28.02.2008 12:47
Believing to the end
Roger Bogunyà / Sergi Nogueras
Barça have been scoring some important late goals of late and this comes down having to the right mentality and the sheer desire to win.
Barça are still alive on three fronts and showing that they are willing to fight right to the end.
In all of the last six outings Barcelona have managed to make good of potentially difficult
situations.
The start
This sort of dynamic was first seen this year in the game at home to Osasuna at the Camp Nou.
Xavi’s late goal managed to grab three important league points just as the game was about to
end in a tie. Since then, things have just looked better and better.
The last quarter of an hour
The crunch period for these last games has regularly been
the last quarter of an hour, when Barça have managed to show that they are never going to accused
of being a team that runs out of ideas. Xavi’s 87th minute goal against Osasuna typifies
this, as does the goal scored by the same player in the 75th minute against Sevilla,
Ronaldinho’s 83rd minute penalty against Zaragoza and Messi’s winner at Celtic Park in
the 79th.
Against Levante, Barça came into their own in the second half and scored a flood of late
goals, while Xavi was once again there to grab a late equaliser last night against Valencia.
Unbeaten in 2008
Barça have played 15 games this year and have won 8 and drawn 7. Not a single defeat! In the
league this has served to make up no less than 7 points on leaders Real Madrid, and in the cup they
are in the semi finals and just have to get a good result at Mestalla to go through. In the
Champions League, the win away to Celtic means a quarter final place is already in
Barcelona’s sights.