Match Report: Sunday 12/05/2007 19:00 (GMT +1): La Liga, Match Day 34
FC BARCELONA - REAL BETIS BALOMPIE 1-1 (1-0)

Camp Nou, Barcelona – Attendance: 78.000
Referee: Iturralde Gonzalez


Goals:

1-0 Ronaldinho 5´, pen.
1-1 Sobis 89´


FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes - Zambrotta (Belletti 45´), Thuram, Puyol, Gio - Iniesta, Xavi, Deco - Messi (Saviola 74´), Eto´o, Ronaldinho (Edmilson 66´) - Manager: Frank Rijkaard


Real Betis (4-5-1): Contreras - Ilic, Juanito, Melli, Capi - Edu, Vogel, Rivera (Assuncao 59´), Isidoro, Odonkor (Robert 70´) - Fernando (Sobis 62´) - Manager: Luis Fernandez


Match Report:


Match Day 34 was a disaster when Barca and Betis drew 1-1 in La Liga and FC Barcelona lost the lead to rival Real Madrid. A penalty by Ronaldinho, after Deco was fouled by Melli in the 5th minute was cancelled out in the 89th minute by Brazilian Sobis. Real Madrid is now on same points but have the head-to-head advantage.


FC Barcelona clearly dominated from start to finish but scored only once through Ronaldinho with his 5th minute penalty. Barca wasted chance after chance. FC Barcelona could have been at leat 3-0 up, when the entire team fell aslepp in the last minute and Betis coolly took advantage. If somebody is to blame for the loss of 2 points that it can only be the entire team, wasting all the chances being so naive in the final minute of the game.


The atmosphere was strange. As expected some of the Barca supportes did not forget the poor performance against Getafe and booed the team when they entered the pitch. Others tried to cheer them up. The biggest boos came, when Ronaldinho entered the pitch at last.


But the negative atmosphere went, when the team showed an inspirational start, willing to fight and make up for the disastrous performance last Thursday.


Already in the 4th minute, Betis defender got Deco of his feet and the referee had no problem to immediately show to the penalty spot. Ronaldinho insisted to take the penalty, willing to prove his worth and converted the spot kick, even Betis keeper Contreras guessed the right corner.


The Blaugrana were in total control and kept the possession of the ball. Even though, just like they did against Mallorca and Levante recently, they produced chances but missed one glaring chance after another.


Iniesta passed the ball to Deco in the 24th minute, who found Eto'o inside the box with a great cross, but the Cameroon international headed the ball wide of the far post. This could have been already the 2-0.


Eto'o then had a great over-head kick supplied by Ronaldinho, but the ball went straight to Betis goalkeeper Contreras, who managed to save this spectacular effort.


Eto´o then had another chance moments later but his shot with the left foot went wide. may be on this occasion, he should have passed the ball to Ronaldinho, who was free to tap the ball in.


Xavi then fired a ball past the left far post and Iniesta had a great chance put put the ball just next to the left post.


But as it happens, when you take the chances, Betis came close to punish Barca just before half time. A huge error from the otherwise good playing Thuram gave Fernandez the chance to equalize for Betis. So far, betis did not have even one attempt on the goal but Valdes had to come out to make a great save to deny the free approaching Betis striker.


In the second half, it was exactly the same game (except for Belletti coming on for Zambrotta). A Barca that had all the ball possession trying to score the second goal to kill off the game. Really, it was just a matter of time, when the goal had to come.


Eto'o and Messi both had got some good shots but none of them hit the inside of the net. After the hour mark Betis coach Fernandez tried to make some changes. He brought on Marcos Assuncao and later Sobis as well as Robert. Rijkaard took of an unlucky Ronaldinho as well as a hard working Leo Maeesi. Suddenly the game changed a little bit. Barca still trying to score the decisive goal, but Betis now working harder and becoming a little bit more dangerous. The result was a good chance for pacey Isodoro, but again Valdes showed his class and denied the Betis youngster.


Just minutes thereafter hard working Eto´o could have sealed the match. Deco stepped over an Iniesta pass to leave Eto´o in space. An impressive shot went flying over the crossbar.


Then, when everybody in the stadium thought that Barca would bag the 3 points, the shocking situation appeared. First an unnecessay fould from Eto´o in the Barca half handed Betis a free-kick. Still, while Eto´o had been booked for arguing with the referee, Assuncao cleverly took advantage of the situation that the Barca defense was fast asleep and passed the ball to Sobis. the Brazilian attacker took the ball and while the Barca fdefense was still not making any move, proibably thinking that the ref would whistle the attempt back. But Sobis than shot the ball from far distance from the right into the short corner.


The Camp Nou was boiling but all for the wrong reason. the supporters turned against their own team and were steaming.


Still, there was some injury time to play and the Barca team really tried to force to score. Iniesta had the big chance to grant Barca the winner, but Contreras deflected the ball over the goal with his body.


The last chance was for Deco who sent a free-kick over the crossbar.


The the ref called it a day and the Barca fans in the stadium showed clearly and loud their dissatisfaction. the Blaugrana were accompanied by whistles, abuse and boos and the white hanky chiefs came out and were waved at the team.


My Comment:

I can only say: Shocking! Shocking! Shocking!
For me this draw was very hard to take and it hurts more than a usual defeat. Again, Barca wasted too many clear chances but what bothered me most, was the way the equalizer was scored.

We could argue about, if it was right to take the free kick while the referee booked Eto´o and talked to him. This definitely destructed the Barca team but incredible that none of the entire Blaugrana defence reacted to the situation. While Barca played well troughout the previous 89 minutes, the behaviour of the entire team in this moment was not professional.


Puyol was outstanding in defence and cleared everything before Betis did even have the chance to look dangerous. Also Eto´o was very hard working and regained a lot of possesion, but unfortunately he wasted too many big chances. escept the first half blunder Thuram was solid. Ronaldinho was unlucky but scored the important penalty.


The team was willing to make up for the poor midweek performance and showed that their owed the home crowd. But it was one of those nights when the ball just wouldn't go in.


the equalizer was a disaster and very hard to take. It took me quite a few beers, a bottle of wine and some excellent tapas with Ireland´s Barca Fan number 1 to get over the loss of 2 invalable points.


I refused to look at the table today, because I can not take to see the Merengues at the position they currently are.


It is not all over yet. Real is on same points but have the head-to-head advantage. Real will not win all their last matches and I strongly believe that they will drop points in Huelva and Zaragozza.


But next week is the match at Atletico Madrid. A chance to overtake the Merengues!


Visca el Barca!