FCBARCELONA.CAT

27.03.2009 14:10

Hectic two months ahead

Anna Segura

The Barca players away on international duty face a hectic schedule on their return, as Guardiola’s team mount their final challenge on the three competitions they are still in the hunt for.

If Barca go all the way to the UCL final in Rome, the team will play a total of 16 games in 57 days- nearly one every three and a half days.

As the season draws to its climax, Barca are, together with Porto and Manchester United, one of just three European teams still in the running for the triple of League, Cup and Champions League titles. It’s not going to be an easy finale to the season though, with a fixture packed schedule that is sure to test the squad to its limits.

Valladolid game kicks off marathon

Following this week’s international break, Barca travel to Valladolid next Saturday (20.00), leaving just a few days to prepare the Champions League quarter final first leg with Bayern Munich scheduled for 20.45 on Wednesday 8th at the Nou Camp.

April – the cruelest month?

April could see Barca playing a total of 8 games, including the second leg of the UCL quarter finals in Munich on 14th, a possible semi final against Liverpool or Chelsea in England on 28th or 29th and in the league home games against Recreativo and a tough midweek match against Seville, together with trips to Getafe and Valencia.

Madrid derby opens May schedule

May kicks off with a trip to the Bernabeu on 3rd, sandwiched between the first and second legs of a possible Champions League semi final, after which Villarreal visit the Nou Camp on May 9th/10th. There’s no let up after that though, as Guardiola leads his team out for the Spanish Cup Final against Bilbao at Mestalla on Wednesday 13th.

Final effort

Once the Cup Final is over, Barca have just three league games left, with a visit from Osasuna sandwiched between trips to Mallorca and Coruña on the 17th and 31st. Of course before their trip to Galicia, Barca will hope to be featuring in the European Cup Final in Rome on 27th.