14.01.2008 10:24
Sandra Sarmiento
After the impressive win at the weekend, Barca finish the first half of the season with some excellent stats and a point more than at the same stage last season.
All optimistic pointers for the rest of the campaign and close to those which brought Rijkaard his two league titles.
One point more than last season
FC Barcelona have finished the first half of the season with 40 points,
1 wins and 4 draws –one point and one win more than last year, although in the two league
title seasons, the team had chalked up 14 wins at his stage.
Solid in defnce
Milito and Abidal’s acquisitions in the summer have helped
strengthen the back line and with just 13 goals conceded –only 5 of them at the Nou Camp
– Barca boast the league’s best defensive record. The numbers are especially impressive
given Barca’s commitment to open attacking football and are indeed, the best yet under
Rijkaard. You have to go back to the 90-91 season to better them.
Goalfest at Nou Camp
The Barca fans have been able to celebrate 26 goals in the
league at the Nou Camp since September, the same number as the double wining team, with 12
different players getting onto the score sheet. On the road, Messi, Eto’o, Ronaldinho, Henry
and co have notched up a further 12 goals to make it 38 in total so far.
Eight wins on the run
In Rijkaard’s first title winning season, the team won 9 home games and drew one in the
first half of the season, with a run of 7 wins on the trot only broken by Valencia who took a point
from the Nou Camp. This season it was 8 wins on the run, before Madrid broke the run of victories.