FOOTBALL Live

Sunday September 21, 2008 Finished

1 - 6

Sporting de Gijón

  • Maldonado 50’

Barcelona

  • Xavi 27’
  • Eto'o 33’
  • Jorge 48’ (o.g.)
  • Iniesta 69’
  • Messi 85’, 88’

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  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Sporting de Gijón
    • Barcelona
    • - Thank you for joining eurosport.yahoo.com for tonight's action - we hope you enjoyed it. See ya!!
    • - Barca go ninth with the win while Sporting, whose fans are still giving it their all, are rooted to the bottom with no points from three games.
    • 90' The ref feels sorry for the home fans and their team and blows up on 90 minutes to spare them further embarrassment.
    • 89' MESSI SCORES A SIXTH FOR EL BARCA!!! It is with his head from a cross by Xavi - excellent play by Bojan to give his team-mate the space to feed Messi.
    • 87' The home fans have not stopped chanting for the past 10 minutes - even when that ball flew in, they continued without a pause. How important they could prove in Sporting's efforts to stay up this season.
    • 85' BARCA SCORE A FIFTH!! Gudjohnsen directed it, shaping his body to shoot before slipping in Iniesta on the left - his cross was met by Messi at the back stick, who smacked it home.
    • 84' Easy for Barcelona as they knock it around.
    • 82' Barca change: Martin Caceres, the summer signing from Villarreal, on for Busquets.
    • 80' A few minutes before Messi almost beat five men with his lightning feet to try and get a shot away, just denied at the last. He looks in good nick.
    • 80' Camara now involved in a scuffle with Alves. It is not the first one they have lovingly shared this evening.
    • 78' Busquets in hard on Castro to get under the skin of the home fans.
    • 75' Camara shepherds Bojan out of play - and into the advertising hoardings. The youngster, now a full Spain international, does not like that.
    • 73' Barcelona enjoying themselves now: even Puyol arrives in the box to try and nab a goal.
    • 71' Barca change: Eidur Gudjohnsen is on for Keita.
    • 70' WONDERFUL GOAL FOR BARCELONA!! Messi clipped a delightful reverse pass through for Iniesta to run on to - and he delicately finished past the advancing Sanchez.
    • 69' The home support appeals for handball against Puyol and a penalty - it was his upper arm and therefore debatable...
    • 68' Barca change: Bojan Krkic on for Eto'o.
    • 67' Iniesta making inroads from the left and Keita blazes over from 12 yards on the volley.
    • 66' Eto'o in behind but cannot control the ball cleanly and Sporting avoid conceding a fourth.
    • 65' Barcelona playing a possession game now, until Messi and Alves pass the ball between themselves and seek to prise open the gate. Stopped by the home defence.
    • 63' Sporting change: Kike Mateo on for Maldonado.
    • 63' Jose Manuel Pinto looks ready to come on in goal for Barca, but Valdes is back on his feet and in the goal... and play restarts.
    • 62' Valdes races out of his box to meet Barral and clears... the sub catches him late.
    • 60' Sporting change: David Barral on for Bilic. That is a slightly defensive move.
    • 59' Andrev clumps Busquets. Free-kick.
    • 58' Goalkeeper Sanchez put his defender in that position by clearing the ball straight to the Barca man, so he is partly to blame. A shame for the home side, who were dragging themselves back into this game.
    • 56' GERRARD SENT OFF FOR SPORTING!! He felled Messi as the nippy frontman sprinted through the middle. Last man + deliberate = red card.
    • 54' Pep Guardiola, who was decidedly animated on the bench then that fourth goal went in, watches on intently as the Molinon gets behind its team. Bilic at the forefront of all home attacks.
    • 52' Sporting piling on the pressure now, winning their second corner of the night to Barca's 13. Victor Valdes claims the ball - the first time I have had to mention his name tonight.
    • 51' SPORTING HIT STRAIGHT BACK!!! Francisco Maldonado smashes inside the near post after good work by Bilic to set up the chance.
    • 49' GOAL FOR BARCELONA!! 3-0!! Xavi whipped the corner into the near post area and Jorge Garcia headed into his own goal under pressure from Keita.
    • 48' There are two balls on the pitch as Messi shimmies his way past three defenders before his shot is blocked. Stunning play from the little man.
    • 46' The second half begins in Gijon. The home team will have to up the ante if they are to take something from this game.
    • - I wish Messi had left his hair long, he looked better like that. Perhaps he is more streamline this season with his new 'do.
    • 45+2' The whistle sounds for the interval: easy for Barca up to now, who are well on their way to a first league win this season.
    • 45+1' Messi mesmerising as he speeds in from the right and draws three defenders to him... he passes inside to team-mate Iniesta, whose touch lets him down - and Andrev Mayoral clears behind for a corner. That should have been three.
    • 45' One minute to be added on by referee Megia Davila.
    • 43' Messi skips into the danger area and plays it to the feet of Busquets, who returns the favour... the Argentina star almost gets a shot off. Intricate play.
    • 41' Carmelo shown a yellow card for a bad challenge on Busquets.
    • 40' After a second look it is clear that Mexico captain Marquez made contact with his foot, even if he went down easily, and not the ball. It should have been a penalty.
    • 39' On cue Castro flies past Alves and into the area, near the byline... Marquez comes over and down goes the Sporting wide man... no penalty.
    • 38' There is no hint that Sporting are going to threaten their opponents' goal.
    • 36' The Catalan giants, who failed to broach the Numancia defence on the opening day despite hogging possession and shots, suffering no such problems tonight.
    • 33' GOAL NUMBER TWO FOR BARCELONA!! Puyol rose to meet a corner with his head and send the ball spinning toward the far top corner, where Cameroon man Eto'o arrived to make sure with his own head. 2-0.
    • 31' Busquets goes down after the slightest of touches by Sergio Matabuena with the arm.
    • 29' Messi and Eto'o link up but they cannot get the ball to the overlapping Keita, who falls over.
    • 27' GOAL FOR BARCELONA!!! Iniesta came on to his right foot and clipped a great ball across that took out the entire Sporting defence - and the diving figure of Xavi diverted it inside the far post. Messi was there behind him, just in case. 1-0 Barca.
    • 26' Another Barca corner after good work close in by Samuel Eto'o. Again Sporting hold firm.
    • 25' After a couple of Barcelona corners the next one is won by Marquez - the ball drops past the far post where Messi tries an inventive overhead kick to hook it at goal. He is unsuccessful and takes a knock in the process.
    • 23' Iniesta cuts in from the left past Rafael Sastre and heads the bobbling ball on... he strikes it on the up and it TAKES A DEFLECTION AND FLASHES JUST PAST THE FAR POST!!! Very close to the opening goal.
    • 21' Messi scurries inside the box on the left and fires across the goal and out for a goal-kick. That had a few supporters worried...
    • 20' Sporting looking compact and denying the visitors the space to play, but they are trying to anyway. Believe it or not, a point from the opening two matches is the worst start to a season for 35 years for Barcelona.
    • 18' It is Bilic's turn to go down now as Busquets goes through the striker - he got all of the ball and it was on the ground, so the reaction is conversely a little over the top.
    • 17' The fans unhappy as Messi is brought down. They think there was little contact.
    • 15' Bilic looks to make inroads behind the Barca defence, but captain Carles Puyol snuffs out the danger.
    • 13' Messi cuts in from the left and bangs a shot at goal with his weaker right foot, held by Sanchez.
    • 12' A great block tackle by Marquez as Carmelo led the counter for Sporting.
    • 11' Seydou Keita lets fly from 25 yards out - his effort is blocked.
    • 10' The first we have seen of Lionel Messi, skipping through the opposing defence with no reward. Sporting lost 4-3 away to Sevilla last weekend, while Barca have lost at Numancia and drawn at home with Racing - the Santander club lost 2-0 at home to Real Madrid earlier tonight.
    • 8' The set-piece is defended by Sporting, but back come Barca. The home team playing with only Mate Bilic up front in deference to the attacking power of the misfiring visitors.
    • 7' Raul Camara pulls back Dani Alves as the Brazilian played a one-two and burst towards the box... yellow card.
    • 6' Diego Castro, who scored on the opening day here against Getafe - although they lost 2-1 - slides into the box... he loses the ball to Rafael Marquez, and could have had a free-kick.
    • 5' Carmelo moves inside Eric Abidal and sends the ball past the far post, a sort of cross-cum-shot. The first attack for Sporting.
    • 2' Andres Iniesta steps inside to shoot to the near post, where home goalkeeper Sergio Sanchez makes the stop.
    • 1' Barcelona straight on to the attack in a partisan El Molinon. They have not seen Barcelona visit these parts for a decade.
    • - No Thierry Henry in the Barca squad tonight - he has a throat virus. Sergi Busquets, the son of the club's former goalkeeper Carlos Busquets, picked in midfield for his second appearance in blue and maroon.
    • - Welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE text coverage of Barcelona's away trip to Sporting Gijon.

  • Team Stats

    Sporting de Gijón Stats Barcelona
    32% Possession 67%
    5 Shots 23
    2 Shots on target 8
    2 Saves 0
    3 Corners 14
    5 Fouls 14
    0 Offsides 0
    2 Yellow cards 0
    1 Red cards 0
    22 Tackles 28
    199 Accurate passes 519
    27 Bad passes 79

  • 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
    • Sporting de Gijón
      G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T
      1 Sergio Sánchez 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 0
      6 Carmelo González Jimenez 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 17 4 0
      16 Gerard Autet Serrabasa 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 19 0 4
      20 Raúl Cámara 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 18 6 4
      22 Rafael Sastre Reus 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 19 0 2
      5 Jorge Garcia Torre 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 17 4 1
      24 Sergio Matabuena 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 11 0 2
      4 Andreu Guerao Mayoral 0 1 1 3 1 0 0 33 5 2
      17 Diego Castro Gimenez 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 19 2 4
      9 Mate Bilic 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 10 2 0
      25 Francisco Jose Maldonado 1 3 1 1 0 0 0 7 0 0
      13 Ivan Cuellar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      23 David Barral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1
      8 Miguel Marcos Madera 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 3 1
      7 Pedro Santa Cecilia Garcia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      21 Enrique Mateo Montoya 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 1
      15 Roberto Canella 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      14 Iván Hernández Soto 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
    • Barcelona
      G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T
      1 Víctor Valdés 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
      4 Rafael Márquez 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 63 3 5
      22 Eric Abidal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 62 22 3
      20 Daniel Alves 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 70 2 3
      5 Carles Puyol 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 60 8 1
      28 Sergi Busquets 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 52 7 4
      6 Xavi Hernández 1 2 2 0 2 0 1 52 6 3
      15 Seydou Keita 0 3 1 0 1 0 0 27 11 0
      8 Andres Iniesta 1 2 1 1 1 0 1 44 8 3
      10 Lionel Messi 2 7 3 2 2 0 1 36 6 2
      9 Samuel Eto'o 1 4 1 0 1 0 0 13 3 2
      3 Gerard Pique 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      7 Eidur Gudjohnsen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 3 0
      24 Gnegneri Yaya Toure 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      27 Pedro Rodríguez 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      2 Martín Cáceres 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0
      13 Jose Manuel Pinto 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      11 Bojan Krkic 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 13 0 2

  • Summary

    • - Thank you for joining eurosport.yahoo.com for tonight's action - we hope you enjoyed it. See ya!!
    • 89' MESSI SCORES A SIXTH FOR EL BARCA!!! It is with his head from a cross by Xavi - excellent play by Bojan to give his team-mate the space to feed Messi.
    • 85' BARCA SCORE A FIFTH!! Gudjohnsen directed it, shaping his body to shoot before slipping in Iniesta on the left - his cross was met by Messi at the back stick, who smacked it home.
    • 70' WONDERFUL GOAL FOR BARCELONA!! Messi clipped a delightful reverse pass through for Iniesta to run on to - and he delicately finished past the advancing Sanchez.
    • 56' GERRARD SENT OFF FOR SPORTING!! He felled Messi as the nippy frontman sprinted through the middle. Last man + deliberate = red card.
    • 51' SPORTING HIT STRAIGHT BACK!!! Francisco Maldonado smashes inside the near post after good work by Bilic to set up the chance.
    • 49' GOAL FOR BARCELONA!! 3-0!! Xavi whipped the corner into the near post area and Jorge Garcia headed into his own goal under pressure from Keita.
    • 48' There are two balls on the pitch as Messi shimmies his way past three defenders before his shot is blocked. Stunning play from the little man.
    • 45+1' Messi mesmerising as he speeds in from the right and draws three defenders to him... he passes inside to team-mate Iniesta, whose touch lets him down - and Andrev Mayoral clears behind for a corner. That should have been three.
    • 39' On cue Castro flies past Alves and into the area, near the byline... Marquez comes over and down goes the Sporting wide man... no penalty.
    • 33' GOAL NUMBER TWO FOR BARCELONA!! Puyol rose to meet a corner with his head and send the ball spinning toward the far top corner, where Cameroon man Eto'o arrived to make sure with his own head. 2-0.
    • 27' GOAL FOR BARCELONA!!! Iniesta came on to his right foot and clipped a great ball across that took out the entire Sporting defence - and the diving figure of Xavi diverted it inside the far post. Messi was there behind him, just in case. 1-0 Barca.
    • 23' Iniesta cuts in from the left past Rafael Sastre and heads the bobbling ball on... he strikes it on the up and it TAKES A DEFLECTION AND FLASHES JUST PAST THE FAR POST!!! Very close to the opening goal.
    • 21' Messi scurries inside the box on the left and fires across the goal and out for a goal-kick. That had a few supporters worried...
    • 2' Andres Iniesta steps inside to shoot to the near post, where home goalkeeper Sergio Sanchez makes the stop.
    • - Welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE text coverage of Barcelona's away trip to Sporting Gijon.

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: Carlos Megia Davila

  • Sporting de Gijón

    Manager: Manuel Preciado

    Captain: Rafael Sastre

    Starting line-up

    • S. Sánchez
    • R. Sastre
    • A. Gerard Red Card
    • S. Iván Hernández
    • S. Roberto Canella
    • S. Matabuena Substitution Out (46′)
    • G. Andreu
    • I. Cuéllar
    • -. Carmelo Yellow Card
    • D. Castro
    • M. Bilic Substitution Out (58′)

    Subs

    • 12. J. Colin
    • 19. D. Camacho
    • 23. D. Barral Substitution In58′
    • 21. K. Mateo
    • 25. F. Maldonado Substitution In46′ Goal
    • 8. M. Míchel

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None

  • Barcelona

    Manager: Josep Guardiola

    Captain: Carles Puyol

    Starting line-up

    • V. Valdés
    • D. Alves
    • R. Márquez
    • C. Puyol
    • E. Abidal
    • .. Xavi Goal
    • C. Busquets Substitution Out (81′)
    • S. Keita Substitution Out (72′)
    • L. Messi Goals×2
    • S. Eto'o Goal
    • A. Iniesta Goal

    Subs

    • 7. E. Gudjohnsen Substitution In72′
    • 13. J. Pinto
    • 3. G. Pique
    • 24. Y. Touré
    • 2. M. Cáceres Substitution In81′
    • 11. K. Bojan
    • 27. R. Pedrito

    Injured

    • 14. T. Henry

    Suspended

    None

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