31.08.2011 17:00
Barça have beaten four Champions League teams in August
Anaïs Martí
The month of August has witnessed some authentic Barcelona victories. The last five games that Barça played have included wins against Real Madrid, Naples, Porto and Villareal, four teams that are playing in the Champions League this season.
Real Madrid in the Final of the Spanish Super Cup, Naples in the Gamper, Porto in the Final of the
European Super Cup, and Villareal in the League, are the Champions League rivals that Barça have
beaten this month. All four games ended in a Barça victory, and two of them bringing home the first
two titles this season: the Spanish Super Cup and European Super Cup.
First stop, the Spanish Super Cup
Barça started the 2011-2012 season with a main course, the Spanish Super Cup, and a
“Classic” against Real Madrid.
The first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Guardiola’s men drew 2-2 in a hard fought
match, with goals from Villa and Lionel Messi, was used to start to get the legs into shape, and
also marked the debut of Barca’s first Chilean player, Alexis Sanchez.
On 17th of August 2011, the Camp Nou witnessed the winning of the first title of the season.
An Iniesta goal opened the scoring, and two goals from Messi were enough to overcome the goals from
Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema. Moreover, this game would have special meaning for the new Barça
number 4, Cesc Fabregas, who played his first game in a Barça shirt.
Barça brilliant in the Gamper
From there, wins have been coming one after the other. Naples were the rivals in
the Joan Gamper Trophy, the official presentation of this great Barça team. The players achieved
their first big win of the season, 5-0. Cesc Fabregas scored the first goal, and his first for
Barça. The other 4 goals were scored by Keita, Pedro, and Leo Messi, with another 2.
After the Gamper, Barça travelled to one of the more glamorous cities, Monaco, to play for
their second title of the season, the European Super Cup, against Porto. A goal from Messi in the
38th minute and another from Cesc in the 87th, were enough to crown Barça, Super Champions of
Europe.
First game in the League with a big win against Villarreal
The Camp Nou was again witness to another big win against a team that will be
playing in the Champions League, Villareal. Gambling on a 3-4-3 formation, the players decided the
game with a 5-0 victory, in an exhibition that helped Thiago, Alexis Sanchez, and Fábregas reaffirm
why Barcelona signed them. Their 3 goals, along with another 2 from Leo Messi, demonstrated
Barça’s most competitive side, which, despite having won everything, remains intact, and the
team have the same desire to continue making history.