26.08.2008 11:10
Wisla v Barça: Did you know?
Roger Bogunyà
There are a number of curiosities regarding tonight’s Champions League third round match between Wisla Krakow and FC Barcelona.
- FC Barcelona have never lost in Poland. The side has played in the country five times and won
four and drawn of one those matches.
- Barça have only played in Krakow once. That was in the 2001/02 season, and also in the
Champions League preliminary round against Wisla. That time Barça won 4-3.
- Wisla won their first home game in this season’s Champions League 5-0. That was the
return leg of their second round match with Beitar Jerusalem, after the Poles had lost the first
leg 2-1. A similar result tonight would put Barça, 4-0 winners in the first leg, out of the
competition.
- Martín Cáceres could play his first official minutes in an
FC Barcelona shirt. He was the only one of the five summer signings not to feature in the first leg
at the Camp Nou.
- This game will also be new manager Josep Guardiola’s first official away match.
- There are two others Champions League qualifiers being played tonight. These are Artmedia v
Juventus and Panathinaikos v Sparta Prague. The rest of the programme will be played on Wednesday.
- The winners of this round will go into the Champions League stage, which will be drawn on
Thursday at 18.00.