FC Barcelona News: 30 August 2011; Barca Rout Villarreal, Victor Valdes Equals Andoni Zubizarreta

Barcelona 5-0 Villarreal: Guardiola switches to a 3-4-3 (diamond) and Barca run riot | Zonal Marking
Barcelona demolished a lacklustre Villarreal side in their first La Liga game of the season. Pep Guardiola was without Dani Alves, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique, so played just one nominal defender, Eric Abidal, and used Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano alongside him. Xavi Hernandez and David Villa were benched with Thiago Alcantara, Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez all starting.

"With Messi it’s easier being a striker" | FCBarcelona.cat
Since he came to Barça, Cesc Fabregas has scored 3 goals in 4 games, 1 in the League, 1 in the European Super Cup, and the 3rd in the Joan Gamper Trophy match. In the last 2 games, on Friday in Monaco, and at the Camp Nou tonight, Cesc scored from a Messi pass. It’s a connection that provides excellent results.

Valdés equals Zubi’s record | FCBarcelona.cat
Victor Valdes is now the keeper who has played most games for Barça. On Monday, against Villarreal, he equalled the figure of Andoni Zubizarreta (the current Sports Director) of 410 official matches. Valdes made his debut with the first team in 2002 and since the end of the 2003/04 season he has been the undisputable number one between the posts.

Liga - Villarreal: Financial divide killing Spanish game - Yahoo! Eurosport
The growing financial disparity between Barcelona and Real Madrid and the rest of La Liga is killing Spanish football, according to Villarreal president Fernando Roig." If they only want to have two matches (Real v Barca), let them have two matches, but this isn't good for football," Roig told local media on Tuesday.

'My relationship with Jose Mourinho is very good' - Iker Casillas denies rift with Real Madrid coach - Goal.com
Casillas has said he has no problem with his boss after featuring for Real in Sunday night's 6-0 win over Zaragoza in his side's first league match of the season. "I get on very well with him, just like the rest. Sometimes we disagree on certain things, but our relationship is very good. The situation is normal," Casillas is quoted as saying by Marca.

Valencia: running to stand still - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
For a team that reached successive Champions League finals at the turn of the millennium before winning two league titles and the 2004 UEFA Cup under Rafael Benitez, such a chasm must be difficult to stomach. But these are different times at Valencia.

Liga - Forlan says goodbye to Atleti - Yahoo! Eurosport
Diego Forlan has bid Atletico Madrid a fond farewell as he prepares to embark on a new challenge at Inter Milan. "It's difficult to say goodbye after four years here and three years at Villarreal," said Forlan in a press conference in Madrid. "I am sad to leave Spain. I feel a great affection to the people and I will never forget it."

Espanyol agree loan deal for Vladimir Weiss - ESPN Soccernet
Espanyol have reached an initial deal with Manchester City to take Vladimir Weiss on loan for the coming season, the Primera Division club announced on their website.An Espanyol statement read: ''Espanyol and Manchester City have reached an agreement in principle for the loan of Vladimir Weiss for one season.''

Sevilla enquire about Dempsey | Fulham News, Fixtures, Results, Transfers | Sky Sports
Dempsey, 28, who scored a consolation in Fulham's defeat at Newcastle on Sunday, is thought to be keen to compete at a higher level. The challenge of playing in La Liga with Sevilla could prove tempting, although the Spanish club have already been knocked out of Europe this season.