La Liga - Brilliant Barca leave rivals trailing

Eurosport - Sun, 17 May 15:04:00 2009

Barcelona blazed a path to their 19th Liga title with a brand of irresistible, attacking football which none of their rivals came close to matching.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 La Liga Seguidores festejan el triunfo del Barcelona / Foto: EFE - 0

Real Madrid made a brave attempt to chase them down, in their own pursuit of a third successive league crown, but were cruelly exposed in a 6-2 battering at the Bernabeu two weeks ago that shattered their morale.

Real fell 3-2 to Villarreal on Saturday, gifting the title to their arch-rivals who do not play at Real Mallorca until Sunday, but that should in no way undermine Barca's achievements.

They have set a points record in a 20-team Liga of 86 with three games left to play, and they are just four goals away from the benchmark of 107 set by Real Madrid in 1989/90.

Former player Pep Guardiola, 38, has been the architect of their success after replacing Frank Rijkaard last year, making an immediate impact in his first season as a top-flight coach.

Before the campaign started, he let the club sell Ronaldinho and Deco but wisely changed his mind and hung on to Samuel Eto'o, this season's top scorer in the league with 28 goals so far.

A defeat and a draw to promoted Numancia and Racing Santander in their opening two matches raised some early doubts, but they never looked back once they hit the top in October.

Guardiola tightened up their defensive organisation to the point where they conceded fewer goals than any other team.

New arrivals such as Daniel Alves and Gerard Pique added some steel, while a fitter squad were better able to swarm over the opposition to quickly win back possession high up the pitch.

Once they had the ball, they mesmerised their rivals with midfield maestros Xavi and Andres Iniesta pulling the strings, just as they had for Luis Aragones's Spain at Euro 2008.

Eto'o, Lionel Messi and a fully fit Thierry Henry were devastating up front. Those three players alone have scored 70 goals between them–only Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have superseded that tally in the league.

Barca beat Real Madrid 2-0 at home in December to open up a 12-point lead, but it is a credit to the coach of their arch-rivals Juande Ramos, whose league debut was in the Nou Camp, that the title was not wrapped up earlier.

Ramos was drafted in when Bernd Schuster was sacked with the side stumbling towards the end of last year, and managed to make a fight of it against a background of institutional instability caused by the resignation of president Ramon Calderon in January.

Real were ravaged by injuries which ruled Ruud van Nistelrooy, Mahamadou Diarra and Ruben de la Red out for the season, while Arjen Robben spent more time on the treatment table than in action.

They were embarrassed by third tier Real Union in the Cup, and then soundly beaten by Liverpool to exit the Champions League at the first knockout round stage once again.

But without ever really impressing they strung together a remarkable run of 17 league victories from 18 matches to cut the gap back to four points, before their charge was abruptly halted in its tracks at the Bernabeu.

Barca's fight for honours on three fronts saw them lift the Cup after a 4-1 final victory over Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday and book a place in the Champions League final against Manchester United on May 27.

They almost inevitably dropped points, but they were merciless against their direct rivals.

In six meetings against the three sides likely to join them in the Champions League next season, Real, Sevilla and Valencia, they have won five and drawn one, scoring 21 times and conceding just four. Valencia are 27 points adrift in fourth place.

Johan Cruyff's Barcelona won four consecutive league titles between 1991 and 1994 with Guardiola as the midfield general. Their Liga rivals need to buck up their ideas if he is not to inspire a repeat performance.

Reuters

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  1. well, getachew44... you are always right... dont take­ any note from these @#$%, @#$%, stupid Barca fans...­ they are all soo stupid, and i think we should ALL mark­ your words... your words are the future... though now­ we are having hard times with Madrid... but REAL WILL­ RISE AGAIN!!!
    as figo went to Real, thats how iniesta­ will leave that barca place fulll of @#$%... but i hope­ etoo will stay in Barca... we rather need Villa
    Hala­ Madrid
    Siempre Madrid
    ...go to @#$%, Barca

    From Dave, on Wed 20 May 2:41PM

  2. so u were saying that its hard to believe Etoo, Iniesta­ & Toure to leave mighty Barca for slump madrid..?­ hehe as long u believe that i have nothing against that­ anymore, btw there is only 1 dog barking loud about­ this s.h.i.t n that dog or pig is just u getachew44 all­ along, i dont see any MADrid fun barking this same­ s.h.i.t.. so, its u that either stupid, blind, moron,­ wasted, pick one which suit u.. i guess that 6-2­ demolition really knocked u hard that your big head­ loosing some screws..!

    From carlamms, on Mon 18 May 1:52AM

  3. LMAO
    2 this geta moron. Iniesta in madrid? LOL poor­ guy... poor poor guy.. no, the catalans wont play in­ madrid, never have, never will. andespeciallythese past­ 5 years? with u an inferior team taking two of our­ titles away, likeman u did in the semi last year, they­ would wish to go to that pretyt bad team? LOL

    Etoo in­ madrid? thats a nice one...

    From moon2309, on Sun 17 May 7:09PM

  4. hey getachew. madrid bought dudek too. was he meant to­ be in casillas place? lololololol. just use your mind a­ bit

    From Varnavas P, on Sun 17 May 5:15PM

  5. The 6-2 Drobbing at bernabeu must have knocked the­ stuffing out of Real. LOl since then, they lost all­ confidence. They have the best Goal Keeper in spain­ (respect to Valdes and Kameni etc) but yet Madrid have­ conceeded 12 goals in their past 3 games. LOL How sad.­ MADRID is History. Baraca is the present, and barca is­ the future.

    From roseatah, on Sun 17 May 4:58PM

  6. WAIT A MIN - Who invited getachew44 to this chat? LOL­ Did he not knw that BARCA are the CHAMPIONS? BOW ur­ lousy head to the deserved champions. we have conquered­ all spain, now lets conquer europe.

    From roseatah, on Sun 17 May 4:55PM
  7. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    i told you barca fans r so stupied
    they think with­ their holes
    my advise is shave your hair it might help­ you to think well
    i said what laporta said
    he said­ barca want villa it is clear it will be in­ eto'o's place
    he said we want rebery that is­ also clear it is going to be in iniesta's­ place
    & he always talk about fabrigas that is in­ tore's place
    and i haven't maintion xavi and­ messi, i know they will stay but the 3 up (mark my­ word) will be in madrid soon
    i know it is hard to­ belive but it will happen
    for those who say our titles­ are from grapa's era and franco times i will say­ one word to them
    in the last 12 years we are the only­ team in europe who won 3 champions league 98 , 2000­ & 2002
    & in la liga we are the champions for­ the last 2 years
    it is either you were sleeping or you­ don't know anything about football
    but it is not­ surprising for me i know all barca fans think that­ barca is the only club in world yaya only BAR....NIGHT­ CLUB
    imagine raul won more champions league than barca­ in century
    i know this is painful but it is true digest­ it with vitamins and say real r by far all time the­ best

    From getachew44, on Sun 17 May 3:39PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    i told you barca fans r so stupied
    they think with­ their holes
    my advise is shave your hair it might help­ you to think well
    i said what laporta said
    he said­ barca want villa it is clear it will be in­ eto'o's place
    he said we want rebery that is­ also clear it is going to be in iniesta's­ place
    & he always talk about fabrigas that is in­ tore's place
    and i haven't maintion xavi and­ messi, i know they will stay but the 3 up (mark my­ word) will be in madrid soon
    i know it is hard to­ belive but it will happen
    for those who say our titles­ are from grapa's era and franco times i will say­ one word to them
    in the last 12 years we are the only­ team in europe who won 3 champions league 98 , 2000­ & 2002
    & in la liga we are the champions for­ the last 2 years
    it is either you were sleeping or you­ don't know anything about football
    but it is not­ surprising for me i know all barca fans think that­ barca is the only club in world yaya only BAR....NIGHT­ CLUB
    imagine raul won more champions league than barca­ in century
    i know this is painful but it is true digest­ it with vitamins and say real r by far all time the­ best

    From getachew44, on Sun 17 May 3:37PM

  9. ooooooooooooooooooooowwww....
    i am very happy.

    From ali_elkai, on Sun 17 May 2:42PM

  10. i said it b4 i shall say it again.. coz some mental­ retarded just seem blind n still living in their great­ grand daddy era..
    we are still dry at home & yet WE­ ARE THE­ CHAMPION..!
    LIVE WITH THAT ALL MADRID­ CABRON..!

    btw­ Eto'o hates madrid alot, Iniesta,­ Messi, Xavi are­ all living with blaugana blood..!­ Toure..? he's so­ much at home now.. u can try get­ his brother instead..!­ so keep on dreaming for them to­ jumping to the sinking­ ship..! you can have Fabregas,­ after all he'll find­ hard to get 1st eleven if he­ rejoin Barca.. or u can­ have Eidur for free just like­ u got Saviola so that u­ can claim that u have Barca­ player..!! hahaha

    VISCA EL­ BARCA..!!

    From carlamms, on Sun 17 May 2:20PM

  11. Weeeeeeeeeeeeee... Barca deserved title... Vamos­ Barca... :D

    From proud_croat_girl, on Sun 17 May 1:21PM

  12. @getachew44,
    " do u forget 4 1 & the­ passageway with the claps­ from your players to­ champions "
    Of course , Barça players­ "clapped " which shows their class .
    CLASS is­ something that Real Madrid NEVER had and never will !!

    From Tim, on Sun 17 May 12:51PM

  13. @ getachew44, go get a life you fuxking dixk head. What­ is wor.se, Barca to lo.se away to madshit 4-1 or­ madshit to lo.se 2-6 to Barca at home in bernabooo and­ ending your title hopes??????? So quittt talking we­ destroyeddd you, we put a vir.us in madshit that is­ causing them to des.truct, that is why they lo.st to­ valencia and villareal, and they are going to continue­ to lo.se.

    From barca_nr_1, on Sun 17 May 12:48PM

  14. Some Madridistas just don't get it . Instead of­ laying low or hiding their faces in shame they continue­ to talk trash and rehash ancient past of undeserved­ Franco era glory . If those so called great Real Madrid­ sides were to be compared to today's level they­ would struggle to stay in the Spanish Second Division­ or the English Championship !!

    From Tim, on Sun 17 May 12:45PM

  15. 4-1 is nothing compare to 6-2 and remember that real­ loss 6-2 when they only have La Liga to play for

    From badboyz, on Sun 17 May 12:41PM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    do u forget 4 1 & the passageway with the claps­ from your players to champions

    From getachew44, on Sun 17 May 12:06PM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    the (?) of million dollar
    how would barca fans welcome­ eto'o iniesta & tore in next classico
    is it­ like figo?

    From getachew44, on Sun 17 May 11:51AM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    the (?) of million dollar
    how would barca fans welcome­ eto'o iniesta & tore in next classico
    is it­ like figo?

    From getachew44, on Sun 17 May 11:50AM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    the (?) of million dollar
    how would barca fans welcome­ eto'o iniesta & tore in next classico
    is it­ like figo?

    From getachew44, on Sun 17 May 11:48AM

  20. @ getachew44
    u ate something from the trash, didn't­ u!

    From Claudiu, on Sun 17 May 11:31AM
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