Match Report: Tuesday 22/08/2006 22:00 (GMT +2): 41st Joan Gamper Trophy

Camp Nou, Barcelona – Attendance: 78.000

Referee: Cesar Muniz Fernandez

Match Report:

There is only one expression for last nights team performance: Magic Barca!


FC Barcelona continued their stunning pre-season form as they put on a show against Bayern Munich to defeat the German champions 4-0 in the Joan Gamper Trophy last night.


The spectacular show prior to the match, in front of 78,000, was impressive but the real Barca show was the team performance on the pitch. Ronaldinho, Eto’o und Co. put on a celebration of pure magic on the field and sent home the German Champions and Cup winners FC Bayern München with something to think about: 4 goals!
Barca emphatically demonstrated that currently they are the best Club team in the world.

The kick off was delayed until 22:24 due to the massive celebrations in the Camp Nou.
For the first 20 minutes it seemed that Bayern Munich would provide tricky opposition.

With two wins out of two matches in the German Bundesliga so far, Bayern showed that they are already a step further in their domestic competition and despite the late kick-off were wide awake from the get-go. They created the first two dangerous chances, but Peruvian Claudio Pizarro and German "wonderkid" Lucas Podolski could not take advantage of these excellent opportunities.

From the 20th minute, the Barca machine was rolling and unstoppable. Barca created chance after chance but it took 30 minutes into the first half before Barca took the lead with a fantastic trademark freekick from Ronaldinho. The free kick in itself was enough to repay the ticket price on this evening. A superb shot by the Brazilian magician in the No. 10 Barca shirt from the edge of the box over the wall into the top right hand corner of the net leaving Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn with nothing more to do than merely watch the ball scorch the back of the net.

Just two minutes later, it was Ronaldinho again who fired off a fantastic shot after a delightful team display of first touch football only to be denied by a world class Oliver Kahn reflex save but Barca´s top striker Samuel Eto’o easily cleaned up the rebound.

The third goal also came from Cameroon international, Eto’o. The speedy striker ran after a loose ball and finished the effort with his right knee. The ball went over Kahn, who was out of his goal, into the Munich net.

Eto'o: 3-0

The team performance at this juncture can only be described as fantastic, stunning and incredible. Football from a different planet!

Bayern Munich must have been relieved when the referee blew up for half time. Barca played combinations like in a training session and you could feel that the team enjoyed it. Not only Ronaldinho, who again was the star and leading character of the entire show, but also players like Sylvinho, Deco, Zambrotta and of course Leo Messi, just to single out a few, showed their individual technical, passing and combination skills.


In the second half, Barca coach Frank Rijkaard substituted all 11 players and an entire new team came onto the pitch.
Barca started the second half where they ended the first. The "new" Barca team continued to terrorise the Bayern defence, technically superior, dominant and showing their individual class.


In the 52nd minute Javier Saviola, with huge applause from the home crowed, scored the 4th after an excellent assist by French winger Ludovic Giuly.


FC Bayern Munich never gave up and after the 4-0 when Barca put the foot on the break, the match was starting to look more level. Bayern created 4 good chances (Podolski (long distance), Pizarro (free-kick), Dos Santos (direct shot), Podolski (free-kick)) but the biggest goal scoring opportunity was on Barca´s side, when Saviola could not finish, free in front of Oliver Kahn.


Just after midnight the magic Barca show was over.


Comment:

Just two days after the excellent display against Espanyol, Barca won in style once again and kept a clean sheet. At this early stage of the 2006-07 season we can not find more words of praise for the performance of the team. Every game is a treat and a festival of football for any Barca fan.
Frank Rijkaard's team plays exciting attacking football. Barca easily won the Joan Gamper trophy against Bayern Munich, undoubtedly one of the challengers for this season's Champions League. Bayern is not Espanyol and has won the last two consecutive German league titles and the German Cup.

The fact is, everything is going well for this Barca side!


In my preview, I mentioned that this match is a good test to find out where FC Barcelona stands on the international stage. The Barca team gave the answer on the pitch last night:
At the very top!!!


I can not see any team beating Barca in this current form. This team looks better than the dream team in the early 90´s. 5 more trophies to go for this year. The next can be won on Friday in Monaco.


Visca el Barca! Visca Catalunya!