi, Barcelona do lose a lot of firepower, and creativity, but they should still have enough to dispatch Valladolid – I’m going for a 3-0 home win.

Neymar from Santos to FC Barcelona: Closed Deal, Almost Done, Or In Progress?

2013-05-18T21:30:13Z

Neymar plays for Santos, but if you believe all the reports written about him in newspapers around the world, he's already joined Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester City, Anzhi, Paris Saint Germain, PES United and the Los Angeles Lakers. (OK, maybe not the last two.)

It's easy to see why everyone is so anxious to move him onto a greater stage. It's hard to remember a player with so much media hype around him, who at the same time, had yet to prove himself in a top European league. With Brazil about to host a World Cup, the expectations are immense for the 21-year-old. Brazil's legend, Pelé, even went as far as to say more than a year ago that Neymar was better than Lionel Messi.

A few days ago, an ex-Santos vice-president, Vicente Cascione, said that Neymar had already signed for Bayern Munich. "I'm not speculating," the former VP said, "This information is undeniable."

So why did the current VP of Santos, Odlio Rodrigues, say that Bayern have "no interest" in purchasing the Brazilian star? It's confusion all around.

For months, the Catalan media has said that the Barcelona's deal for Neymar is already done. They have also said there is a large penalty to pay if Neymar does not join Barca, and further, that Real Madrid are prepared to pay a large sum (over 40 million euro) to secure his services.

Despite this, Rodrigues says that Neymar has made up his mind and will only join Barca. However, Barcelona President Sandro Rosell and Director of Sport Andoni Zubizarreta have been coy, insisting only that "many teams" are interested in the Santos forward.

And yet, a little over a week ago, Neymar was quoted as saying that he did not plan to leave Santos before 2014, and that there was no pre-deal with Barcelona or any other club. Hypothetically, Neymar always said the plan was to stay until after the World Cup in Brazil, when his contract with the Peixe club was up, in 2014.

However, would Santos really allow his deal to expire, allowing such a valuable asset to go for free? And shouldn't Neymar get some experience in the big leagues in Europe in preparation for the World Cup? Brazil's last coach, Mano Menezes, certainly thinks so. He said that Neymar has not made any progress in the past few months, and only the increased level of competition in Europe can really prepare Brazil's brightest star.

The latest is that Santos, along with the third parties who own Neymar's registration (a messy subject in itself, which we will not get into due to lack of space), has agreed with Barcelona on a transfer fee. However, Neymar Senior, the father of the player, has withheld from giving his approval,

The father thinks that Neymar will fetch a higher price once the Confederations Cup takes place in Brazil. It would be a good showcase opportunity and would certainly raise his price if Neymar performed well.

It sounds, then, like there is only one person left to sign the deal. Yet today, Barcelona sources were quoted in Diario AS saying that the deal "was not imminent." It's going to take a while, they warned. Not only that, but an approach from Real Madrid is expected to offer competition.

Still, it sounds like Barcelona is the favorite to sign Neymar, and a deal is about to be approved.

Or it's happening already. Or done months ago. Or will never happen. Who knows anymore?