Match Report: Tuesday 12/09/2006 20:45 (GMT +2): Champions League, Group A, Match Day 1
FC BARCELONA - LEVSKI SOFIA 5:0 (2:0)

Camp Nou, Barcelona – Attendance: 65.000
Referee: Konrad Plautz


Goals:

1-0 Iniesta (6´)
2-0 Giuly (39´)

3-0 Puyol (49´)
4-0 Eto'o (58´)

5-0 Ronaldinho (91´)


FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdés - Zambrotta, Thuram (Oleguer 78´), Puyol, Gio - Iniesta (Xavi 70´), Motta, Deco - Giuly (Gudjohnsen 62´), Eto´o, Ronaldinho - Manager: Frank Rijkaard


Levski Sofia (4-4-2): Petkov - Milanov, Topuzakov, Tomasic, S. Angelov (G. Ivanov 45´) - Borimirov (Minev 61´), Bardon, Eromoigbe, Telkiyski - Yovov (M. Ivanov (68´), E. Angelov - Manager: Stanimir Stoilov


Match Report:
What a beautiful evening! Barca Fans can not ask for more! We should just simply enjoy the moment and appreciate the fact that our team curerently plays the best football in the world. But for me, FC Barcelona does not only play football, I suppose this is more like celebrating a football fiesta. We can be very proud of this team and in fact, there is no other team around that plays such entertaining, succesful football.

There are no words left to describe this exciting style of football.


I just believe it is football from another planet!


Yesterday night, again, Barca showed a 5 star display. Nobody in the stadium probably noticed that it was suddenly pouring with rain combined with a strong thunder and lightning that caused a power cut in some parts of the City of Barcelona (luckily not in the Camp Nou area!). But nobody in the stadium cared about the weather. It was just too exciting to watch the team.


Last years target was Paris, this year´s is Athens and, if the team keeps focused, I am absolutely convinced we will play the final next year in Greece´s capitol and lift the European Cup for the third time in the club´s history. Yesterday night, Barcelona made the first step (of many steps necessary)forward to defend their Champions League crown in style with a comfortable 5-0 victory over Levski Sofia at the Nou Camp. Barca proved that they are the top favourits and that they are the team to beat to win European glory.


Levski Sofia, the first Bulgarian team to reach the group stages of the UEFA Champions League was taught a cruel lesson. Barca not only dominated the Bulgarian Champions, they played with them.


Already after 6 minutes, Andres Iniesta, scored a beautiful goal and put Barca 1-0 in the lead. Ronaldinho had a great run on the left before cutting the ball back to Barca striker Samuel Eto'o on the edge of the penalty area. Eto'o then just touched the ball to provide perfectly to Iniesta to fire the ball from outside the box past Sofia´s goalkeeper Georgi Petkov into the bottom left-hand corner. Again, a perfect start into the game!


Ludovic Giuly doubled Barca´s lead just six minutes before the break. Cameroon international centre forward Eto'o picked up the ball just past the half-way line and sent his team mate Ludovic Giuly through with a fine pass. French winger Giuly capitalised on a slip by a Levski defender to run clear on goal and lifted the ball over Sofia´s goalkeeper Petkov. 2-0 up before half time!


Captain Carles Puyol added a third goal just after the break in the 49th minute. Ronaldinho shot a low free kick from the edge of the penalty box and Levski keeper Petkov deflected the ball straight to Barca captain Carles Puyol who simply tapped the ball into the empty net from about 3 yards.


Samuel Eto'o fired in a fourth for Barcelona nine minutes later with a superb individual goal. Eto'o twisted and turned his way past four Sofia defenders before putting the ball past Petkov with his left foot.


But it was the magician Ronaldinho himself who saved the best until last. Ronaldinho sealed the win for Barca with a brilliant individual goal. The "Gaucho" dribbled past his marker on the left corner of the penalty area and superbly curled the ball into Levski's top corner of the goal.
The Camp Nou faithfuls were left stunned and amazed. The Barca fans went up to their feet to applaude this extra odinary goal with standing ovations.


My Comment:

There are no words to describe the performance. Barca fans are in heaven and we can only congratulate the coach Frank Rijkaard and all the players to their delightful display. The Barca team plays football in a so far unkown dimension and we can only hope that they will keep on going like this.
We should all open a bottle of Cava (Catalan "Sparkling" but better than Champagne!) and be happy to support this team that entertains us so much.


For over 107 years, the club has resisted to take an advertizing logo on their famous shirt and rejected any offers made. The last offer rejected of Betandwin was worth about 20 mill. Euros per season. Now, Barca decided to take on the UNICEF Logo instead to market the Millennium Goal of the United Nations to fight poverty in the world.


It could not have been a better day to present that important case to the world! Hopefully, others will follow the good example!



Visca el Barca!