Barcelona v Espanyol: La Liga – as it happened
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http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2014/dec/07/barcelona-v-espanyol-la-liga-live Version 0 of 1. 6.05pm GMT18:05 Summary Ronaldo scores a hat-trick on a Saturday, Messi scores one on a Sunday: it is not an overstatement to say that one man changed this game. Had Espanyol had held out to half-time, they may well have had the base to secure a shock win, which seems a little strange to say five goals later. Barcelona move up to second, two points shy of Madrid, while Espanyol stay in 12th. This won’t mean much to Espanyol supporters who have just lost a derby match 5-1 but the team looked compact in defence, dangerous in attack in the first half. They’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. We’ll all be fine. Thanks for reading, and for your email and tweets. Enjoy what is left of your weekend. Bye! Updated at 6.13pm GMT 5.51pm GMT17:51 Full-time: Barcelona 5-1 Espanyol The referee puts Espanyol out of their misery. Barcelona are the kings of Catalonia for 235,987th time. Updated at 6.05pm GMT 5.50pm GMT17:50 89 min: Neymar update. He has just absolutely taken Arbilla’s pants down. The right-back is left on his arse, as the Brazilian skips and tricks past him into the area. Woweee. WOW! Neymar and Iniesta. https://t.co/4fhc8eZ2s1 Updated at 5.58pm GMT 5.49pm GMT17:49 87 min: The game is petering out now, Barcelona confident to play their tiki-take even within their own penalty box. Pedro is released, and again shows his pace to leave Lucas in his wake. Whilst I’d like to see more starts for Pedro, he’s also a fantastic impact sub. Updated at 5.52pm GMT 5.46pm GMT17:46 85 min: What has definitely been a factor in this second half is tiredness. All of Espanyol’s players look leggy, and this is where the size of the Camp Nou pitch really starts to take effect. It is a gargantuan space, which can’t be fun to chase shadows on. If you have possession on it, you are king, which is why it suits Barcelona so well. Is there a bigger pitch you can think of in club football? 5.42pm GMT17:42 82 min: Mathieu comes on for Busquets, who got a nasty bang off Arbilla a few moments ago. The Frenchman goes to centre back, Mascherano moves into midfield. 5.41pm GMT17:41 Messi starts and finishes the move, rolling Victor Sanchez in the middle of the park, skipping past Moreno before popping a through pass to Pedro. Pedro could shoot, but having ignored Messi a moment earlier, he doesn’t do the same again, and cuts the ball back to the Argentinian, who sweeps the ball just inside the far post with his right foot. Another with his right! 5.38pm GMT17:38 GOAL! Barcelona 5-1 Espanyol (Messi 80) And there is the hat-trick. Updated at 5.42pm GMT 5.37pm GMT17:37 Espanyol build their first attack in about 15 minutes and as there players move up the pitch, they are punished. Alba has time to look up on the left and pick a long 50-yard diagonal ball to Pedro, who takes one touch, waits for the keeper to go to ground and sweeps the ball into the far corner. It was the first touch control that made that easy. He’s a class act. Messi was haring down Pedro’s inside for a square pass there for his hat-trick there, didn’t get the pass! 5.34pm GMT17:34 GOAL! Barcelona 4-1 Espanyol (Pedro 77) Somebody give that man a starting spot. Suarez out! 5.34pm GMT17:34 74 min: Barcelona are laying siege to Espanyol’s goal. Pretty passes, which unlike the first half, seem to have an end product. Those lofted balls behind the defence, in front of the keeper, are finding their targets. Interesting substitutions from Enrique. You’d think with PSG on Wednesday, he might want to rest Messi and Neymar rather than Suarez and Rakitic. 5.30pm GMT17:30 70 min: Couple more substitutions. Stuani is on for Caicedo in a straight swap for Espanyol. Can’t see him getting much action to be honest. Pedro is also on for Suarez, who trudges off. He’s still to score in La Liga. I’m delighted to see a bit more of Pedro. Doesn’t get nearly enough game time in my eyes, and has the raw pace and width that is sometimes lacking from Barca’s play. 5.27pm GMT17:27 68 min: Foul on Messi, yellow card for Alvaro, he was very late there. It’s central and right on the edge of the box: prime territory this. If Ronaldo scores a hat-trick, Messi wil... nope, it’s just over the bar. 5.24pm GMT17:24 65 min: Iniesta comes on to a hero’s welcome. On for Rakitic, who has had a steady game, nothing more. 5.23pm GMT17:23 63 min: Espanyol haven’t been in Barcelona’s half in about 10 minutes. This could get ugly. 5.21pm GMT17:21 60 min: There have been some quite exquisite exchanges of passing from Barcelona. Neymar has started with his lollipops, and Xavi is playing ten yards further up the pitch to where he was in the first half. Suddenly it’s 2011 again. 5.18pm GMT17:18 58 min: Espanyol make a change: Moreno on for Canas, formerly of Swansea of course. Moreno is the Mexican centre back who broke his leg at the World Cup. Strange to see him coming on for a central midfielder, seems a defensive switch?! Surely Espanyol aren’t giving up on this game already? 5.16pm GMT17:16 55 min: Espanyol look like they have abandoned the shape which proved so successful in the first half. If they don’t re-organise, this could turn into a thrashing. 5.14pm GMT17:14 Simple goal: Xavi whips a corner to the back post, and Piqué outmuscles his marker (I think Alvaro) and plants his header into the top corner. Espanyol were warned with that free-kick just after half-time and didn’t learn. In 10 minutes, either side of half-time, this game has completely turned on its head. 2 - @FCBarcelona have scored their first two goals from corners in their last two La Liga games this season. Skill. Updated at 5.22pm GMT 5.12pm GMT17:12 GOAL! Barcelona 3-1 Espanyol (Piqué 52) Game over? 5.11pm GMT17:11 Neymar shows Lucas a clean pair of heels on the left, finds Suarez who drives forward before floating a pass over to an unmarked Messi on the edge. His first touch is perhaps a little heavy, but this only serves to commit Alvaro and Messi is about to poke the ball through the defender’s legs for a nutmeg, before lashing a right-footed shot into the far corner. Woof! 5.09pm GMT17:09 GOAL! Barcelona 2-1 Espanyol (Messi 50) Messi in decline? 5.09pm GMT17:09 48 min: Penalty shout for Barca! Messi skips clear of Canas and plays a slide-rule pass through to Neymar, who slightly has to check. He can’t quite get it out of his feet, and Eric is quick enough to get to him. However, it’s a clumsy shoulder, probably a foul, not given. 5.07pm GMT17:07 47 min: Luis Suarez makes contact with a defender. Luis Suarez goes down. Luis Suarez holds his teeth. No foul. 5.06pm GMT17:06 46 min: Xavi whips in a dangerous free-kick to the back post, but it’s just too high for Piqué. How long will Xavi stay on before he’s replaced? Not very, I’d guess. He’s been quite ineffective in open play. 5.03pm GMT17:03 Peeeep. We’re underway again. 5.03pm GMT17:03 “The video of Hudson on Messi is hilarious - HE’S OUT OF HIS VULCAN MIND! - but by the end I was just admiring Messi,” writes Robin Hughes. “I could watch the guy all day. It’s a shame he hasn’t lived up to his own standards recently - although admittedly 17 goals from 18 games this season is still a bit handy. You have any thoughts as to why it is? Natural decline, needs a change of scene, lost the hunger?” A few things here. Firstly, it’s a nonsense that Messi is in decline. Ronaldo has no doubt raised his game for people who like to make a direct comparison but Messi is playing in an inferior team compared a few years ago, and appears to be in a slightly role to the false nine he has previously played. This game, many of his key passes have been from very deep in midfield, from the kind of place that Xavi used to play for him. Messi’s chances are largely created by himself, running from deep, drawing defenders into challenges. He’s still got it, but I don’t think Luis Enrique quite has the same nous as Pep. Not that I have the answers. 4.53pm GMT16:53 Half time entertainment Yep, you guessed. Here’s a bit more Ray for ya. @michaelbutler18 Another Ray Hudson moment "as electrifying as a hairdryer thrown into a hot tub my friend!" https://t.co/FqYehaeUI8 4.51pm GMT16:51 Half-time: Barcelona 1-1 Espanyol Messi’s goal almost the last kick of the half! 4.50pm GMT16:50 Who else? He’s been Barcelona’s only outlet this half, and the little magician conjures something special from the edge of the box. Xavi lays the ball off, Messi shapes to hit it first time, but takes a touch to dodge the sliding defenders before curling a low shot through a crowd of players just inside the Casilla’s right-hand post. A second replay shows how far outside the post that shot started before the curl brought it back, a good two yards?! Espanyol’s players slump on the turf, there were three separate players that tried to get to the Argentinian, all in vain. 4.46pm GMT16:46 GOAL! Barcelona 1-1 Espanyol (Messi 45) Yep, there’s still time. 4.46pm GMT16:46 41 min: Chance for Espanyol! Another lightning break, and but for a heavy touch from Victor Sanchez, they would surely have a 2-0 lead! Garcia is again allowed room to turn, and with Alves again out of position, Sanchez breaks from deep, beat the offside trap and is clean through. But no! His touch is too careless, and Bravo does well to come off his line to just nip the ball away. Barca are playing with fire here, they don’t need to be so cavalier in their shape, there’s still plenty of time. 4.42pm GMT16:42 38 min: Great save by Casilla! Again it’s Messi operating from deep who creates the chance, floating a beautifully weighted ball over Espanyol’s defence and Alba cutting in from the left, cushions a first-time shot straight at Espanyol’s keeper. The rebound comes out to Alba again but he cannot organise his feet in time, and the ball bounces out for a goal-kick. 4.40pm GMT16:40 36 min: Suarez has done diddly-squat so far, the central areas are just far too congested for even the most slippery of forwards. “As a Liverpool fan I decided to look longingly at Luis,” writes Ian Copestake, “but also as a Liverpool fan I am enjoying the fact Barca are losing because I want him to come home and give up this nonsense.” Charles Antaki is a little more forthright in his verdict. “Suárez is auditioning again for the starring role in H G Wells’ classic The Invisible Man.” Ouch. 4.37pm GMT16:37 33 min: Messi again is the Barca’s instigator, dribbling from deep. He beat one, two, three men but is squeezed wide by the covering Eric, who is able to make a last-ditch challenge and take the sting out of Messi’s shot. Eric has been excellent so far, he’s a product of Espanyol’s own youth team and the best player on the pitch so far. 4.34pm GMT16:34 30 min: Ooooo close! Messi hits the bar! Having tempted the wonderfully grey-haired Salva Sevilla into a challenge on the edge of the box, Messi takes the resulting free-kick but he can’t get it over the wall and under the bar – it just clips the top and goes behind. 4.32pm GMT16:32 27 min: One of these hoofs finds Caicedo, who is allowed to turn on the half-way mark, and the Ecuadorian just sets off making a bee-line for Barca’s goal. Barca’s defence do nothing but retreat, why is he being given so much room? Eventually Alves comes across to close the striker down, but in leaving the right flank, leaves Garcia wide open on the edge of the area. Garcia receives a slipped pass, takes a touch but only passes it into Bravo’s arms. Very weak, but another promising counter-attack. You can see Espanyol scoring again here. 4.27pm GMT16:27 25 min: Signs that Barcelona are finally finding their feet, even if the penetration is minimal at this point. All the success is coming in the wide areas through Alves and Alba, but whenever a ball is delivered, Alvaro and Eric are there to hoof it clear. 4.26pm GMT16:26 23 min: “Strangely I think the other SW/D/M/F RLC was one Kieron Dyer... injury-proneness 20 presumably!” says Paul Turp, wrongly. But then, another email! “... it may have been Niklas Alexandersson?” Correct! Have a cup of tea to celebrate. (Props also to Joseph Ravenscroft who came in with the same answer just two minutes later) Updated at 4.56pm GMT 4.24pm GMT16:24 21 min: Caicedo fouls Neymar, but it is the former Manchester City man that appears to have come off the worst. Even though he fouled the Brazilian, it shows the work ethic that he has in tracking back, it was that industriousness that earned Espanyol the goal when he picked Busquet’s pocket. He limps to his feet and takes a couple of minutes to receive treatment, much to the distain of the Camp Nou faithful. 4.22pm GMT16:22 18 min: Nearly 20 minutes gone, and Barcelona are yet to muster a shot on target. Espanyol looks very comfortable, and happy to let Barcelona have the ball. Their captain and goalscorer Garcia looks a real threat, he is a Barcelona old boy of course, having learned his trade at La Masia. Garcia only made four first-team appearances for Barca though, between 2003 and 2005. Updated at 4.22pm GMT 4.20pm GMT16:20 15 min: Busquets is still shaking his head, a good two minutes after the goal. He mis-plays another pass, trying to find Suarez’s feet. Needs to find his composure again. 4.18pm GMT16:18 Busquets tries to play his way out of trouble on the half-way line and is caught by Caicedo. Garcia picks up the loose ball and suddenly it’s two on two! Barcelona’s midfield are all at sea, the full-backs are nowhere to be seen. Pique and Mascherano both retreat to the penalty box as Garcia and Caicedo advance. Garcia has his teammate to his left, but he doesn’t need him, feinting inside on this left and firing a low strike past Bravo’s left hand. Espanyol lead the Catalan derby! Updated at 4.20pm GMT 4.15pm GMT16:15 GOAL! Barcelona 0-1 Espanyol (Sergio Garcia 13) That has silenced Camp Nou! 4.14pm GMT16:14 10 min: As expected Barcelona’s full-backs are both well forward. Messi drops very deep to get the ball and sprays one out to Alba but the left back cannot gets past Arbilla. 4.12pm GMT16:12 8 min: Fantastic move from Espanyol. They play a crisp one-two on the left, and Sergio Garcia breaks forward to the byline, before lacing a fierce low cross across the six-yard box. Lucas is there but Alba slides in to clear. That could have gone absolutely anywhere, but in the end you have to credit the Spanish international. A hush descends in Camp Nou, the first scare of the afternoon. Updated at 4.12pm GMT 4.08pm GMT16:08 6 min: And there is that range. Rakitic collects the ball from Alves on the right, one touch, and whips a delightful ball at pace to the back post, where Neymar is lurking. Alvaro clears behind, and the corner comes to nothing. 4.07pm GMT16:07 4 min: Barca settle into their rhythm: Rakitic, Xavi and Busquets popping it about nicely. Will be interesting to see how Rakitic gets on in place of Mascherano, who played in central midfield last week. The Croatian has a much better passing range, Barca moved to ball too slowly in Valencia. 4.03pm GMT16:03 2 min: Neymar picks the ball up and dribbles the ball a good 50 yards up the pitch, but the lay-off to Suarez is mistimed, with the Uruguayan caught offside. It’s easy to forget just how quick the Brazilian can be. Physically he’s improved so much since signing for Barca. 4.01pm GMT16:01 The teams are out! Let’s do this. Peeeeep! Updated at 4.01pm GMT 3.58pm GMT15:58 Today’s teams Barcelona (4-3-3): Bravo; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Xavi, Rakitic; Suarez, Messi, Neymar. Espanyol (4-2-3-1): Casilla; Arbilla, Alvaro, Eric, Fuentes; Canas, Victor Sanchez; Lucas, Salva Sevilla, Sergio Garcia; Caicedo Iniesta is rested, he played in the Copa del Rey in midweek and did this. 3.53pm GMT15:53 Team news shortly. First: Luis Enrique will be managing his first derby today! He also played in a few back in the day! http://t.co/2QNdRLKesW pic.twitter.com/TUTeG4NG1i Not really applicable as a manager, but I will always have a soft spot for Luis Enrique for his staggering versatility in Championship Manager 1997/8. He was able to play in every outfield position – SW/D/M/F RLC. A one-man wonderman. A Onederman. There was one other player on that version of the game that had the same positional ambidexterity. Brownie points/pat on the back for somebody who emails/tweets in with that answer. 3.40pm GMT15:40 @michaelbutler18 One reason Tamudo gave RM title with goal was because FCB lost 2-0 at Esp, when Rijkaard punched out dugout plexiglass. Well remembered Flynn: in the reverse fixture that 2006/7 season, that boy Tamudo was at it again (the final score was actually 3-1 to Espanyol). Dagger. Heart. Etc. 3.34pm GMT15:34 The pre-match stats do not make pretty reading for Espanyol. 91 - Barcelona have won more games against Espanyol than any other side in their league history (91). Derby Today’s visitors, who have yet to win away this season, have not scored against Barcelona in the last five league meeting with Barcelona, and have not scored at Camp Nou since 2009. Not exactly the sort of strike record you want to have against a defence that has conceded just six goals this campaign. That said, all is not lost. Barcelona did not look their fluid best at Valencia, so expect Espanyol to set up in a similar way: defend deep and counter quickly. Messi, Suarez and Neymar all like to drop deep which often gives Barca a chronic lack of width, so with Alves and Alba getting forward, there should be space for Espanyol to hit Barca on the break. The last two Catalan derbies have been decided by a single goal so it could well be tight. What’s more, Barca well have an eye on their Champions League game with PSG on Wednesday. That’s in just three days! Madness. Updated at 4.00pm GMT 3.21pm GMT15:21 Incidentally, Messi has had a yellow card rescinded this week. The Argentinian was booked last week at Valencia after Barcelona scored a late winner – he was hit in the head with a bottle thrown from the crowd, and when he complained to the referee about the incident, was cautioned as he was deemed to have “delayed his return to the pitch after the goal was scored, in order to waste time”. Anyway, the authorities have since seen sense. He plays today. 3.10pm GMT15:10 For anyone keen to re-live that 2007 Catalan derby, they can do so here. A warning: Ray Hudson is commentating. I counted six “LOOK OUT!”s in under six minutes of highlights. I’m only sorry that I don’t have Ray along with me today in this MBM. He’s certainly got a way with words, and judging by this video, quite likes talking about Messi. “Three players inside a telephone box and he don’t care. He emasculates them, individually, collectively. He literally [HE LITERALLY DOES IT PEOPLE] disperses his atoms inside of his body on one side of this defender, and then collects them on the other. Magisterial Lionel! Magisterial!” If anyone has any other Ray favourites, I would be very glad to receive them via email/Twitter. 3.00pm GMT15:00 Preamble Let us return, reader, to the heady days of 2006-7. Rihanna was No1 with Umbrella, hardly anyone had heard of Katie Hopkins and there was a strange craze of young people wearing double-collared shirts. In Spain, Barcelona were neck-and-neck with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga going into the season’s penultimate weekend when Espanyol made the short trip across the city to Camp Nou. Two goals by a 19-year-old called Lionel Messi had put the home side on course for a crucial 2-1 win, and with a minute remaining on the clock, Xavi and Iniesta appeared to be strangling the game – death by possession. But then the ball broke: Espanyol’s Raúl Tamudo is played onside by Oleguer, the striker latching on to a clever reverse pass before finishing past Victor Valdes to tie the game at 2-2. That draw – labelled the “fuck of the century” by the press – meant that Barcelona, tied with Real Madrid on 76 points, finished in second place behind Real Madrid, on account of them having an inferior head-to-head record. Barcelona have never really gotten over that day, largely because Espanyol have never let them forget it. Their fans continue to chant Tamudo’s name, taunting their rivals, and when the striker returned to Camp Nou last year with Rayo Vallecano, he was roundly booed for his 2007 exploits. Today’s game might not carry the same denouement, but with Real Madrid flying this year, securing their 18th successive win in their victory over Celta Vigo on Saturday, it looks increasingly likely that Barcelona cannot afford another slip up, even at this early stage. Three points today would take them to within two points of Real at the top. Espanyol currently lie in 12th: 14 points from 13 games. It’s going to be great. A tasty local derby, three of the best forward players in the world, what’s not to like? Kick off: 4pm GMT Updated at 3.43pm GMT |