26.12.2007 16:26
www.fcbarcelona.cat
After the Christmas holidays January will see a chock-a-block month of football for Barça who, if they progress in the King’s Cup, will have to play two games a week during the first month of 2008.
Next January sees a month full of football when Barça, providing they get through the last 32
and last 16 of the Cup, will have to play a total of nine games. The azulgrana will face a
gruelling calendar during a run of very demanding games which should provide them with an
opportunity to reaffirm their aspirations in the league as well as reaching the semi-finals of the
King’s Cup.
Immediate start
There won’t be long to wait for the start of the 2008
football calendar in the Nou Camp. On 2 January Barça play against Alcoyano, from the Spanish
second division B, in the return leg of their King’s Cup match (last 32). The azulgrana
should make good on the clear advantage they have from the first leg having won 0-3 with goals from
Henry, Gudjohnsen and Bojan.
Decisive month in the Cup
If Barça overcome the possible pitfall against Alcoyano, January will see them having to play
almost immediately in the last 16 and possible quarter-finals of the King’s Cup. So January
will become a key month in determining the azulgrana’s options in the knockout competition in
that they will learn the names of the four teams left to fight for the title.
Winning points
During the 31 days of January, Barça will play four league matches which will allow them to
gain the necessary points to continue in the upper reaches of the table and to try to put pressure
on the leaders. Barça begin in the Balearics against Mallorca, who finished the year with a heavy
defeat against Osasuna. Their next game, at home in the Nou Camp, sees them play host to Murcia in
what will be the final game of the first half of the league programme. The second half of the
football programme will therefore begin at home against Racing Santander. The final league match in
January will be against Athletic Bilbao in San Mamés.