FCBARCELONA.CAT

28.09.2008 14:12

Perseverance breeds results

Marc Guillén

The faith and insistence of the Barça players led to the kind of comeback in injury time that has been the exception rather than the rule for the team in recent years.

Since the day he was unveiled as the new FC Barcelona manager, Josep Guardiola has always maintained that he cannot guarantee titles, but that he can promise that the fans will feel proud of the players and the commitment they display on the pitch. This attitude is starting to shine through in the form of points.

More shots than ever

Barça dominated the games against Numancia, Racing Santander and Wisla Krakow from start to finish, but in none of them did they shoot as often as they did at Montjuïc. Against Espanyol, Guardiola’s side made 31 attempts on goal, a season high. Until now the games that have seen the most Barça shots were against Numancia, with 27 and Sporting Lisbon, with 25.

“We are performing well”

After the game, Dani Alves told Barça TV that the win against Espanyol had been a reward for their persistence throughout the match. “I think we performed very well today. We kept our faith and hopes up until the end, and we have to do that in every game” said the beaming Brazilian.

First taste at Gamper

Barça have never been famous for last-minute wins, but with Guardiola on the bench, this is not the first time it has happened. At the Gamper 2008 Puyol equalised in the 92nd minute and Eto’o grabbed a late winner in the 95th. Although the deciding goal came a little earlier in the game, the one with Betis last week also showed how the right collective spirit can turn a game around, with Gudjohnsen scoring the winner in the 79th minute.

Last season

Last term, with Rijkaard on the bench, Xavi scored two epic goals. The first was in the 87th minute of the game with Osasuna at the Camp Nou, the only one of the game (1-0), and the second in the 94th minute of the cup semi final against Valencia was the one that sealed a draw (1-1).