Messi to lead Barça against PSG

Barcelona will face a decisive clash against Paris Saint-Germain that will decide the winner of Champions League Group F, a victory that will secure a home-field advantage and avoid the biggest European rivals in the next stages of the League.

The French team will remain at the top of the group if they are able to obtain at least a point at Camp Nou. PSG coach Laurent Blanc has admitted that the team will play in defense most of the game and try to score with the little time the have when in possession of the ball.

Barcelona will have a hard time trying to beat a populated and well organized defensive formation an approach that has worked for other rivals in the past and probably this is why they have chosen this approach.

Last game against Espanyol showed that Barcelona is a very good team and could become excelelent if Messi is confortable and inspired. Even with attacking teammates such as Suarez and Neymar, the responsibility always seems to fall on the quadruple Ballon d’Or.

This dependency has been criticized by the press, despite the efforts of Luis Enrique change it since his arrival during the summer.

But Messi is willing to step up and lead the Barça attack versus PSG, as the best player on the planet is not ready to sit back and let the others do his work. Despite the criticism, having a hungry and motivated Messi should be never considered a problem.

But Visitors are wrong if the focus only on Messi, there are other players to worry about, the unpredictable Neymar and Suarez.

The Uruguayan is still working hard to adapt to his new envionment, but he is making a good progress, showing glimpses of his quality and creating space for the other attackers despite only having found the net once.

It’s very difficult to guess the starting line-up for this game due to Luis Enrique tendencies to rotate the team. However due to the importance of the game and top-quality side they are facing, Luis Enrique will put the best XI into the field.

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Barcelona 5 - Espanyol 1

The game started poorly for Barcelona, and Sergio Garcia scored the first goal, but eventually Barcelona found the rhythm and at the end finished the game with a victory and Messi scored three to become La Liga record goalscorer.

This was the first time since 2009 that Espanyol scored at Camp Nou, since another La Masia youth football school graduate, Ivan de la Peña, scored twice.

Garcia ended this situation at 13th minute and Espanyol posed a significant danger against Barcelona net in counter-attack; but The Catalans were able to level the match just before the half time with a Messi strike.

The second arrived early in the start of the second half, again thanks to Messi and the third came from Gerard Pique.

Espanyol never recovered from this two scores and never posed a thread to Barcelona. Pedro scored the fourth just 14 minutes before the end of the match and Messi soon after scored his third and fifth for Barcelona.

Espanyol were lucky not to finish the match with only 10 men in the 49th minute as Eric Bailly stopped Neymar with a fault when the Brazilian was going directly to goal.

There where some warning sings at the start of the match, and more doubts after Espanyol scored the first, but little by little Barcelona started to dominate the game and had their opportunities with a free-kick thrown by Messi that struck the crossbar, followed minutes later by an opportunity for Luis Suarez.

The pressure was building up for the locals until Messi was able to restore parity just before half-time with a 25 yards unstoppable shot directed to the bottom-left corner of the net. Messi scored also the second shortly after after a pass from Suarez, the third came from Pique as he headed Rakitic’s corner into the net.

With the victory in hand, Pedro scored the fourth thanks to Alba’s cross field pass at 77th minute and Messi completed the fifth just four minutes later with a combination with Pedro playing a one-two into the area.

With this victory, Barcelona is still only two points behind current La Liga leader Real Madrid.

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Why Xavi wants to leave?

Last summer, Xavi Hernández decided it was time to leave his team because he didn’t feel good enough, but in the last match against Espanyol, he was able to make 125 passes with 95% of accuracy, better than anyone else during this season. This aren’t numbers for someone not good enough.

The reason why Xavi was thinking on leaving Barcelona is just because he wasn’t good enough, but because he thought he wasn’t; is the lack of self confidence.

When he was a kid, he dominated the pitch, something that only him could not see and when Barcelona called him for a try-out, he couldn’t understand why. Maybe was the fact that his father only told him what he did wrong during the games, maybe something else, but Xavi has never been a self confident player. And this is the reason why during all this years he gave everything in the games.

Xavi almost left FCB before, in 1999 he got a big offer from Milan while having trouble entering the first team, with everybody comparing him to Guardiola. Going to Italy seemed like a good option but his heart couldn’t let go the dream to play for Barcelona so he stayed.

And here we are, 15 years and many titles later again having doubts and thinking on leaving.

Being as humble as he is, he never cared about individual awards, but he is still disappointed not to win 2010 Ballon d’Or, maybe because he was hoping to get the award as a proof to himself, something to remind him that he is not that bad after all.

This time was Luis Enrique who convinced Xavi to unpack the bags and to be of great importance for the team, and the current season performance on the pitch is showing this point.

Maybe he is not the same player as he used to be, but this is far from telling that he is not good enough for Barcelona. He is 34 and probably not fit enough to endure three games a week, but he still can produce magic in the much needed Barcelona midfield.

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Messi yellow card rescinded

During last Sunday La Liga game, Lionel Messi got a yellow card for time-wasting after a plastic bottle thrown from the fans of Valencia apparently hit the argentinian on the head, and now this card is rescinded by the Spanish Football Federation.

 The first appeal issued by Barcelona was rejected by the competitive committee, but the club filled a second one to the higher appeal committee, and on Thursday the committee ruled in favour of the Catalans.

In the document issued, the Spanish Federation said that they were unable to detect a deliberate time-wasting from the player other than the normal reaction after being suffered an aggression from one of the spectators.

The aggression took place when Messi was celebrating the victory goal scored in the last minutes of the game near the corner flag at Mestalla stadium, during the celebration a bottle flew from the stands and hit the strike on the head. After being examined by Barcelona’s medical staff and no injure was visible so with the thumbs-up he walked to his side of the pitch.

It’s unclear if the bottle, a coin or another object hit the Argentina captain and after the match he make no comments about the incident.

With the victory against Valencia, Barcelona was able to keep hard on the heels of the current La Liga leaders Real Madrid after 13 matches. Real Madrid won his saturday match at Malaga for a final 2-1.

Real Madrid can increase the club-record of games won in all competitions to 18 if the win their next home game against Celta Vigo on Saturday, Barcelona will play on Sunday against city rivals Espanyol.

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The case of Thomas Vermaelen

Thomas Vermaelen signed for Barcelona in August this year from Arsenal and this move raised a few of eyebrows, not for the ability of the player but because the player was struggling with and injury when hi signed the papers and the club doctors where against it.

Supposedly he had the all clear to play in September, but now entering the mid-way of November the Belgian has still to play a match in his new team.

It’s difficult to understand why a club that needs all his player fit and ready to play will risk to sign with a player that hasn’t been the full 90 minutes in the pitch in over a year. Even worse when Barcelona will not be able to sign another player until January 2016 when the ban will end.

The first and only time that we saw Vermaelen with the new colors was in a friendly match of Barcelona B against the U19 Indonesian team.

The situation is starting also to annoy Luis Enrique, when at a press conference he said to the reporters that his situation is the same and there is no news.

Probably this is the best time for the player to break into the side, with Gerar Pique not enjoying the best form of his career, and the Belgian will most likely be welcomed alongside Marc Bartra, Jeremy Mathieu or Javier Mascherano offering power at the back.

He will also solve one of the most notable problems in the current Barcelona squad, aerial presence, something that needs to be solved despite the acquisition of two six-foot players.

Anyway, Vermaelen is still some weeks away from the first match with Barcelona and this should be a concern to anyone that was behind the deal, with a €19 million transfer fee that seems small on today’s standards but difficult to overcome with the current state of the player.

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Messi and Neymar shine in friendlies

Two barcelona players shine in their respective international friendly games, with wins for Brazil with Neymar and Argentina with Lionel Messi.

Brazil defeated Turkey in istambul with an easy 4-0, this marks the fifth consecutive win for coach Dunga after taking the hotseat following the traumatic World Cup where they lost against Germany in semi-finals with a 1-7 final score.

This is the sixth match lost for Turkey played in front of a packed Sukru Saracoglu.

The first goal came from Neymar just 19 minutes after the start of the match after picking a cross from Fernandinho. Five minutes later, Turkish defender Suat Kaya scored in his own net under pressure from Luiz Adriano.

Just before the halftime, Willian scored the third thanks to a Neymar cross. Neymar scored his second one in the 60th minute with a neat on-two with Willian.

Argentina won Croatia in London with a score of 2-1 and with Carlos Tevez having ended his three-year international exile. The last match played by Tevez for argentina was at 2011 Copa America, and he made his comeback after being recalled by the new Argentinian coach Gerardo Martino.

Lionel Messi scored the winner in a penalty at 57th minute after an early opener for Croatia just 11 minutes after the start and and an equalizer from Ansaldi just 30 minutes later.

The last four matches of Argentina have ended with three victories and one defeat after the 1-0 loss against Germany in the last World Cup final.

This was also the first defeat for Croatia in the last five games, but it was mitigated by the fact that Croatian coach Niko Kovac had left the first XI in Zagreb to prepare for the encounter with Group H rivals Milan, thus playing with the B team.

In other friendlies, Netherlands lost 3-2 to Mexico prior to the crucial Euro 2016 match against Latvia, Belgium beat Iceland with a 3-2 and Estonia won his match against Norway with a score of 1-0.

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Messi seeks another record

After the match against Ajax on Wednesday where he equaled Raul’s 71 goals in European League, Messi has another scoring record in sight with the next la Liga fixture against Almería on Saturday, looking also to bounce back from the last two consecutive lost matches in this competition.

After scoring 71 goals in Champions League in the 2-0 win, the Argentinian is looking again to the scoring milestone in La Liga, a record now hold by Telmo Zarra in 1955, with Messi just one goal short from this feat.

On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo will try to keep his club-record run, where he scored in all the last eight matches, and he will try to continue this run against Rayo Vallecano.

In the current La Liga table, Madrid is the current leader, with Valencia and Atletico Madrid in second and third place just one point behind, Barcelona is now two points behind the leader with the same points as Sevilla.

In Barcelona, Luis Suarez is also looking into score the first goal for Barcelona. Suarez was unable to score against his former team Ajax and he is now without a goal in the three games he has played since returning from his four month ban.

Suarez will have most likely another opportunity against an Almería that has lost the last three games in La Liga.

Other important matches this weekend are the Atletico visit to Real Sociedad without a replacement for coach Jagoba Arrasate fired just three days ago.

Sevilla will face Levante after winning four home games in La Liga. Sevilla has the most versatile attack line with Denis Suarez, Aleix Vida and Gerrar Deulofeu helped on the side by Carlos Bacca and will face Levante, tied with Granada for the fewest goals scored of all teams in La Liga with just six.

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Barcelona 0 - Celta Vigo 1

Barcelona was in search of a winning against Celta Vigo, and Lionel Messi trying to make history at Camp Nou; but Sergio Alvarez, Vigo’s excellent goolkeeper, helped his team to leave Camp Nou with a victory and Barcelona surrender their lead at the top of the La Liga.

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The first half of the match ended without goals, even having several opportunities that were either missed or blocked but the goolkeepers in both ends of the pitch. 

Neymar was the first to try to score at minute 8 when heading straight to Vigo’s net, but his rocket from 23 meters hit the crossbar, he also had another opportunity just before the end of the first half.

Messi had three chances in just four minutes to break Telmo Zarra’s La Liga scoring record, but was unable to find the net, first at 30th minute with a give-and-go with Neymar but was blocked by Alvarez, just two minutes later Neymar again fed Messi, but the shot was blocked by defender Jonathan Castro. 

The last one in the 34th minute came after a beautiful pass from Suarez but again Messi could not finish it.

With Celta aggressive defense able to connect Barça front line, they tried to increment their scoring board, but thy only had a chance when Nolito shoot high on a free kick.

The second half started like the first one, with Neymar hitting the bar again, but this time Celta a couple of minutes later was able to score after innocent goal kick ended in Nolito feed who passed backwards with his heel to Joaquín Larrivey. This put the final score of 0-1 lead and silenced Camp Nou crowd.

After this goal, Celta kept all his men back to protect the lead, with Barcelona in control of the ball during the rest of the match. Suarez had an opportunity midway through the half, but the shot went directly in the hands of Alvarez.

With the clock winding down and Barça closing to the rivals net, Celta had and opportunity to increase the lead, but Nolito kick was saved by Claudio rave.

In the last minutes of the game, Messi again sent a free kick that hit the bar near the upper right corner and at 84th minute, Suarez had the best opportunity for Barcelona in the match, with a rocket that was blocked by the flying Celta keeper and preserve the final score

Barça wins Catalan Super Cup

Last wednesday, Barcelona won the Catalan Super Cap played against city rivals Espanyol, the game ended with a draw and finished on penalties with a score of 4-2.

Both teams scored only once during the 90 minutes, with Gerard Piqué scoring the first one for Barcelona and Arbilla making the one for Espanyol.

This was the first Catalan Super Cup played at Estadi Montilivi in Girona, and there, Luis Enrique put on the pitch 9 players from the first team, showing that he took this game very seriously. For Barcelona, Pedro was wearing the captain armband.

Luis Suarez was the indicated to led the attack for Barcelona and he had the first chance to score of the evening after just 8 minutes thanks to a cross from Sergio Roberto. 

Masip showed through out the game that he was worth of the first team with a great not to one when facing Espanyol’s left back Victor Alvarez.

The first half of the game was clearly dominated for the members of Barça team but they were unable to add more goals to the scoreboard. It was in the second half when Arbila was able to draw the match with just five minutes played, after a free kick that stormed into the top corner of the net.

The scary penalty shots arrived after 90 minutes of game and Xavi, Grimaldi, Halilovic and Rakitic were able to score for Barcelona and Sandro missed the show, for Español, Victor Sanchez and Jordan found the net while Arbilla and Abraham missed their respective penalty shots.

This is the first time that the Catalan Super Cup has been resolved in the penalty shots as they used to be a tournament which included smaller times, but now, with the number of matches for both big teams, it ended up being a one-off final between Barça and their neighbors Espanyol.

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El Clasico - goalkeepers

One of the most important and delicate positions in bot teams is the goalkeeper, with a lot of players having defended their club’s net, but only a few of them made an impression. 

This weekend, two players will represent the teams, Bravo in Barcelona side after gaining the battle at Barça and Casillas in Real Madrid having won Ancelotti’s trust.

With both of them facing exception attack lines lead by Messi and Ronaldo this will most likely be the biggest test of them.

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Claudio Bravo

This young player has won Luis Enrique’s trust, even thought he arrived as a support for the promising Ter Stegen. 

His numbers are impressive, without conceding any goal in the first eight matches of the current season. Probably, the ball domination showed by Barcelona has helped in this record, but the numbers are there and are very impressive being the Europe’s top league.

The Chilean goalie has a short career with only two titles in his curriculum; but if he maintains this commitment and numbers during the rest of the season, a lot more will be added. 

The only match played by Ter Stegen was the second of the Champions League against the Paris Saint-Germain, the only defeat for Barcelona.

Probably next Saturday match will be his biggest challenge so far, but he is ready shine in it.

Iker Casillas

The numbers for the Real Madrid goalkeeper are works than those of the Barcelona side, with ten goals conceded in nine games. 

The current captain had to endure two consecutive losses in the start of the current La Liga season. But after some time to adjust, he had kept a clean sheet for the last four matches.

He has been criticized for a number of fans that want him out of the team, but Iker has been able to keep his position.

His weakness is the aerial plays, and most likely will never change because he is not bothered to improve it, so the coach has to organize the defense to prevent this kind of game.

Barcelona 3 - Ajax 1

Barcelona won the 3rd match against Ajax for Champions League Group F on Tuesday night with a final 3-1. 

This win for the Catalans leaves the group with Paris Saint-Germain in the lead with 7 points followed by Barcelona with 6, the last two places are for Ajax with 2 points and APOEL with just 1 point after their match against the group leader.

Luis Enrique, in his last interview, was very happy with the team first half of the game, being this victory very important also for the upcoming La Liga game against Real Madrid.

The game also showed the good connection between Messi and Neymar, ripping the defense apart when they work together and scoring goals with just a difference of minutes. After the end of the first half, the lead was a comfortable 2-0.

The rest of the team played on par of the strikers, very strong, especially Andres Iniesta in the midfield with a lot of assists and key plays.

Ajax struggled after loosing a number of important players during the summer and although the fought, the two goals on the first half and trying to stop the numerous attempts and possession of Barcelona broke them down. 

Ajax coach tried to solve the problems during the second half with a bunch of substitutions, but the continued having problems to maintain possession of the ball.

Also in the second half, Luis Enrique, gave Messi, Iniesta and Neymer a necessary rest prior to the important weekend match and replaced them with Munir, Sandro and Rafinha.

Ajax was able to score thanks to an error from Barça’s defense during the last minutes of the game, this allowed El Ghazi to score. But all hope was lost when at the end of the match, Sandro Ramirez, scored his first Champions League goal.

El Clasico will be played on Saturday at Santiago Bernabeu with a Ronaldo leading the score board with 15 in only 8 games and Barcelona will have a new weapon in Luis Suarez after the four month ban.

Cruyff or Messi

Hours before the next match against Ajax, one of the most storied club in Europe’s history, two Barcelona legends are fighting in terms of their legend and legacy.

One of the two man is important in the history of both teams, former star Johan Cruyff, being a legend in both Camp Nou and Amsterdam Arena, either as a player or as a coach.

Current Barcelona star is without a doubt Lione Messi, who is just two goals away from becoming the record goalscorer in La Liga’s history with just 27 years. Messi’s legacy is a work in progress and his impact is comparable to the club’s greatest figure.

Barcelona signed in 1973 a record breaking fee to sign Johan Cruyff, to attempt to break the 13 years without a title and get out of Real Madrid shadow. The player immediately inspired his team and leading it to the championship after a 5-0 victory against Real Madrid.

During his five years as a player for Barcelona, he picked up two Ballons d’Or and also captured the hearts of every Barcelona fan.

It was Cruyff that started La Masia as a football academy, housing and training youngsters in the club mentality, and it was there where Messi gifts grow under Barcelona supervision and growing as a player.

As a coach, Cruyff and the so called “Dream Team” won for La Liga titles in a row and a European Cup, creating a mystique with his style of play.

As a player there is no discusion, with an endless list of records and trophies with his team or as an individual will probably never be bettered, shadowing all other players.

But Cruyff dreams and visions where the ones that market the history and success of Barcelona and allowed Messi to develop into the force of nature that he is now.

In a simple summary, Cruyff is an icon, and Messi is the idol. 

Barcelona embarking for Champions League

After a disappointing last year, with no major wins and lack of Lionel Messi-Neymar chemistry in the field, Barça fans were disappointed; even when injuries was not a problem, the lethal partnership was not working and were unable of scoring goals.

But after the 2-0 Bilbao win at home, things may be different this year. When Neymar jumped to the field for the final half hour, the chemistry with Messi was there and after a perfect two perfect assists from Messi, the Brazilian scored both Barcelona goals to victory, maintaining the perfect season start with three wins and no goals conceded.

Luis Enrique is expecting the same link with both players for the Champions League Group F first match against Cypriot Apoel Nicosia.

Luis Enrique, former Barça and Spain national team midfielder, took over Gerardo Martino expecting to improve the last year elimination from Champions League by Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals.

Having spent a lot during the transfer window to bring Luis Suarez, midfielder Ivan Rakitic and Jeremy Mathieu.

After this La Liga season perfect start, the defense problems that the team had last year seems to be resolved and hopes are high for the club in all competitions.

Pedro told on on news conference that getting to the Champions League final is this year goal, after the shame last season, he also said to the press that coach told them to have a high pressure in all the pitch, steal balls and to keep it.

Also, there is good news, as injured defenders Dani Alves and Thomas Vermaelen had been training with their teammates. Alves missed Bilbao’s game with a knee problem and Vermaelen, after joining from Arsean, had Hamstring strain. Still there is no world on Javier Mascherano after taking a boot to the head.

Apoel reached in 2011/12 his best Champions League result after reaching quarter-finals, this was also its last appearance in the European competition. This is the first time that both teams face each other and it seems a difficult task for the Cypriots at the Camp Nou, since the Catalonian team has only lost one match at home from the last 27 games.

Luis suarez praises Barcelona La Masia

The new Barcelona forward, Luis Suarez, has been impressed by the international famous training academy La Masia, and he told to the press that he wished that he had been able to learn there and enjoy all the facilities early on his football career.

La Masia is probably one of the most modern football academies and also one of the most productive in Europe and probably in the world. The academy brought the Barcelona players that includes Andres Iniesta, Lionel Mess, Xavi Hernandez and Gerard Pique in recent years and Suarez wished to have had an opportunity to access the facilities and levels of training during the first years in his career.

The Uruguayan was impressed and very surprised by the facilities in the academy, not also about football itsel, but also in certain areas that are now considered vitals in the development of a young footballer such as diet and education, things that he missed during his first years.

He liked the areas build around the players to protect the kids, their studies, schedules and diet. Giving the kids the opportunity to grow in a controlled manner. All of this surprised Luis suarez and he wished to be trained like this.

Luis Suarez, spent mostly all of his teenage in Uruagay and there he emerged as a football talent before been taken to Holand to play with the Groningen. He signed with Ajax when he was 20 and was at that time when he found out the facilities that European teams like Liverpool and Barcelona had for young people.

The Uruguayan is set to return to play with first Barcelona team ahead of the competitive match against his historical rival Real Madrid later this month. But he already showed that he is ready after playing with the national Uruguay team against Oman where he scored twice.

Mathieu essential in new Barcelona

During the past five years, the only centre-back sign from Barcelona was under Pep Guardiola who brought in Dmytro Chygrynskiy. This year, Jeremy Mathieu, joined the squad in late July rising from left-back position to central defensive.

For the first seven matches of the La Liga, Barcelona has kept a clean sheet and haven’t received any goal, most of this feat is goalkeeper Claudio Bravo who made a new record after being 630 minutes without conceding any goal, last holding record was Maria Artola with 560 minutes in 1977-78.

Also, a huge part of this feat is thanks to Mathieu, wondering why has taken Barcelona so long to address the defense problem in its history. 

Chygrynskiy’s addaptation, or rather lack of it, was a big problem, leaving Javier Mascherano, Sergio Busquets and Alex Song trying to fill the gap in recent years.

Mathieu is not far from the last names, he has being playing in centre-back position only for the last 18 months, when Adil Rami and Ricardo Costa where absent due to injuries back in Valencia 2013 season. 

It was an emergency, but the change worked instantly and he remained in the middle for the rest of the season.

His qualities where perfect for a full attacking full-back, culture, poise and speed, and probably one of the most Mathieu’s elegance.

In central position he has changed from useful to essential, and argentinian coach described him as one of the best defenders in current La Liga. Barcelona is lucky to have signed with him, because Bayern Munich was also very interested for the player.

Ironically, in the last game of this season, Mathieu returned to left-back against Rayo. 

And still in his old position, his performance was perfect enough that he could be used by coach Luis Enrique to put pressure on Jordi Alba.

It seems that wherever he plays, hi is really a considerable asset for the team and the guarantee that the team as needed.

La Masia’s stars shielded for 2015 ban

La Masia’s starlets have been raising interest throughout some of the Europe’s top teams, and Barcelona have to block this attempts to keep talents from leaving during the 2015 transfer ban.

Adama Traore, Sergi Samper and Munir El Haddadi are being solicited by some of the finest European teams according to several reports, with Luis Enrique and the players turning them down during the summer.

Arsenal has tempted Samper during the last years, but the midfielder is committed to his hometown club. El Haddadi rose interest in Chelsea and Arsenal, with praises from Fabregas saying that Munir impressed him during training when Fabregas was still a Barcelona player.

Munir been able to play on the wing and in the centre and with great movement and ability to find spaces.

Manchester is interested in Traore and tried to bring the player during summer of 2014.

Munir is already playing for the Barcelona first team since the star of 2014 season and also has made his debut into the Spain’s national team. Samper and Traore playing for the Barcelona B squad with a real opportunity during this year to have some time in the senior’s team.

With Barcelona ban and unable to sign for new players during 2015 season, a number of reinforcements were brought in order to address every possible position and shield young players.

With all this new players, youngsters could be tempted to take their future outside Barcelona due to lack of playing time and an opportunity to shine elsewhere.

The three young players are the future of Barcelona and are eager to show their abilities in the grass, and this or the next year will be their best opportunity.

The promotion of young players from “La Masia” FC Barcelona trainig camp has been one of the Barcelona’s identity, and we have a good example with former manager and player Pep Guardiola.

They have to resist, their time will come if they wait a little longer.

Barcelona ready for domestic success

When Luis Enrique was appointed as coach of Barcelona last may, he had to deal with a group of players that had a huge disappointment during last season and not fulfilling the expectations that a team like Barcelona has, une of the roles of this disaster was “Tata” Martino, last years coach, in both the domestic and international decline. 

The tactics that he imposed and the management upset all the squad and both big tournaments where won by league rivals.

This season however, Luis Enrique, returned to the well known philosophy of play with an attractive and effective football that fans have been accustomed to see over the years; with a dominant possession all over the field and a big attacking play has been seen in the first matches of this season.

One of the surprises was the inability of the other teams to score a goal through all the matches, with Barcelona having scored 18 goals, an historical problem in defense that seemed to be solved under Luis Enrique. 

But everything ended last Tuesday when Barcelona fell against Paris Saint-Germain with a 3-2 score in their Group F Champions League encounter.

Two seasons ago, Bayern Munich won Barcelona in the semi-finals for a total score in two matches of 7-0, but the Bundesliga team won this same year the national title, the champions Leage and the DFB-Pokal.

This summer the retirement of Carles Puyol forced the club to find a replacement for the central defense line and a goal keeper to substitute Victor Valdes. 

Barcelona was able to sign with two centre backs, Thomas Vermaelen and Jeremy Mathieu, and added two new goal keepers, Marc Andre ted Stegen and Clauio Bravo.

And this probably made a good defensive line for the La Liga title, but wasn’t clearly enough for the run on the Champions League. 

Also the ban for Barcelona will make them unable to sign with new players during the January transfer window; a ban that will last until the January 2016 transfer window. Barcelona options are between the first team, the B team and La Masia youth academy.