FCBARCELONA.CAT

18.05.2008 13:43

Send-off for the records

David Puig

The game between Murcia and FC Barcelona left some records for the football history books. Eto’o got Barça’s 100th goal this season, and Giovani scored the 60,000th goal in the history of the Spanish football league.

It seemed like yesterday’s game would be uneventful, but the match between Murcia and FC Barcelona left some records for stats lovers.

The 3-5 result is the second highest scoring game in the league this year, only beaten by Atlético Madrid 6 - Almería 3. The total of eight goals had only been scored in one other game: Mallorca 7 - Recreativo 1.The only other team to score five goals away has been Real Madrid at at Valencia (1-5).

It was also Rijkaard’s first game with eight goals as Barça coach. The last time this happened was when Llorenç Serra Ferrer was coaching the 2000-01 season, when Barça drew at home with Zaragoza 4-4. The season before, Barça had also drawn 4-4 away at Villareal.

Giovani man-of-the-match

Yesterday’s game in la Nueva Condomina was also special for Mexican Giovani dos Santos. He not only got his first league goal (he had scored one in the Champions League against Stuttgart), but he rounded off the season with a hat-trick. He also goes down in history for scoring the 60,000th goal of the Spanish football league. Giovani’s hat-trick against Murcia was Barça third of the season. Henry got the first away at Levante, and Eto’o got the second, this time also against Levante in Nou Camp. It was Eto’o’s goal yesterday which became Barça 100th this season in official competitions.

Debuts by Fali and Rueda

Barça B players Fali and Rueda also made their debuts. Rafael Romero (“Fali”) substituted Thuram in the 70th minute, and rose to the difficult challenge of marking Dani Aquino. He also got a yellow card for the only foul he committed against Ivan Alonso.

José Manuel Rueda came on for Gudjohnsen, and demonstrated his midfield skill making 16 accurate passes out of 17, and taking one shot at goal. He blocked two Murcia attacks and formed a good partnership with Xavi.