Match Report: Sunday 09/04/2006 19:00 (GMT+2): La Liga match day 32
Racing Santander 2 - FC Barcelona 2
El Sardinero, FC Barcelona – attendance: 20.600
Referee: Rubinos Pérez
0 - 1 Larsson '17
1 - 1 Antoñito '18
2 -1 Serrano '20
2 -2 Eto'o '33
FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdés – Belletti (Gabri '56), Puyol, Rodri (Edmilson '69), Silvinho – Van Bommel , Iniesta, Deco, - Giuly (Maxi '74) , Eto'o, Larsson – Manager: Frank Rijkaard
Racing Santander (4-4-2): Aouate - Damià (Tomás '80), Pinillos, Oriol, Mora - Melo, Ayoze, Matabuena (Rául '89), Vitolo - Antoñito (Angelito '72), Oscar Serrano - Manager: Manolo Preciado
FC Barcelona had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Racing Santander in El Sardinero. With only 7 matches left and thanks to a draw between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad at Santiago Bernabeu Barca is still comfortably at the top of the table. It was Barca's third straight draw but enough to restore their 11-point advantage at the top of the table. Nobody has any doubts about that this year´s La Liga title goes finally to Barca. It´s just a matter of time.
For Barca the rest of the Primera Liga progamme is more a duty and the Barcelona team is totally focusing on the Champions League semi final against AC Milan on Wednesday after Easter. Barca coach had the luxury of resting Ronaldinho, Messi and Oleguer, leaving Edmilson on the bench and travel also without the injured players Xavi, Marquez and Thiago Motta who are still preparing for their come back before the so important Milan match.
FC Barcelona dominated and controlled the entire match. An incredible 67% of ball possesion in an away match demonstrates exactly who was in charge. But the torrental rain, wet pitch and a tough fighting Racing team that never gave up, made it very difficult for Barcelona.
In the 17th minute striker Henrik Larsson put Barca in the lead. A nice team effort and a final great pass from Van Bommel set Larsson free and the Swedish goalgetter left Racing´s goalkeeper Aouate no chance. But within four minutes the La Liga leaders found themselves one goal adrift. Antonito immediately cancelled out Larsson's effort in minute 18 before Oscar Serrano, Ex-Espanyol, shocked Barca in the 20th minute by putting Racing into the lead. Racing Santander themselves could only hold the lead for about ten minutes. On 33 minutes, Giuly took a pass from Deco in the box, beat his man and laid the ball off for Eto'o to strike home and make it 2-2.
It could so easily have been 3-2 at half time, but Deco saw his 37th minute effort come back off the post.when Samuel Eto'o's 32nd minute strike sealed the draw.
Bad news for Barca in the final seconds of the match: Barca were then reduced to 10 men when Barca captain Carles Puyol had earned a second bookable offence and was dismissed with a yellow-red card for stopping Racing´s brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo with a foul as last man before he could enter the penalty box.
This was not the best performance of Barca but who cares. The 11 points remain with one match less to play. The Barca strikers have shown their goal scoring qualities again and the team was able to fight back when necessary. Key players have been rested and other injured player have been given time to recover from their injury without pressure having to come back. The whole team is preparing and totaly focusing on the Milan match. The most important encounter of this year so far.
