0-1 Messi (min.38)
0-2 Zambrotta (min. 40)
0-3 Eto'o (min.45)
0-4 Ronaldinho (min.57)
0-5 Messi (min.80)
0-6 Iniesta (min.90)
Jordi Clos
Barça thrashed Atletico 0-6 in a terrific display of attacking football on Sunday night in Madrid. Messi (twice), Zambrotta, Eto’o, Ronaldinho and Iniesta were all on target in a historic triumph.
On the night nothing was able to stop Barça. The poor record in recent years at the Calderon and
the hot scoring streak of Fernando Torres against Barça were all forgotten as Barça impressively
secured the three points. Rikjaard’s team knew before kick-off that the needed to win to keep
up the pressure at the top of the table following the respective victories of Real Madrid and
Sevilla earlier in the day.
Barça took the initiative early on in a game that was played on a heavy pitch due to the rain
that fell in Madrid on Sunday. Atletico were well disciplined in defence and were happy to hit
Barça on the counter attack. Galletti had the first chance for the home side after 26 minutes but
his shot went narrowly wide.
Barça avalanche 0-3
The game changed radically shortly before the break. Firstly, Ronaldinho struck a post with a
free-kick from the edge of the box in the 33rd minute, then Messi almost found the net from the
rebound only for Pichu to block his goalbound effort. However Barça did not have to wait much
longer for the breakthrough. It came in the 38th minute when Messi exchanged passes with
Eto’o before firing into the bottom corner of the net. Before Athletico had a chance to
recover Barça added a second. Goalkeeper Pichu was caught in no man’s land when Zambrotta
lifted the ball over his head into the empty net. The game was effectively killed off on the stroke
of half-time when Barça added a third through Eto’o following a sensational move involving
Ronaldinho and Deco - although the hapless Athletico keeper was at fault once more.
Work of art and applause in the Calderón
The second half began in the same vein. Messi had a chance to add a fourth shortly after the
restart but the increasingly nervous Athletico goalkeeper was able to make the save. In the 57th
minute Ronaldinho added his name to the score sheet with a sensational goal following a move
involving Xavi, Deco and Samuel Eto’o. The goal sparked applause among the home supporters in
the Vicente Calderon
Atletico well beaten
After Ronaldinho’s superb strike Barça began to relax and to enjoy the game. In the
71st minute the home side were reduced to ten following the expulsion of Eller. Messi struck again
in the 80th minute to add a fifth with another impressive and cool headed finish past Pichu.
Despite the comfortable scoreline Rikjaard’s men keep the pressure on up until full-time as
Iniesta rounded off a fantastic night for the champions with a sixth shortly before the final
whistle.
The 0-6 final score was a demonstration that this Barça team is determined to fight to the
finish to secure a third consecutive league championship. The result leaves Barça in second place
on the same points as Real Madrid and allows Rikjaard’s team to go into the final few games
of the season full of confidence.
Deco and Puyol have travelled to Madrid despite minor injury concerns. The Portuguese international is fully recovered from the problems he has been having with his left ankle, while the Barça captain will also be available for selection despite hurting the fifth metatarsal of his left foot in training on Thursday.
David Puig
FC Barcelona need to go out and beat Atlético Madrid if they are to keep their league title campaign on track. That will mean ending a winless run at the Vicente Calderón that goes back to the 99-00 season.
The unexpected setback last weekend against Betis has not affected the confident mood among
Frank Rijkaard’s
squad. There are four games still to play, starting on Sunday with Atlético Madrid, and Barça
simply cannot afford to make any more mistakes if they are to secure a third consecutive Spanish
league title.
Motta and Giuyl are back: Thiago Motta and
Ludovic Giuly are back in
the team
after missing the game against Betis. Motta has fully recovered from an abscess in his right
leg, while the Frenchman returns after being dropped last Sunday. This week the unfortunate players
that have not entered the Dutch manager’s plans are Saviola, Ezquerro and Sylvinho, while
Márquez, who still has not quite returned to full fitness, also sits out the trip to Madrid.
A difficult road trip: Barça’s games with Atlético Madrid have not exactly
gone to plan of late, and Frank Rijkaard has yet to experience a win at the Vicente Calderón, a
venue where Barcelona have failed to win since back in the 99-00 season, when they romped home to
an emphatic 3-0 victory. But although history may not be on Barça’s side, there is no doubt
that there could be no better time than the present for that record to be set straight.
Looking at Europe: Javier
Aguirre’s side also has an awful lot to play for. They are currently sixth in the league with
54 points and well on course for a UEFA Cup berth. However, a poor result against Barça on Sunday
would open the door for either Recreativo or Villarreal to put major pressure on the red and
whites. But in front of their notoriously passionate fans, Atlético have only lost three times this
season, and they know that eight years has been far too long for a team like theirs to have been
missing out on European football.
Copyright - FCBarcelona | Legal Terms | Buy tickets FC Barcelona | This is the FC Barcelona official website