FCBARCELONA.CAT

02.03.2008 19:13

Reliability

www.fcbarcelona.cat

FC Barcelona remains one of the most reliable teams in Europe having only conceded four defeats in 40 official games played.

The defeat by Atletico Madrid on Saturday was only the fourth for Rijkaard in the forty official games played this season. All of them have in fact been in the league, but if we look at the three most important competitions in the different countries we find that of the Champions League teams, only Arsenal and Inter Milan have been beaten fewer times than Barça.

The balance

Up until now Barça, still present in three competitions, have already played 40 games. Apart from the four defeats, the blue and reds have won 23 games and drawn 13. All the losses were in the League, where they have also won 16 games and drawn four. In the Champions League the balance is pretty clear: five victories and two draws; in the King’s Cup, Rijkaards men are in the second leg of the semi-final with two victories and five drawn.

First in sixteen games

Actually, Barça still hadn’t lost a game in the first two months of 2008. Until then, the fifteen games in the three competitions had ended in eight victories and seven draws. Right now these results have allowed the blue and reds draw back points with respect to the League leader, get through three rounds of the King’s Cup and get a great result regarding the second leg of the last sixteen in the Champions League.

Inter and Arsenal

Of all the big European league teams in the Champions League, only Arsenal and Inter have lost less than Barcelona this season. Arsenal has only conceded three losses in 38 games in the three most important competitions. In the League they’ve lost one of 28 played; in the Champions League, one from seven and in the F.A.Cup (the equivalent of the King’s Cup), one form three played, which meant their elimination by Manchester Utd. (4-0). In Arsenal’s case you could also add a fourth Competition, the Carling Cup, when the ‘Gunners’ lost again to Tottenham Hotspur (5-1).

Of the group Inter. Is the team who have lost least games. The ‘nerazzuri’ (black and blues) have only been beaten three times this season. Two have come in their seven Champions' League games and one in the League. Manchester Utd with four losses in 38 games (all four in the Premier), have the same numbers as Barça.