FCBARCELONA.CAT

01.04.2010 12:20

Six out of seven when it was 2-2

Jordi Clos

Barça have drawn 2-2 away seven times in Europe and have resolved the tie all but once in the return at the Camp Nou. It is 50 years since they got this result in the European Cup/Champions League.

A 2-2 draw is not a common scoreline, but is clearly beneficial to the visiting side in a first leg. Barça’s own history shows this. The only club to have played every edition of European competition has drawn 2-2 in the first leg seven times.

Twice in the Champions League

50 years have passed since the only 2-2 first leg draws in Europe’s premier club competition. The first was in the last 16 in the European Cup of 1959/60, away to CDNA Sofia. In the second leg, Helenio Herrera’s side devastated the Bulgarians 6-2. The next occasion was more famous, when a 2-2 at Bernabéu was followed by an Evaristo header putting Madrid out of Europe for the very first time.

Bayern the last victim

The other occasions were all in the UEFA or Cup Winners Cups, the first in the final of the former when it was still called the Fairs Cup and played over two legs, in 1960 and that was decided at the Camp Nou with a 6-0 win. Cologne (4-1, Cup Winners Cup 1969), Os Belenenses (3-2, UEFA 1977) and Aston Villa (2-1, UEFA 1978) also suffered similar fate ion Catalonia. The only side to break the pattern was Bayern Munich in the semi finals of the UEFA Cup in 95/96, when Barça failed to make good of the 2-2 draw in Germany and lost the second leg at home, 2-1.

Four in Champions League

Barça have drawn 2-2 away four times in the Champions League, but only in the group stages. The most recent example was at Olympique Lyon (2007/08). The others were at PSV Eindhoven (1997/98), at Manchester United (1994/95) and at Spartak Moscow (1993/94).