Eurosport - Wed, 13 May 23:29:00 2009
Barcelona stayed on course for a historic treble by crushing Athletic Bilbao 4-1 at the Mestalla Stadium to lift the Copa del Rey for the first time in over a decade.
Gaizka Toquero headed Athletic into a ninth-minute lead, but Yaya Toure equalised with a great solo goal and then Barca blitzed their rivals with three goals from Lionel Messi, Bojan Krkic and Xavi in 12 minutes to lift the cup for the first time since 1998.
It was coach Pep Guardiola's first trophy as a manager and Barcelona's first piece of silverware in two seasons although the Ligatitle could soon follow with only a point needed at Real Mallorca on Sunday to secure a 19th championship.
"We hope it's an historic week and we will go for the second title this weekend," said defender Gerard Pique. "We just want to enjoy this win first and then concentrate on trying to win more titles."
The final part of the treble - which no Spanish team has ever achieved - is the Champions League final against Manchester United on May 27.
For Athletic, who have won the cup 23 times, it was bitter disappointment in their first final since 1985.
Barcelona were without Andres Iniesta and Thierry Henry through injury so Bojan, 18, started the final.
At the back, Carles Puyol switched to left-back to replace the suspended Eric Abidal while midfielder Toure was deployed at centre-half.
The last time these two sides met in the final was back in 1984 when Athletic won 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu, although the game was remembered more for the post-match brawl between a number of players, including the great Diego Maradona in what was his final game for Barcelona.
There was little animosity between the two sides 25 years on although Barca were furious at the constant fouling suffered by Messi.
If Barcelona have a weakness it is set-pieces and Bilbao exploited that early on with Toquero heading in a whipped-in corner after just nine minutes.
It was just the start Barcelona didn't want although Guardiola's side should have equalised in the 19th minute when Samuel Eto'o, the league's top-scorer, got the ball caught up between his feet and the chance went begging.
Toure showed Eto'o the way forward after 31 minutes, surging from central defence before beating two Athletic players and then dispatching a fierce right-footed shot into the corner.
Messi twice went close to scoring early in the second half and finally got his goal in the 54th minute after Athletic failed to clear their lines.
Barca turned the screw with Bojan netting three minutes later with an immaculate finish after Athletic got caught out on the counter attack.
Xavi curled in a superb free-kick off the post in the 64th minute to torment Athletic further as Barca lifted their 25th Copa.
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guys, getachew44 is actually a girl.. i guess she is so lonely n never got nailed for years.. she's a girl interrupted.. ignore her..!
Recently, I discovered a hot place -- T a l l h u b Co m -- where many sexy tall singles who like sports and chatting there. I'm an open minded girl from UK, I also like discuss sports and love with tall guys on it.
Forthe Madrid fan who had comments like...Barca is a small team!Learning to accept losing is important...considering that you need "Breeding" to be able to do this! So if I could; I would like to give you a few Euros, so you can buy yourself some breeding!
barca_nr_1, you know how to find out if your club is a big club? When the captain of your fiercest rivals has more Champions League titles under his belt than the whole 100year+ history of your club, it means that you're still a pretty small club. Hala Raul and Hala Madrid.
hehe but still won the group so how you think of that one genius we will see in the final buddy hehe
barca_nr_1... You need to get a life pal, weirdo!!!!!
@ getachew44, your mother is a man you fuxking bitccccchhhhh. You mother fuxker have to talk about Barca. Let me ask you something, who shut mother fuxkers like you whe barca destroyed madshit 2-6 in bernaboo. You fuxking bitccccchhhhh. And to answer you question, Ronald, Rivaldo, Romario, Kluivert all won pitcici before eto'o, and the fact is that more Barca players have won the pitcici than madrid players have. So go Fuxk you mother real hard for me. Also, when was the last time that madshit made it past round 16?????????? in 2002!!!!!!!!! Since than they have knocked out by everyteam in the round 16!!!!!!!!! So go fuxk yourself you fuxking bitcccchhhhhh.
@ getachew44, your mother is a man you fuxking bitccccchhhhh. You mother fuxker have to talk about Barca. Let me ask you something, who shut mother fuxkers like you whe barca destroyed madshit 2-6 in bernaboo. You fuxking bitccccchhhhh. And to answer you question, Ronald, Rivaldo, Romario, Kluivert all won pitcici before eto'o, and the fact is that more Barca players have won the pitcici than madrid players have. So go Fuxk you mother real hard for me. Also, when was the last time that madshit made it past round 16?????????? in 2002!!!!!!!!! Since than they have knocked out by everyteam in the round 16!!!!!!!!! So go fuxk yourself you fuxking @#$%.
Man U's only hope are the certain(Dani Alves)and possible(Iniesta and Henry) absences.If the last two are fit for the final,Man U will be severely outgunned and outsmarted.When you come to think of it Man U has major weaknesses compared to Barca.Take the midfield for example,Man U:Carrick,Fletcher,Anderson.BARCA:Iniesta Xavi Toure.This comparison is enought to cause a wild burst of laughter.From then on Messi is better than Ronaldo,Eto'o is better than Berbatov and Henry is better than Rooney.Plus Dani Alves is faster more aggressive than Evra(Evra better at defending though)Man U only have the edge when it comes at the center backs(although Pique has vastly improved over the season)Vidic is without a doubt the best center back at the moment.But in all other respects Barca has a crushing advantage.I said this before and i will say it again,if Henry and Iniesta are fit,then Barca is an overwhelming favourite.
Surely, the gods must favour Barca to do in 2009 what Man U achieved a decade ago: the Treble. That Man U side of 1999 was a truly world class international side with the likes of Trinidad's Dwight Yorke, Great Danes Schmeichel, Ole-gunaar Skolcheaar, Afri-Anglian Andrew Cole and the incomparable David Beckham. This Barca side is truly Multicultural and in a class of its own. In today's game, that is what we have come to expect world class sides to look like.
y all run away from my quastion
the quastion is clear if anyone over here cosidered himself as barca fan answer this
who is all time barca's top scorer & who won last pichichi with barca before eto?
i think the (?) is clear answer it
or say you don't know to much about barca & accept that you start supporting barca only this year
& by the way this year barca & man u prove to be the best
but by the end of the season everyone will say real & milan are all time best in europe
16 CL btwn them more than all who were in CL this year
this 2 teams are above everyone even in last 8 years manage to win 4 times in 2000,2002,2003 & 2007
y all run away from my quastion
the quastion is clear if anyone over here cosidered himself as barca fan answer this
who is all time barca's top scorer & who won last pichichi with barca before eto?
i think the (?) is clear answer it
or say you don't know to much about barca & accept that you start supporting barca only this year
& by the way this year barca & man u prove to be the best
but by the end of the season everyone will say real & milan are all time best in europe
16 CL btwn them more than all who were in CL this year
this 2 teams are above everyone even in last 8 years manage to win 4 times in 2000,2002,2003 & 2007
Barca is an amazing team to watch. i hope they win everything this year because they have entertain us like noone else.
To all Barça fans : getachew44 is a hateful Madridista scum . Just ignore him !!
Barsa play in the league which cannot be compared with EPL... I'm sure MU will win, because of the discipline in defense and midfield. Barca were more than lucky to past Chelsea who were a better team...
getachew44 - whatever team you support, you're a f.uckin t.wat man!
i dont like barcelona much but i respect what they are achieving this season.still not convinced about their performance against chelsea though.
I APRECIATE WHAT BARCA PLAYERS ACHIEVED TILL NOW
BUT I'M AFFRAID THAT THIS PLAYERS FOLLOW THE FORMER SUCCESS TEAM OF REKARD WHO WON CL AND LEAGUE IN SAME YEAR
WHO KNOWS MAY BE INIESTA WILL BE JUST LIKE DECO
MESSI LIKE RONALDINHO
ALVES LIKE ZAMBROTA
ETO'O LIKE LARSON
TORE LIKE MOTTA
PICKE LIKE OLEGARE
MARQUIZ LIKE EDMILSON
I APRECIATE WHAT BARCA PLAYERS ACHIEVED TILL NOW
BUT I'M AFFRAID THAT THIS PLAYERS FOLLOW THE FORMER SUCCESS TEAM OF REKARD WHO WON CL AND LEAGUE IN SAME YEAR
WHO KNOWS MAY BE INIESTA WILL BE JUST LIKE DECO
MESSI LIKE RONALDINHO
ALVES LIKE ZAMBROTA
ETO'O LIKE LARSON
TORE LIKE MOTTA
PICKE LIKE OLEGARE
MARQUIZ LIKE EDMILSON
MESSI'S KINGDOM IN LA LIGA IS ALMOST OVER
THE NEW KING RONALDO IS COMING TO LA LIGA
TELL MESSI TO LEAVE SPAIN
BEFORE HE FOLLOW RONALDINHO'S PATH
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