FC Barcelona maintain winning streak in Germany.


Match Report: Tuesday 2/10/2007 20:45hrs (GMT +1), Champions League Match Day 2


VfB STUTTGART - FC BARCELONA 0-2 (0-0)


Stadium:Gottlieb-Diamler-Stadion, Stuttgart
Capacity:53,200

Referee:Martin Hansson (SWE)


Goals:
0-1 Puyol ( 53' )

0-2 Messi ( 67' )


Cautions:
Yellow Card :


FC Barcelona - Messi ( 41' )


VfB Stuttgart - None


Possession:

FC Barcelona 62%
VfB Stuttgart 38%


Corner Kicks:

FC Barcelona 8
VfB Stuttgart 4


Shots on goal ( on Target ):

FC Barcelona 13 ( 9 )
VfB Stuttgart 17 ( 5 )


Line-Up:

FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes, Oleguer, Thuram, Marquez ( Puyol, 7', Sylvinho, 64' ), Abidal, Xavi, Iniesta, Deco, Ronaldinho ( Bojan, 82' ), Messi, Henry.
Manager: Frank Rijkaard


VfB Stuttgart (4-4-2): Schafer, Osorio ( Marcia, 64' ), Tasci, Fernando, Meira, Farnerud ( Magnin, 76' ), Pardo, Boka, Cacau, Hilbert, Khedira ( Meibner, 76' )

Manager:Armin Veh


Match Report:
Barca put up another spectacular performance to secure victory in Germany against VfB Stuttgart. The Catalan giants meant business right from the start with a blitz of attacks.

Ronaldinho, back after an injury lay-off, floated a ball out wide to Messi in the fifth minute and the Argentine set up Deco to thud a shot against the post.
Messi then played a fine one-two with the Brazilian before forcing the first stop from Schafer. Barcelona were enjoying themselves and Ronaldinho brought gasps from the crowd with a flick over his head to Henry, whose first-time shot was saved well by Schafer.


An early scare came for the Catalan giants not from Stuttgart, but from Barca defender Rafa Marquez, who went down clutching his knee in the 6th minute and was replaced by Carles puyol a minute later. Henry continued to torment Stuttgart and Ronaldinho was showing hsi brief lay off from the game was a needed tonic to produce his magic. The Brazilian was all over the place, laying passes, dazzling defenders and providing a colourful tone to the match with his every touch. Ronnie had a free-kick narrowly sail over Schafer's bar in the 12th minute.


Stuttgart also caused a couple of problems especially when Arthur Boka and centre forwards Cacau and Mario Gomez were running directly at the defence. The hosts came desperately close in the 33rd minute when Valdes tipped a Gomez header against the bar and then managed to get up to block the striker's follow-up. His double save at the end of the first half was just as good when Gomez beat the offside trap before whacking in a shot. Valdes kept that out with his fingers and reacted quickly to save again from Alexander Farnerud on the rebound. The first half ended goalless.


The beginning of the second half saw a more determined Stuttgart side surging forward to get an early goal. The Barca defence proved too string for them though. FC Barcelona absorbed the early threat from Stuttgart, then launched forward with perfect coordination to win a corner kick in the 53rd minute. Xavi sent the corner to the far post where Ronaldinho's headed it down, a tricky ball that saw Stuttgart's goal keeper Schäfer keep it out with his body after Mario Gómez blocked his view. Puyol pounced on the rebound and hit the ball back over the line from close range. Barca were one goal up.


Barca continued the attacking rage, shutting out Stuttgart with coordinated football. However in the 62nd minute, Puyol, who is fresh from injury, leapt high for a ball and landed in pain. Two minutes later, the Barca captain who had come in for injured Marquez was replaced by Sylvinho. Éric Abidal moved across to the centre with Sylvinho coming on to play at left back and leave Oleguer on the right.


In the 63rd minute, Henry sailed down the right of the penalty area and, after holding off the attentions of Vardar Tasci laid the ball back across the box to lurking Lionel Messi who blasted the ball toward Schafer. Stuttgart's Hilbert was on the path to block it, but the ball deflected past Schäfer and into the net for Barca's second goal.


Minutes later it was almost three for the Blaugrana when Henry flicked the ball to Deco who then edged all the way around to the right hand side of the goal before back-heeling into the middle where Messi took a touch before hammering the ball goal wards only to see his effort blocked on the line by Tasci.


Bojan Krkic came in for rampaging Ronaldinho who had a wonderful come back tonight, and the Brazilian left the pitch, clapping, smiling and waving to the cheering fans as he made his exit in the 82nd minute.


Bojan quickly showed why he was so rated highly, by jinxing the Stuttgart defence out of an outside trap and slipping onto the ball, breaking lose to suddenly appear face to face with Stuttgart's goal keeper. The young one however did not score as his tip on the ball did not go in.


The match ended with two goal to nothing in favour of the in-form visitors.


My Comments:

Barca proved to be the difficult visitors everyone predicted. The Catalan giants were in full control holding the ball for 62% of the total playing time and displaying beautiful soccer all through.
Even with a 3-0 away victory for group rivals, Rangers against Lyon on the same night, Barca still top group E on superior goals ahead of Glasgow rangers as the two teams have both secured 6 points each. Their next meeting will determine who separates what points from who. If a repeat of this performance is anything to go by, Rangers are in for a beating.


The injury to Rafa Marquez is a down side to the victory, as the Mexican has scarred his old injury. However, Barca is such a quality team that a quick reorganisation in the defensive positions will stabilize the backline once more.


It's hard to really tell when next FC Barcelona will draw in either the La Liga or the Champions League, not even to think about losing.