Match Report: Sunday 17/09/2006 20:00 (GMT +2): La Liga, Match Day 3
RACING SANTANDER - FC BARCELONA 0:3 (0:1)

El Sardinero, Santander – Attendance: 22.500
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo


Racing Santander (4-2-2): Toño - Luis Fernandez, Oriol, Pinillos, Ruben - F. Melo, Vitolo, Colsa (A. Tomas), C. Alvarez (Juanjo 56´) - Múnitis, Zigic (Aganzo 71´) - Manager Miguel Ángel Portugal


FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdés - Zambrotta, Márquez, Puyol (Oleguer 62´), Van Bronckhorst - Edmilson, Xavi, Deco - Messi (Giuly 64´), Eto'o (Gudjonsen 79´), Ronaldinho.


Goals:

0-1 Eto'o (18´)
0-2 Giuly (83´)

0-3 Ronaldinho, pen. (92´)


Match Preview:
It looks that Barca does not want to finish a match with scoring less than 3 goals. FC Barcelona cruised to an impressive 3-0 victory against Racing Santander in El Sardinero. Barca dominated the entire encounter and showed again a superb performance. Barcelona clearly deserved the important away win and are heading the Spanish League table as joint leader together with FC Sevilla and Valencia on 9 points. Barcelona´s maintain their perfect start with a 100% record after 3 games.


Samuel Eto'o opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a long distance shot. Clearly, Racing Santander´s goalkeeper Toño should have saved this one, but the team effort before was worth the goal. Sammy is now La Liga´s top scorer with four goals.

But despite being in total control, the match was not entirely wrapped up until Ludovic Giuly scored with a great individual effort in the 83rd minute.
The final goal came from the penalty spot after Racing´s goalkeeper Toño brought down substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen in the penalty box. Santander´s Toño caught his leg, an offence for which Racing´s goalkeeper earned a straight red card. Because Racing had already used all three substitutes, Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo put on the keeper´s gloves but Ronaldinho sent Melo the wrong way and slotted the ball home.


The first chances of the match were created by the home side. In the 5th minute Cristian Álvarez hit the post after central defender Rubén found his team mate in the middle of the penalty box. Just minutes later, the same post saved Barca again, when Felipe Melo´s freekick hit the woodwork.


The two big chances must have alarmed and woken up the Barca team. After the two Racing opportunities there was only one team in command for the rest of the entire match. Superb combinations, exciting one-touch football paired with fantastic individual skills entertained the Barca fans another time. Scoring the decisive goals was just a matter of time.


This time arrived in the 18th minute of the game when Barça managed to break the deadlock with a goal from in form striker Samuel Eto'o. Eto'o received a pass from Deco 30 m away from the goal and fired a shot from far distance towards the Santander target. Racings goalkeeper Toño misjudged the fast arriving ball, which touched his knee and deflected into the left low corner of the goal. 1-0 up and Barca heading for more!


Barca showed superb football again. The team kept nearly 80% of ball possesion and played with high speed, one touch football. Barça created many opportunities, but surprisingly were unable to extend their lead in the first half. Deco in the 30th and Eto'o in the 36th, both came close but the clearest opportunity came from Leo Messi in the 39th minute when Racing's keeper Toño made a bad clearance. The Racing keeper gifted the ball to Lionel Messi who ran alone into the area, but took a little too long, which gave the defence time to close in. Finally, his shot went over the crossbar and another great opportunity was wasted.


Barca should have gone with a much bigger lead into the half time break.


In the second half it was Ronaldinho on two occassions, who could have stirred the Barca ship into calm waters. His first effort was saved by Racing´s goal keeper Toño and his second was an exceptional curl that missed the target just by inches.


Deco should have scored when Eto'o's provided him with a great opportunity after a superp team effort. But finally Deco´s shot went over.


Then, minutes later, Ronaldinho produced a fine save from Toño who made up for his earlier mistake. The Brazilian magician shot one of his trademark freekicks over the wall into the top left corner and everyone thought the ball was going into the goal, when Toño suddenly appeared and palmed the ball over the crossbar.


Barca´s striker Eto'o deserved a penalty in the 72nd minute, when he was wrestled to the ground by a Racing defender on a clear goal scoring occassion but the referee did not point to the spot and wrongly let the game to be played on.


Barcelona wrapped up the game they totally controlled just 7 minutes from time, when subsitute Ludovic Giuly made a great run past three defenders in the penalty area, before firing home low, through Ruben´s legs, into the right corner.


The final goal was scored by Eirdur Gudjohnsen, who replaced Eto'o in the 79th minute. Icelandic international Gudjonsen received the ball in a one-on-one situation against Toño. Gudjohnsen dribbled past the keeper but was brought down in the area by Racing´s goalkeeper and the referee had no doubt and pointed straight to the penalty spot. The referee punished Toño with a straight red card for a professional foul, due to the fact that he prevented the Barca forward from scoring. Curiously, Racing Santander had already made their three changes, so it was Brazilian midfield player Felipe Melo who stepped up to face Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho showed no mercy for his country fellowman and send Melo the wrong way to seal the 3-0 victory for Barca.


My Comment:

The season becomes better and better for Barca. First we saw a 3-2 away win at Celta which showed a fighting Barca but a shaky defence. Now, in the second and third match, we see Barca still scoring but with a strong defence that denies any chances to the opposition.
Three games, three wins and three goals in each game (9 in total) in the Spanish Championship. Barça's start has been a real success and it seems that the team are focused and determined to take pole position in La Primera Liga early on and not wanting to look back.

"El Sardinero" has always been a difficult place for Barca in the past. Therefore I am happy that we got the 3 points, however, this time Racing was without any chance.


The Barça engine is running smoothly but firing on all cylinders. Eto'o is in a superb form and provides the team with goals. Next weekend, there is a very important game and I hope the team can show a similar display. I am not worried. The team is too good at the moment. Santander is history, now we are looking forward to the big match against Valencia next week!


Visca el Barca!