Final Result: 0-2
Match Report: Saturday 25/02/2006 22:00 (GMT+1): La Liga match day 25
Real Zaragoza – FC Barcelona
La Romareda, Zaragoza – capacity: 35.000
0-1 (Ronaldinho -penalty- '79)
0-2 (Larsson '81)
Referee: José Esquinas Torres
FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Váldes – Belletti, Marquez, Puyol, Silvinho – Motta (Van Bommel '54), Edmilson, Deco, - Messi (Larsson '70), Eto'o, Ronaldinho (Iniesta '88) – Manager: Frank Rijkaard
Zaragoza (4-2-3-1). Cesar – Ponzio, Alvaro, Gabriel Milito, Toledo (Cuartero '80) – Zapater (Savio '82), Celades (Red Card '78) – Oscar Gonzalez (Generello '80), Ewerthon, Cani – Diego Milito.
Diego Milito (Yellow Card '85)
www.fcbarcelonablog.com wants to give all the support to Eto'o who stayed playing with his team instead of storming off the field due to racist abuse against him.
Show racism the red card!
FC Barcelona were in great form in their UEFA Champions League success over Chelsea on Wednesday and have now followed that up with another success against Real Zaragoza at La Romareda. Two late goals from Ronaldinho and Henrik Larsson gave Barcelona a 2-0 victory over Real Zaragoza.
Barça boss Frank Rijkaard swapped his full backs from the Chelsea game with Sylvinho and Belletti coming in for Gio and Oleguer, but despite the two the Brazilians' attacking instincts it was a cautious beginning to the game, signalled from the start when Puyol and Marquez kept possession for the first 60 seconds or so of play. Zaragoza were content to give up possession and let the Barça defenders knock the ball about deep in the own half and although Deco and Motta patiently tried to probe Zaragoza's well-marshalled defence, oppportunities were clearly going to be at a premium. In fact, Messi had a half chance within the first five minutes, but his right foot shot went wide after he'd been put through by Deco.
Real Zaragoza came out with a flurry of energy after the break, but the game soon returned to the plot of the first half, with Barça's attacking instincts being muzzled by some determined defending by Real Zaragoza. On 54 minutes, Frank Rijkaard brought off the tiring Motta for Van Bommel. Before Messi was substituted for Larsson who was finally one of the most important Barça players.
The 2-0 victory was overshadowed by racist abuse directed at Samuel Eto'o. Barca's top striker had started to walk off the pitch with still 13 minutes to go due to racist abuse received from Zaragoza supporters at Estadio La Romareda. Barça received a corner on the right, but as Ronaldinho went to take it, the crowd started racist chanting at Eto'o. The African player was visibly upset by the abuse and Eto'o started to walk off the pitch. Having reached the touchline, he could be persuaded by the referee and his fellow players to continue. The match official, Víctor Esquinas Torres, had demanded an announcement asking to stop the racist outbursts and then had to help to persuade Eto'o to stay on the field. Frank Rijkaard, Henk ten Cate and Ronaldinho all talked to Eto'o before he agreed to not walk off. Last term the same player was racially abused at Zaragoza.
The game resumed after a break of a few minutes. Ronaldinho took the corner and Edmilson controlled the ball on his chest before firing a great volley towards the top corner of the goal. Zaragoza goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez had no chance of saving the shot but Albert Celades, who was standing on the line, diverted the ball with his hand onto the crossbar. For this handball Celades was shown the red card and FC Barcelona received a penalty. Barça playmaker Ronaldinho converted easily by sending Cesar the wrong way.
Two minutes later, Eto'o gave these racist idiots the best possible responds. Eto'o run through the right wing and then crossing the ball perfectly to Henrik Larsson who finished with a fine half-volley at the near post. The game was decided.
Unfortunatly for all Barça fans, Ronaldinho limped off with what looked to be an ankle injury.
My comment: It wasn't a classic performance by either team, but an intense tactical battle with few real goal scoring chances which was finally broken by a Ronaldinho penalty on 78 minutes. The negative part of the game was the racist abuse suffered by Samuel Eto'o which nearly caused him to leave the pitch. Ironically, the hold up in the game as the crowd were warned of their unacceptable behaviour seemed to disrupt the concentration of the Zaragoza defence and they gave away the decisive penalty whic at the end lost them the match. Justice was done! I must admit that the victory even feels better with Eto'o himself being the protagonist of a superb assist that sealed the victory at the end. This racist abuse has to place in football and even the last idiot in the crowd should know this.
Barca is now nine points clear at the top, although second-placed Valencia can cut that lead domn to six when the play Bernd Schuster´s Getafe at the Mestalla on Sunday evening.
