FC Barcelona Faces Bayer Leverkusen in Champions League 2012

Last year FC Barcelona won the Champions League for the fourth time in its history and the third time since 2006. The Catalan club first won the trophy at London's famous Wembley Stadium in 1992 when the so-called "Dream Team" assembled by Johann Cruyff beat Italians Sampdoria 1-0.

The goal was scored from a free kick by Ronald Koeman in extra time and in the squad was one Pep Guardiola, now the coach who has created his own dream team based on the "total football" introduced by Cruyff.

Barcelona's second Champions League title was won against Arsenal in 2006 when Frank Rijkaard was coach; but it is Guardiola who has really built on the work of Rijkaard and won the title in 2009 and 2011, both times against Manchester United.

While Manchester United are already out of the 2012 competition after not progressing beyond the group stages, Barcelona will face Bayer Leverkusen in the next round; in the group stage they played Milan who they drew against in September at home and went on to beat 3-2 in the return match in Italy. You can buy tickets for FC Barcelona versus Bayer Leverkusen online from Simply Barcelona Tickets.

They also played Bate Borisov who put up little resistance against the might of Barcelona, who beat them 5-0 away and 4-0 at home; and Viktoria Plzen, who Barcelona first beat 2-0 at home and then 4-0 away. The results left them at the top of their group, with Milan in second place and both teams go through.

This year Barcelona's main rival so far is Real Madrid, who they have a longstanding and extremely bitter rivalry. The arrival of Jose Mourinho at Madrid has ensured that the rivalry has been really turned up, but so far Barcelona has usually come out winning. Last year Madrid lost to Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, who beat them 3-1 on aggregate.

And this year Mourinho has set his mind on beating Barcelona whenever he can. If they face each other in the Champions League he will need to overcome a massively talented rival whose home-grown talent is usually too much for his own team. Only time will tell.

In the next round against Bayer Leverkusen is to be played in February and March. The first leg is in Germany on Valentine's Day, while the return is on March 7th. Meanwhile Real Madrid will play CSKA Moskow from Russia.

Barcelona's Second Loss of the 2011-2012 Season Against Osasuna

Barcelona put themselves out of a serious chance of contending for the 2012 Spanish League title after a 3-2 loss against Osasuna. Barcelona eliminated Osasuna from the Copa del Rey in January with a comfortable 4-0 win at the Nou Camp followed by a less comfortable 2-1 away win and they are mid way down the league table at the moment.

The loss was only their second of the season, but with a number of draws to their name Real Madrid was able to open up their lead in the league table to 10 points. While publicly the team didn't admit to giving up, the reality of the situation meant that no real chance remained; it would take several Real Madrid players to be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Real Madrid showed a impressive run throughout the 2011/2012 season, and by February had won all of their matches except three; two defeats and a draw. While Barcelona played well through much of the season to this point, they were also much less consistent and despite dominating possession in the majority of matches, were sometimes unable to score when they needed to.

The match against Osasuna coincided with freezing conditions throughout Spain in early to mid February and the pitch was one of the reasons Carles Puyol said the players found it hard to play as it was frozen solid. Barcelona just didn't seem able to control the ball as they normally do and Osasuna, looking much more comfortable in the cold, were able to win the ball from the visitors again and again.

And the result was that the hosts went two goals up thanks to Lekic in the fourth and then the twenty-first minute. While Alexis was able to score for the Catalans five minutes into the second half, Osasuna continued fighting and Raul Garcia made it three for Osasuna just five minutes later.

Guardiola then decided to bring off Pique and in his place came Cesc Fabregas. He immediately set up a goal for Tello, who took the score line to 3-2 with a 71st minute goal. However, Barcelona was unable to do enough to even get one point, despite a relentless attack. Both teams had further chances, but neither side scored.

After the this match the team travelled to Germany to face Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. The Leverkusen coach admitted that it would be hard to beat Barcelona, the championship holders.

El Clasico - The Best Football Match Ever

El Clásico is the name given to any football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Some editor use the name Super Clasico as well. Another one use Super Clasico, only for competition final games between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. It is described as more than a match, because it is not only FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid. The rivalry starts as about Barcelona and Madrid are the two biggest cities in Spain, the two football clubs are two of the richest, most successful and influential football clubs, not only in Spain, but all over the world.

Apart from this, the rivalry also has political significance. Through the years Barcelona had the reputation as a symbol of Catalan pride, traditions and identity, against the centralising tendencies of Madrid. In El Clasico the whites are representing Spanish nationalism, while Barcelona representing the Catalanism. Madridists were under the protection of Franco's dictatorship. Barcelona was resentful because Franco made it illegal to speak Catalan, even arrested and executed Barcelona president Josep Sunyol(also a member of the Republican Left of Catalonia and Deputy to The Cortes) without a trial.

The first ever El Clásico was played on 13 May 1902. It was played for Copa de la Coronación, the forerunner of the Copa del Rey, but the Spanish Football Assosiation does not recognize the competition as official. Barcelona had won the game 3-1. There are 221 official Barcelona vs Real games.The whites leads with 88 wins, Barcelona 86 and 47 draws. Barcelona had score 358 goals, against 372 for Real in Clasicos.

El Clasico statistics by tournament:

• FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid had been played 165 times in La Liga. Real Madrid win 69 of the matches. 64 wins for FC Barcelona in Primera Division and there are 32 draws
• Spanish SuperCup - this is a championship contested by the winners of the La Liga and the Copa del Rey. 6 wins for Real, 4 for Barca and 2 draws. SuperCup Clasicos are also known as Super Clasico
• FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid in UEFA Champions league - there is a bit advance for Real Madrid in Champions League. 3 wins for Real, 2 for Barcelona and 3 draws
• There were 30 El Clasicos in Copa Del Rey. Catalans' Copa Del Rey wins are 14 against 10 for The King's Club and 6 draws. In 2010-2011 season was the last played Super Clasico in the tournament. Real won 1-0 after extra time

Thierry Henry, French Super Star, Signs With New York Red Bulls

Thierry Henry, used to being a superstar in European Premier and La Liga leagues (in England and Spain, respectively), will be taking the leap across the pond to try his hand as part of Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls.

MLS is actively scouting famed European players to bring more popularity to the league. They hope that the big names Americans remember from the World Cup will keep them watching soccer games through the normal soccer season.

The 32-year-old began his professional career in 1994, playing for Monaco. He joined Arsenal in 1999, where he stayed until his 2007 move to Barcelona, where he played with Argentine great Lionel Messi and Spanish stars Gerard Pique, Carles Puyon, Xavi Hernandez and David Villa.

In his International career playing for France, Henry helped his nation secure the 1998 World Cup and narrowly miss a consecutive win in 2000, losing in overtime to Italy. He was also part of the French team that won the 2000 European Championship.

It is possible that Henry is leaving Europe to get away from some of the heat built up after the infuriating France-Ireland World Cup qualifying match. France won, but just barely, and because of a hand ball Henry admitted to striking.

The move to America means a lot for the player and the league: the US hasn't had a black player as its face since Pele came from Brazil in the 1970's. And though Henry has been one of the top players in all the European Leagues for years, he has never had as large of a spotlight as he will have on him in the States.

He will be keeping the #14, his number with Barcelona. The star says of his move to New York that he intends to play hard and win another title, and he's excited to be part of the team. And as for the team? They are excited to have him!

Xavi - Breaking Records

As the soccer season is Spain goes by, Xavi Hernandez is nearing the 300 matches mark in the Primera division with FC Barcelona. The Catalan player renewed his contract, which now expires in 2014, and is looking to brake records in appearances in Blaugrana shirt.

Some believed it was unnecessary for his home club to offer him such a lengthy extension but any Barca fan will surely be pleased to see this player retire at the same place where he made his first footsteps.

Player himself spoke recently about his feat but stayed modest in his words: "A symbol of the club's history? Maybe I`ll start to think about these things when I retire. Because now, I'm just concentrated on winning more titles with the club"

First cap for Xavi came more than 10 years ago when Barca former manager, Louis van Gaal, gave him a chance vs. Mallorca when injuries of today's coach, Pep Guardiola, and Albert Celades prompted his debut. "I just thought about winning," Xavi recalls. Since then, began a brilliant career that saw him play in 299 matches and overtake the legends such as Joan Segarra and Juan Asensi

In his 10 years with FC Barcelona, Xavi won the national championship in 1999, 2005 and 2006. But the pinnacle of his career were the Champions League trophy and the European Championships title with Spain. So in a sense, the best year of his career finished only recently.

Last year, Xavi came fifth in the voting for the Golden Ball but soon will have his chance to add to his laurels. He travels Switzerland on Monday with Leo Messi as one of five finalists for the FIFA World Player. Spain`s Euro MVP, will be accompanied by his father and his bride, Elsa, and will surely take pride in the election.

Xavi Hernandez

Though christened Xavier Hernandez Creus by his parents in 1980, you'll frequently hear Xavi Hernadez referred to by his fans as well as his teammates on the La Liga Club, Barcelona, as "the X-Man". The native Spaniard is the star midfielder for Barcelona and a key player on the Spanish National Team, as well. Having reached the age of thirty, he has tallied up an impressive array of statistics and awards. Though he is not a youngster, at least not by today's standards, Xavi doesn't seem ready to retire any time soon. After all, he is still busy adding to his fame and his fortune, not to mention to the throng of fans who follow his career on and off the field with avid interest.

Under contract to La Liga's Barcelona team until 2014 after having extended his old contract during the 2008/09 Season, Xavi's new contract makes him one of Barcelona's top earning players with a salary around €7.5 million annually. He holds several team records including being second on the list for most team appearances. He overtook Calres Rexach in February of 2009 to achieve the feat and with over 450 appearances so far, is gaining ground on Migueli's record of 548.

In addition to showing up to play, he plays well. He leads La Liga in the "assists column" and during this season has been noted by many for his contributions to the Barcelona side. The press and soccer aficionados have called Xavi one of the best, if not the best, center midfielders ever. Though he had been considered a top rung player for quite some time, many are now saying he has the talent and sheer physical ability to enjoy favorable comparisons with midfield greats such as Lothar Matthaus and Michel Plantini. The Spanish press awarded gave Xavi Hernandez a nod when they named him player number three in their best of La Liga list just this month. Coming in behind players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is nothing for a footballer to be ashamed of!

In addition to his great club play, the X-Man is a regular on Team Spain's squad and has enjoyed success with them at several tournaments, most notably in the UEFA Euro 2008 when they went on to win and take home the prize for Barcelona and for his efforts was awarded the title of Player of the Tournament by UEFA officials.

Lionel Messi - The Greatest Footballer Ever?

The footballing world watched on in utter amazement and delight yesterday as Messi's Barcelona put 7 goals past a hapless Bayer Leverkusen side in a UEFA Champions League game at the Nou Camp. For the first time ever, we saw one person score 5 goals in a Champions league game and it so happened to be no other person than Lionel Messi.

Yes, the number of goals may be a new record which I think he can better in the years ahead, but it's more the manner and the sheer class with which he scored the goals that made many a football enthusiast admire this rare talent that has emerged in this generation.

Of course, we all knew about his ability already but his display yesterday has put him in another League. The way in which he made the difficult act of scoring spectacular goals look so easy was just a joy to watch. One was a left foot lob, another a delightful right foot lob, then a careful control from an acute angel, a laser-guided placement with his left foot and then a drive through a number of opposing players. His unique sense of picking the right moments in games to do what he does best is simply quite extraordinary.

He has often been compared with the Legendary Pele and his fellow country man Diego Maradona as to who is the greatest player ever but I will dare to say that even these legends will secretly admit that it's just a matter of time before this boy from the backside of Rosario, Argentina supersedes their achievements if he hasn't already done so. Considering the fact that Messi is only 24 years of age and has at least 10 years of top flight football in him, the prospect of what he could achieve can be incredible.

It's almost inconceivable that the world would never have seen what happened yesterday had it not been for the Barcelona scouts who intervened to save his career when he was being given up on. River Plate, one of the biggest clubs in the Argentine First Division who wanted to sign him from Newell Old Boys Club in Rosario, soon discovered that his inability to endure playing for 90 minutes was due to the absence of a growth hormone that hindered his normal physical development as a person. He looked so tiny for his age at the time that, they were not sure if he could develop physically to meet the demands of the modern game even though his talent was never in dispute. The money needed to put him on a special dieting programme was just too much they couldn't afford it. They gave up on him but thankfully, he was spotted and taken to Barcelona's La Masia's training academy and the rest, they say, is history.

Talking about humble beginnings, his first contract was signed on a white handkerchief because his Dad was so frustrated with the directors of Barcelona at the time due to their indecision about his son's future that, he gave Charles Rexach, the Director of football at the time a brief window of opportunity to make up his mind. Either they give him an answer there and then or forget about Messi forever once they fly back to Argentina. His exploits today has proven that it doesn't matter where you begin in life but rather, it's about you believing in your unique abilities and giftings given to you by God regardless of your size, age, race or gender.

As great as the current Barcelona team is at the moment, it is my firm conviction that if you pluck Messi out of this team, they would not have achieved as much as they have. He brings a certain quality to the team which puts them way above any other team at the moment. When games are tight, he is the only one that can come up with some special instinctive play capable of breaking down opposing teams whereby creating opportunities to score goals.

The flip side of the above argument is that, even the greatest players will find it very difficult to perform at their optimum when they are either surrounded by mediocre players or the team they find themselves in doesn't play to their strengths. This may well be the reason why he is yet to hit the same dizzy heights with the Argentine National Team as he's done time and time again with his Club side.

With all that he's achieve so far, hearing him speak just makes you believe why he may go on to accomplish much more. He seems to exude this important virtue of humility which is vital not only to help get you to the top of your game but more importantly, to stay there. There isn't any air of "superstardom" about him. His lifestyle is just simple, both on and off the pitch. I'm yet to hear any news about Messi involved in any "off the pitch" incidents that you so often associate with English Premiership players. He just seems to enjoy playing in huge stadia as much as he did when he played on the streets of Rosario.

So is he the greatest player ever? The legendary Pele seems to think he is the best by far in the world at the moment. Most football Managers, fellow professionals and the football community at large seem to think he is the best ever even though he's yet to lead Argentina to Word Cup glory. I would not dispute that either. I think we haven't seen the best of him yet. He is simply sublime