Wednesday September 21, 2011 Day 5 Finished Mestalla

Valencia CF 2 - 2 FC Barcelona

  • Abidal 12’ (o.g.)
  • Pablo 23’
  • Pedro 14’
  • Fábregas 77’

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  1. Fabregas grabs Barca draw at Valencia

    Fabregas grabs Barca draw at Valencia

    A late Cesc Fabregas goal salvaged a 2-2 draw for Barcelona against Valencia in an entertaining Liga match at the Mestalla. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Valencia CF
    • FC Barcelona
    • 90+4' The referee blows 30 seconds early for no good reason, especially considering there was a sending off in added time, but that is that and Valencia stay top of the table, while Barcelona move to fourth.
    • 90+3' Messi gets the ball onto his chest down the left side of the area. Miguel and Rami both challenge him, Miguel pretty clumsily from behind, but the ref is unswayed.
    • 90+2' Cesc dinks in a ball towards the feet of Messi, but Guaita claims.
    • 90+1' There are four minutes of added time...Jordi Alba is sent off for an off the ball incident that the linesman spotted.
    • 90' Messi picks the ball up and just hits wide from a tight angle after trying to bend the ball into the far corner.
    • 89' Messi with an unbelievable reverse pass from Messi, but Guaita palms away Villa's close range effort. Adriano makes his way into the area and the ball bobbles across the face of goal, but it's frantically cleared!
    • 88' Guardiola's still smiling. It's not a bad result for Barca objectively, but by their standards...
    • 87' Adriano drops the shoulder, but his pass is poor and Valencia break. Mascherano picks up a yellow for a dangerous challenge on Piatti.
    • 86' Jonas picks up a yellow card for a pointless challenge.
    • 85' Villa hogs the left hand touchline and the ball makes its way to the right. Messi is caught offside when in a good position.
    • 84' Adriano is caught offside when looking across the line. Poor positioning from the Brazilian.
    • 83' Banega plays a quick freekick and Abidal flies in to Pablo. The ref plays the advantage, but the following shot is poor.
    • 81' Cesc wins a corner for Barca and it will be Thiago to whip it in, but Guiata holds easily.
    • 80' Villa and Messi exchange passes, but Villa can't get back to the return. Cesc has a glimpse of goal, but the ball gets trapped under his feet and he tries to play wide.
    • 79' Alves pleads innocence, but it is a foul on Banega. Costa throws it in, and Valdes punches clear.
    • 77' GOAL! Valencia 2-2 Barcelona - It's the new unplayable combination. Messi dinks a ball into the feet of Cesc, who is alone in the area on the left handside. He has time to pick his spot and plants a left foot shot into the bottom corner, leaving Guaita unmoved.
    • 75' Messi is through on goal after beating the offside trap, but Rami does excellently to get back and he does enough to force Messi to nudge the ball slightly too far in front. Guiata dives at his feet and holds on.
    • 74' Alves is fouled, Xavi cleverly gets out of trouble and plays to Abidal who charges down the line. The ball gets to Cesc, who loses the ball, but it rebounds to Messi who gets to the touchline, but can only clip into the 'keepers hands.
    • 73' Valencia Substitution: Mathieu comes off for Pablo Piatti.
    • 72' Adriano plays a dangerous pass across his 18 yard line, but he gets away with it. The move again breaks down at the feet of Messi and Valencia break through Banega.
    • 71' Adriano wins a corner. It's taken short and Messi clips the ball in towards Thiago, who under pressure from Miguel hits the ball on to his own hand.
    • 70' Alves to Messi, who exchange passes again. Messi with a stray pass to Villa and he follows it up with a piece of miscontrol.
    • 69' Valencia Sub: Canales off, Jonas on.
    • 68' Mascherano smashes the ball from 30 yards and it hits the angle of the goal! Brilliant strike that had the goalkeeper beaten hands down.
    • 67' Banega dispossess Messi and plays a smart ball forward. They have men spare, but the square ball is cut out by Mascherano.
    • 66' Cesc is bundled over in the area, but he doesn't appeal and it indeed wasn't a foul.
    • 65' Banega fouls Busquets, who plays the freekick to Messi. The little Argentine has been surprisingly subdued though and misplaces the pass.
    • 64' Thiago's crowded out. Seconds later Soldado hits the deck holding his head. He's making a pathetic meal of it though as there was barely any contact from Alves as he wins the ball.
    • 63' Barca Sub: Thiago replaces Puyol.
    • 62' Busquets loses the ball, but they get it back and Adraino with a lofted pass to Abidal. Villa with a dipping shot, but there's not enough direction to trouble Guaita.
    • 61' Adriano loses the ball this time and if anything Barca's intensity is receding.
    • 60' Valencia with sharp one touch football and they're almost matching Barca for possession in this match.
    • 59' Messi shifts the ball to Villa on the left, but he's a foot offside and the linesman gives the right decision.
    • 58' Barca Substitution: Adriano comes on for Sadou Keita
    • 57' Barca Sub: Pedro makes way for David Villa.
    • 56' A lovely little turn from Xavi, but his attempted through ball is cut out. Mathieu's cross is intercepted and it's a corner for Valencia.
    • 55' Pedro shrugs his shoulders as another Barca pass goes out of play. Banega gets two bites at the cherry to play a pass, but gives it away and Messi takes control.
    • 54' Cesc goes down in the box as Xavi plays a diagonal in towards him. He was looking for it though and the ref ignores the appeals.
    • 53' Messi is caught offside, but he looks to be level. Valencia knock it around their backline, but lose it in midfield.
    • 51' Alves hoofs a ball to the halfway line and Valencia win the throw. Banega plays down the right for Pablo who whips it in. Canales misses by a whisker and Soldado has a chance, but can't sort his feet out to convert!
    • 50' Messi almost latches onto a loose pass and Valencia are living dangerously.
    • 49' Cesc with a lose pass. Canales into Soldado, who tries to tee it up for Banega, but the pass wasn't great and the shot was worse.
    • 49' Keita to Abidal, to Busquets, to Pedro. It's neat, but there's no penetration.
    • 48' Albelda has been replaced by Alberto Costa.
    • 46' Valencia get us back under way, but Albelda has been forced off due to injury at the interval.
    • 45+1' Alves is in the area with options, he elects to play back to Xavi, but he's surrounded and the whistle goes for half-time.
    • 45' Puyol wins two challenges in succession, but Valencia get the throw. Just one minute of added time/
    • 44' Messi threads the ball through to Cesc, but it's slightly behind him and the excellent Albelda intercepts.
    • 43' Miguel flies in and gets the throw. The ball goes back to the keeper, who hits out under pressure from Messi.
    • 42' Alves has been nowhere defensively all game. Albelda has a hilariously bad shot from 30 yards on to a bouncing ball and Abidal sweeps up.
    • 41' Mathieu again gets down the left skipping past Mascherano. He gets into the area and plays it beautifully across for Soldado, who somehow misses from 2 yards! Unbelievable.
    • 40' Messi looks left and right and there's no one there. Alves hits a lazy pass towards Cesc and it's cut out early.
    • 39' Abidal heads clear and Albelda gingerly runs back on to the field. Xavi back on the ball and it's played wide to Mascherano.
    • 38' Messi's ball for Cesc is cut out and Albelda is down injured after faling over the top of Cesc when challenging fpr a high ball.
    • 37' Soldado is booked for not much to be honest, apparently for making a meal of a Puyol challenge.
    • 36' Alves nutmegs Alba, but goes to the floor when he realises he can't get there. Soldado breks down the left, but a cross with the outside of his foor is cut out.
    • 35' Cesc intercepts, but the ball runs out for a throw. A bit scrappy at the moment...
    • 34' Busquets and Xavi exchange passes, but again Albelda wins the ball back.
    • 33' Guaita pumps the ball forwards, but it goes straight to Barca. Abidal plays a ball over the defence for Pedro, but Guaita just gets there first.
    • 32' Sergio loses possession this time, Pedro wins it back, but Valencia are harrassing so well and neither team are making any inroads.
    • 31' Dani Alvse is getting no support down his side and he's not the greatest defender at the best of times.
    • 30' Banega down the left this time, but challenged. Cesc fools Albelda, but he gets back and slides the ball from the ex-Arsenal man.
    • 29' Valencia again get to the left touchline! This time Abidal cleans up tidely though for a second it looked like Soldado would get there.
    • 28' Xavi to take...the ball is played out of the area for Alves to volley, but he bundles it into the area and drags a shot wide that Pedro gets a foot to but it's offside.
    • 27' Sergio clears up and Messi drops deep to spray it wide. Alves gets to the right byline and wins a corner.
    • 26' Valencia again break into the box from the left with Banega and it's two vs two for a while. It's a poor cutback though and Barca get it away.
    • 25' Puyol heads stright to Banega, who plays in to Soldado, but he's a foot offside. Valencia will want to keep this tight for a while now...
    • 23' GOAL! Valencia 2-1 Barcelona - Pablo Hernandez rams the ball home after being left all alone in the area from another Mathieu cross. Abidal can't get enough on the ball when trying to intercept and Pablo sends Valdes the wrong way.
    • 22' Pedro can't keep the ball played behind him in play, but Barca will crowd Valencia into their own third.
    • 21' Abidal cuts out the through ball and gives to Messi. Incredibly, Messi completely misshits and gifts the ball back to Valencia.
    • 20' Messi chests the ball up and hits the volley, but it deflects off the defender and into Guita's arms.
    • 19' Puyol clears another Mathieu cross at the near post. Puyol again clears to give away the corner. It doesn't beat the near post and Abidal takes possession.
    • 18' That should have been a penalty as Rami takes out Messi just inside the area, but the ref gives a goalkick! That should also have been a second yellow for the Frenchman.
    • 17' Abidal is dispossessed, but a fine tackle from Alves wins it back. Barca are running after the ball, relentless in their pressure.
    • 16' Rami picks up a yellow card after catching Cesc in the ribs with a knee. Wasn't deliberate, but slightly reckless.
    • 14' GOAL! Valencia 1-1 Barcelona - Pedro beats Guiata at his near post after Messi plays a magnificent little through ball into the inside left channel. Levl within seconds!
    • 12' GOAL! Valencia 1-0 Barcelona - Mathieu surges down the left and plays a brilliant ball in between defence and 'keeper. Abidal gets a toe to it and nudges it into his own net for an own goal.
    • 11' The ball is whipped in and Rami is nudged by Abidal. Unlikely to be given, but they occasionally are.
    • 10' Sergio fouls Canales and Valencia will have a chance to whip the freekick into the box...
    • 9' Miguel miscontrols. Abidal tries a Delap style throw, but he can't get the distance and Valencia win it back.
    • 8' Pedro skips past Miguel, but his cross is cut out by Guita, who holds down at his near post.
    • 7' Messi goes a second too early and is caught offside. Valencia hit back, but Puyol calmly shepards the ball to Valdes.
    • 6' Messi with a fantastic defence splitting pass to Pedro on the left, but his effort is weak and goes into Guaita's hands.
    • 5' Xavi into Messi who skips past one, but can't get past the next. Valencia do really well to keep the ball, but a punt forward gifts the ball to Valdes.
    • 4' Puyol plays the ball into Cesc who wins the foul. Barca crowd out Canales and win the ball back.
    • 2' Valdes claims the ball and throws it out to Abidal. Barca typically play it out of defence and Keita wins the foul.
    • 1' Barca are kicking from right to left and will be desperate to win this game after Madrid dropped yet more points.
    • 21:00 Teams - Valencia: Guaita, Miguel, Rami, Víctor Ruiz, Mathieu; Albelda, Éver, Pablo, Canales, Jordi Alba, Soldado///Barca: Valdés, Alves, Puyol, Mascherano, Abidal, Keita, Sergio, Cesc, Xavi, Messi, Pedro.
    • - Unai Emery after the 1-0 win over Sporting: "The game showed the personality of the team and it was a group performance. This was a difficult game against a side which is battling to pick up points so we can congratulate ourselves for the way we played and worked hard." Pep Guardiola on Barca's title aspirations: "I will never promise any titles and in fact, it would be equally as normal if we didn't win anything. All I can promise is that the team will be recognisable."
    • - Soldado and Fabregas are the only two players to have scored in all three match days this season. Cesc Fabregas has already equaled his league goalscoring tally from last season.
    • - This is Barcelona’s second highest-scoring start to a league campaign (15 goals), after 1951 (19 goals). All 15 of Barcelona’s league goals this season have come from inside the box in open play.
    • - Valencia and Barcelona have met 76 times in the league at Mestalla: 29 wins for Los Che and 30 for Barcelona. Valencia have only won one of their last 10 league meetings with Barcelona though (2-1 in February 2007).
    • - Hello and welcone to Eurosport UK's live minute-by-minute coverage of Valencia vs Barcelona form the Mestalla stadium.

  • Summary

    • 90+1' There are four minutes of added time...Jordi Alba is sent off for an off the ball incident that the linesman spotted.
    • 90' Messi picks the ball up and just hits wide from a tight angle after trying to bend the ball into the far corner.
    • 89' Messi with an unbelievable reverse pass from Messi, but Guaita palms away Villa's close range effort. Adriano makes his way into the area and the ball bobbles across the face of goal, but it's frantically cleared!
    • 77' GOAL! Valencia 2-2 Barcelona - It's the new unplayable combination. Messi dinks a ball into the feet of Cesc, who is alone in the area on the left handside. He has time to pick his spot and plants a left foot shot into the bottom corner, leaving Guaita unmoved.
    • 75' Messi is through on goal after beating the offside trap, but Rami does excellently to get back and he does enough to force Messi to nudge the ball slightly too far in front. Guiata dives at his feet and holds on.
    • 68' Mascherano smashes the ball from 30 yards and it hits the angle of the goal! Brilliant strike that had the goalkeeper beaten hands down.
    • 51' Alves hoofs a ball to the halfway line and Valencia win the throw. Banega plays down the right for Pablo who whips it in. Canales misses by a whisker and Soldado has a chance, but can't sort his feet out to convert!
    • 41' Mathieu again gets down the left skipping past Mascherano. He gets into the area and plays it beautifully across for Soldado, who somehow misses from 2 yards! Unbelievable.
    • 23' GOAL! Valencia 2-1 Barcelona - Pablo Hernandez rams the ball home after being left all alone in the area from another Mathieu cross. Abidal can't get enough on the ball when trying to intercept and Pablo sends Valdes the wrong way.
    • 14' GOAL! Valencia 1-1 Barcelona - Pedro beats Guiata at his near post after Messi plays a magnificent little through ball into the inside left channel. Levl within seconds!
    • 12' GOAL! Valencia 1-0 Barcelona - Mathieu surges down the left and plays a brilliant ball in between defence and 'keeper. Abidal gets a toe to it and nudges it into his own net for an own goal.
    • 21:00 Teams - Valencia: Guaita, Miguel, Rami, Víctor Ruiz, Mathieu; Albelda, Éver, Pablo, Canales, Jordi Alba, Soldado///Barca: Valdés, Alves, Puyol, Mascherano, Abidal, Keita, Sergio, Cesc, Xavi, Messi, Pedro.

Team Line-up & Ratings

  • Line-up

    Live Team Line-Up

  • Rate Players

    Rate Players

    Please to rate the players.

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    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      6.4 -
      Defenders
      5.7 -
      Yellow Card 6.4 -
      6.1 -
      Substitution Out73′ 6.7 -
      Midfielders
      Substitution Out45′ 5.9 -
      6.7 -
      Goal 6.5 -
      Yellow Card Substitution Out69′ 6.8 -
      Red Card 6.4 -
      Strikers
      Yellow Card 6.7 -
      Subs
      Substitution In73′ 5.4 -
      Substitution In45′ 5.3 -
      Substitution In69′ Yellow Card 5 -
    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      5.7 -
      Defenders
      Yellow Card 6 -
      Substitution Out63′ 5.6 -
      Own Goal 4.7 -
      Midfielders
      5.5 -
      Substitution Out57′ 5.5 -
      6.4 -
      Goal 7 -
      Strikers
      5.5 -
      Goal Substitution Out57′ 6.4 -
      6.8 -
      Subs
      Substitution In57′ 5.9 -
      Substitution In57′ 5.2 -
      Substitution In63′ 5.6 -

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