FOOTBALL Live

Saturday December 15, 2007 Finished

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Valencia

Barcelona

  • Eto'o 12’, 27’
  • Gudjohnsen 61’
  1. Barca crush Valencia

    Barca crush Valencia

    Barcelona put a faltering Valencia to the sword as they won 3-0 at the Mestalla Stadium to cut Real Madrid's lead at the top of La Liga to two points. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Valencia
    • Barcelona
    • 90+2 That's it, the end of a masterful display and a humiliation for Valencia! thanks for joining us, see you soon.
    • 90+1 Deco picks up a needless booking for handballing when defending a free kick. Vicente shoots... GREAT SAVE VALDES!
    • 81' David Silva sneaks a nice reverse pass through to Vicente who is in on goal at a tight angle. HE SHOOTS... His shot crashes into the sidenetting!
    • 76' Barca are being so cruel! Xavi almost rounds canizares and turns to knock it back to Giovanni, who sees his shot desperately cleared off the line! How can this be the same club that has won La Lige twice in the last seven years?
    • 73' Xavi releases a lovely weightedball for Giovanni to latch onto in the area and SHOOT... Miguel just gets back in time to put the Brazilian off his shot!
    • 67' Frank Rijkaard wisely brings Eto'o off, as the Cameroonian is still not 100% fit, and young prodigy Bojan Krkic comes on.
    • 65' Deco comes on for Yaya Toure, while ex-RM Castilla player Mata replaces the miserable-looking Joaquin.
    • 64' Valencia win only first corner of the match... It's headed out and Miguel tries to shoot from way out and it's way off target!
    • 61' Gol GOL GOOOOOOOOL!! Xavi's ball forward deflects off a defneder and Giovanni unselfishly squares it for Gudjohnsen to tap in for 3-0!! It's all too easy!
    • 57' Barcelona are in no rush now, jsut playing keep ball and watching Valencia tire themselves out.
    • 52' Their efforts don't have the zip and guile of Bara's however, and the visitors cut through them with ease and GIOVANNI SHOOTS FROM WAY OUT... GREAT SAVE CANIZARES!! The strike was destined for the top corner!
    • 50' Joaquin is on the right wing with the ball but is crowded out by two defenders. Valencia keep possession and Joaquin has it back but Milito makes an excellent tackle. From the throw in David Silva collects and TAKES A SHOT... Parried by Valdes and no white shirts are around for the follow up! Encouraging signs for Valencia.
    • 46' The second half is underway, and the question must be how long can Valencia hold out in this period?
    • 45+3 The half time whistle is very welcome for Valencia! It's difficult to know whether Barca have been that good or if Los Che have been that bad!
    • 45' Valencia with a free kick, which Vicente will take. He floats it in but Milito heads it well away. Even at the back Barca are looking sublime.
    • 44' Giovanni does indeed come on for Messi. What a match for inoccuous injuries this is.
    • 42' Now Leo Messi is struggling, after he just sat himself down in the middle of the pitch! He has now walked off. Ronaldinho jumps up like a giddy schoolboy on the bench! Unfortunately for him, it's Giovani dos Santos slated to replace Messi!
    • 41' Vicente comes on in place of Morientes.
    • 38' Morientes pulled up after chasing a long ball. He looks in pain, and is escorted off the field. He doesn't look like he's coming back.
    • 34' Just as Valencia are finally starting to string passes together and play positively, Barcelona break and suddenly Eto'o has the ball ready to shoot... Marchena scrambles back to knock it away from him at the last possible moment!
    • 30' Eto'o rolls it out to the left for Iniesta to square it across the face... MESSI JUST MISSES IT! Gudjohnsen is being stretchered off after a nasty challenge from Morientes in the build up to that chance.
    • 26' Valencia are there for the taking as Barca knock the ball around, probing for an opening. Eto'o gives it to Xavi and starts his run. Xavi knocks it to Messi, who lays it off for ETO'O!!! He strokes it past Canizares to cap off a sublime move!
    • 22' It's Iniesta's turn to roll a sublime ball forward for Eto'o that Albelda just slides in to intercept in time! Barca have the run of the game, no question.
    • 19' Albelda loses possession cheaply to Abidal. Barcelona build an attack from that with Xavi playing the ball in, flicked on on by Puyol for ETO'O... Again he couldn't reach it. The Valencia defence look clueless at the moment!
    • 15' David Silva takes the corner for Valencia. Helguera heads it back from the far post and it falls to MORIENTES... His volley is over the bar!
    • 12' GOOOOOOOOLAZZZOOOOOOOO!!! Eto'o turns inside one man and beats another in the box and FIRES A GREAT FINISH PAST CANIZARES!! That is why he's the man! He made that goal superbly!
    • 10' Gudjohnsen has all the time in the world to bring the ball forward and pick out his ball forward... Canizares is quick off his line to beat Eto'o to the ball.
    • 8' Barca win a corner. Xavi takes it and YAYA TOURE WITH A FREE HEADER... Canizares tips it over the bar for another corner!
    • 5' David Silva chases a long ball that Victor Valdes is coming out to catch... Silva hooks his arm around Valdes' in order to put him off his catch, but only succeeds in upending himself!
    • 3' Messi dances in fornt of the back four and slips the ball into the path of Eto'o again... The Cameroonian's touch just lets him down!
    • 1' The match is underway! Straight away Barca pout forward. Messi strokes over a ball for Eto'o to latch onto but it's just out of his reach.
    • - Hello and welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE coverage of Saturday's big Liga clash, a crucial clash between Valencia and Barcelona, both sides needing a result to turn around different levels of underachievement so far this season. Comments and scoring from 21:00 GMT.

  • Team Stats

    Valencia Stats Barcelona
    35% Possession 64%
    11 Shots 16
    2 Shots on target 11
    0 Saves 0
    3 Corners 6
    13 Fouls 17
    4 Offsides 0
    3 Yellow cards 1
    0 Red cards 0
    23 Tackles 9
    257 Accurate passes 548
    53 Bad passes 75

  • Player Stats

    G =
    Goals
    S =
    Shots
    SoT =
    Shot on Target
    F =
    Fouls
    FW =
    Fouls Won
    O =
    Offsides
    A =
    Assists
    AP =
    Accurate Passes
    BP =
    Bad Passes
    T =
    Tackles
    • Valencia
      G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T
      1 Santiago Cañizares 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0
      15 Ivan Helguera 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 14 1 1
      24 Emiliano Moretti 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 12 8 4
      23 Luis Miguel 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 25 2 2
      5 Carlos Marchena 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 13 2 2
      21 David Silva 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 37 14 4
      6 David Albelda 0 1 0 4 1 0 0 34 9 2
      34 Angel Montoro Sanchez 0 3 0 4 1 0 0 34 4 3
      17 Joaquín Joaquín 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 18 2 1
      9 Fernando Morientes 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 7 2 0
      19 Javier Arizmendi 0 2 0 3 2 0 0 20 3 1
      14 Vicente Vicente 0 3 2 0 1 1 0 16 4 3
      26 David Rodriguez Lomban 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0
      3 Manuel Fernandes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      25 Jose Mora 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      2 Stephen Sunday 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      18 Nikola Zigic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      16 Juan Manuel Mata García 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 2 0
    • Barcelona
      G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T
      1 Víctor Valdés 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0
      4 Rafael Márquez 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 80 6 0
      22 Eric Abidal 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 45 15 3
      5 Carles Puyol 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 42 2 0
      3 Gabriel Milito 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 67 11 1
      8 Andres Iniesta 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 58 8 1
      6 Xavi Hernández 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 80 9 1
      24 Gnegneri Yaya Toure 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 43 4 0
      9 Samuel Eto'o 2 6 5 1 2 0 0 22 2 0
      7 Eidur Gudjohnsen 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 41 14 0
      19 Lionel Messi 0 1 0 1 1 0 2 18 1 1
      16 Sylvinho Mendes Campos 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      27 Bojan Krkic 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 4 1 0
      11 Gianluca Zambrotta 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      25 Albert Jorquera 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      10 Gaucho Ronaldinho 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      20 Anderson Deco 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 22 1 1
      17 Giovanni dos Santos 0 3 2 1 1 0 1 16 1 1

  • Summary

    • 76' Barca are being so cruel! Xavi almost rounds canizares and turns to knock it back to Giovanni, who sees his shot desperately cleared off the line! How can this be the same club that has won La Lige twice in the last seven years?
    • 61' Gol GOL GOOOOOOOOL!! Xavi's ball forward deflects off a defneder and Giovanni unselfishly squares it for Gudjohnsen to tap in for 3-0!! It's all too easy!
    • 52' Their efforts don't have the zip and guile of Bara's however, and the visitors cut through them with ease and GIOVANNI SHOOTS FROM WAY OUT... GREAT SAVE CANIZARES!! The strike was destined for the top corner!
    • 26' Valencia are there for the taking as Barca knock the ball around, probing for an opening. Eto'o gives it to Xavi and starts his run. Xavi knocks it to Messi, who lays it off for ETO'O!!! He strokes it past Canizares to cap off a sublime move!
    • 15' David Silva takes the corner for Valencia. Helguera heads it back from the far post and it falls to MORIENTES... His volley is over the bar!
    • 12' GOOOOOOOOLAZZZOOOOOOOO!!! Eto'o turns inside one man and beats another in the box and FIRES A GREAT FINISH PAST CANIZARES!! That is why he's the man! He made that goal superbly!

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: Eduardo Iturralde González

  • Valencia

    Manager: Ronald Koeman

    Captain: 6. David Albelda

    On the Field

    • Cañizares
    • Miguel
    • Marchena
    • Helguera Yellow Card
    • Moretti Substitution Out (73′)
    • Albelda
    • Montoro
    • Joaquín Substitution Out (65′)
    • Silva
    • Arizmendi Yellow Card
    • Morientes Substitution Out (41′)

    Subs

    • 18. Zigic
    • 13. Mora
    • 3. Fernandes
    • 14. Rodríguez Substitution In (41′)
    • 16. Mata Substitution In (65′)
    • 2. Sunday
    • 28. David Lombán Substitution In (73′)

    Injured

    • 25. Hildebrand
    • 12. Caneira
    • 7. Villa
    • 4. Albiol
    • 20. Alexis

    Suspended

    None

  • Barcelona

    Manager: Frank Rijkaard

    Captain: 5. Carles Puyol

    On the Field

    • Valdés
    • Puyol
    • Márquez
    • Milito
    • Abidal
    • Xavi
    • Touré Substitution Out (65′)
    • Iniesta
    • Gudjohnsen Goal
    • Messi Substitution Out (44′)
    • Eto'o Goals×2 Yellow Card Substitution Out (67′)

    Subs

    • 11. Zambrotta
    • 16. Sylvinho
    • 10. Ronaldinho
    • 20. De Souza "Deco" Substitution In (65′) Yellow Card
    • 25. Jorquera
    • 17. Dos Santos Substitution In (44′)
    • 27. Bojan Krkic Substitution In (67′)

    Injured

    • 14. Henry
    • 18. Ezquerro
    • 15. Edmilson

    Suspended

    None