Barcelona - NouCamp Faithful

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Barcelona 1 - 0 Shakhtar Donetsk: Barca starts new season with a win

Barcelona's megabucks signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic failed to impress as the Champions League winners claimed a last-gasp victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Super Cup.

Ibrahimovic, who moved from Inter Milan for £40million plus Samuel Eto'o, was completely overshadowed by Lionel Messi, who created the only goal for Pedro Rodriguez in the 115th minute.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 3 - 0 Sporting Gijon: Barca starts new Liga season with an easy win

Barcelona began their quest for a second successive league title under Pep Guardiola with a routine 3-0 win over Sporting Gijon in the first round of Primera Liga action at the Nou Camp.

First-half goals from Bojan Krkic and Seydou Keita set an under-strength Catalan side on their way and summer signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic grabbed his first for the club late on as Guardiola's side strolled to a comfortable victory.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Getafe 0 - 2 Barcelona: Ibrahimovic shines as Barca win

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi netted second-half goals as Barcelona made it two wins from two at the start of the Primera Division season with a 2-0 win over Getafe.

Ibrahimovic, having netted on his league debut for Barca in their 3-0 win over Sporting Gijon a fortnight ago, paid back a little more of his sizeable transfer fee by opening the scoring in the 65th minute.

The former Inter Milan hitman then turned provider to set up Messi for Barca's second 12 minutes from time as last season's treble winners came out on top in the battle between the leading two sides from the opening round of fixtures.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Internazionale 0 - 0 Barcelona : Eto'o and Ibra both draw blanks

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Samuel Eto'o were both kept under wraps by their former team-mates as Inter Milan held Champions League holders Barcelona to a goalless draw at the San Siro.

The Swede was much more involved than his Cameroon counterpart as treble winners Barca spent large parts of the game going forward, but neither player, or anyone else for that matter, was able to find the breakthrough as defences came out on top.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 5 - 2 Atlético Madrid : Barca steam-rolled Atlético

Barcelona continued their superb start to the season and signalled their intentions to reclaim the Primera Liga title with a stunning 5-2 victory at home to Atletico Madrid on Saturday night.

Pep Guardiola's side got off to the perfect start when summer signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic bagged his third goal in as many league starts after just two minutes at the Nou Camp.

Lionel Messi, who signed a new contract on Friday to remain at the club until 2016, then made it two after a quarter of an hour before a Dani Alves free-kick and a close-range Seydou Keita strike put the Catalans into a four-goal lead before half-time.

Sergio Aguero pulled a goal back for the visitors on the stroke of half-time and Diego Forlan added a second for Abel Resino's side late on.

But Barcelona's win was never in doubt and Messi grabbed a fifth deep into added time for the Catalans, who moved clear at the top of the table, at least until tomorrow's results, after preserving their 100% record in some style.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Racing Santander 1 - 4 Barcelona : Magical Messi on song again

Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona moved back to the top of the Primera Division with a resounding 4-1 victory at Racing Santander.

Pep Guardiola's side stormed into a three-goal lead in a devastating spell midway through the first half.

Summer signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic opened the scoring after 20 minutes, and has now scored in all of Barca's four league games this season.

Messi added a second goal four minutes later, before Gerard Pique made it 3-0 with less than half an hour gone.

Messi completed his double with a stunning strike just after the hour, in what was the Argentina winger's last contribution before being replaced by Andres Iniesta.

Oscar Serrano then pulled a goal back for Racing with a fine solo effort.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Málaga 0 - 2 Barcelona : Ibrahimovic scores again

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gerard Pique came off the bench to inspire Barcelona to a fifth straight Primera Division win over a hard-working Malaga side.

Ibrahimovic was left out of the starting line-up after picking up an ankle injury in Tuesday night's 4-1 win at Racing Santander.

But the Sweden striker has been making good progress in his recovery and was called upon after Thierry Henry was forced off through injury just short of the half-hour mark.

And Ibrahimovic was on the scoresheet 10 minutes later to bag his fifth goal in as many league games since joining from Inter Milan in the summer.

But Pique took even less time to make an impact, bagging a second for the Catalans only three minutes after replacing Dmytro Chygrynskiy just short of an hour, before Malaga had Duda sent off late on.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 2 - 0 Dynamo Kiev : Holders win

Holders Barcelona made it four points from two games in their Champions League group after confidently seeing off Dynamo Kiev at the Nou Camp.

Lionel Messi put the Catalan giants on their way with the opening goal in the 26th minute before half-time substitute Pedro Rodriguez sealed a fairly comfortable victory with Barca's second 14 minutes from time.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

[Adidas020108]

a very disappointing performance by Barcelona,even though they kept their unbeaten start to the season. they totally dominate the match but just do not seem to want to score more goals.

[Cum_Luver]

bro Adidas020108,
next week is International Week,actually it is an double-edges.
on one hand,some will give all as they want to impress their national coach/manager. then on the other hand,they do not want to get injured if they know that they are already in the starting elevens.
so normally before an International Week,have to punt with cautious.

never mind,if you want to punt,win some and lost some.
just punt within your means.

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Barcelona 1 - 0 Almeria : Pedro stunner enough for Barca

Pedro's first-half strike gave Barcelona a win over Almeria at the Nou Camp tonight as the Catalans made hard work of a seemingly routine home match in the sixth round of the Primera Division.

The Tenerife-born youngster struck after half an hour to score only his second ever goal for the first team, and it proved enough to give a below-par Barca outfit their sixth successive league win and put pressure on bitter rivals Real Madrid, who face a tough trip to Sevilla tomorrow.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Valencia 0 - 0 Barcelona : Barca held at the Mestalla

Barcelona saw their Primera Liga lead cut to a solitary point by Real Madrid as they were held to a goalless draw by Valencia at the Mestalla - and they will be relieved to have escaped with that result.

Pablo Hernandez went close from his own half and strike partner Juan Mata missed a host of chances, while David Silva was denied by Victor Valdes from the best opportunity of the match.

Rodriguez Pedrito and Yaya Toure threatened for Barca, but they will be happy to take a share of the spoils and remain a point ahead of arch-rivals Madrid, who beat Real Valladolid 4-2.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 1 - 2 FK Rubin Kazan : Barca sunk by Russian submarine at Nou Camp

Gokdeniz Karadeniz stuck a second-half winner as Rubin Kazan claimed a shock Champions League victory over reigning European champions Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

Karadeniz netted with 17 minutes to go to earn the Russian champions their first win in Group F and inflict a first competitive defeat over Barcelona since May. It was also the first European defeat Pep Guardiola's men had suffered since losing at home to Shakhtar Donetsk last December having already qualified for the last 16.

An upset had been on the cards from the opening two minutes when Rubin took the lead through Alexander Ryazantsev's long-range piledriver out of the blue, and although Barca levelled up through a fine Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal just after half-time, it was the visitors who went on to claim a memorable victory thanks to Karadeniz.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Barcelona 6 - 1 Real Zaragoza : Sensational Barca rediscover form

Seydou Keita scored a hat-trick as Barcelona put their recent indifferent form behind them with a brilliant performance to thrash Zaragoza 6-1 at the Nou Camp.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic bagged a brace and Lionel Messi scored the other as the Catalans swept the visitors aside with a fine display of attacking football reminiscent of their early-season performances and the form which saw them capture the treble of Primera Division, Copa del Rey and Champions League trophies last season.

Jorge Lopez pulled a goal back for Zaragoza with 12 minutes left after Victor Valdes was unable to hold on to the initial shot.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)

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Osasuna 1 - 1 Barcelona : Barca surrender three points at the death

League leaders Barcelona were denied victory in dramatic circumstances at Osasuna tonight as Gerard Pique put through his own net deep into injury time to give the hosts an unexpected point.

Pique was attempting to clear after a Rafa Marquez error had let in Javier Camunas, but the Spain defender could only divert the ball into his own net and Barca were forced to settle for a draw which sees their lead at the top of the Primera Division cut to just a point after Real Madrid beat Getafe earlier in the evening.

Before that, Seydou Keita's strike midway through the second half had looked enough to send the Catalans on their way to an eighth victory in nine league games.

(excerpt from ESPN Soccernet)