Match Report: Sunday 20/01/2008 21:00 hours (GMT +1), La Liga, Match Day 20

FC BARCELONA - RACING SANTANDER 1 - 0 ( 1 - 0 )
Stadium: Camp Nou, Barcelona

Capacity : 98,772
Attendance : 60,039

Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo


Goal:


1-0 Henry ( 30' )


Cautions:


Yellow Card:


FC Barcelona: Deco ( 83' )


Racing Santander: Luis Fernandez ( 23' ), Jordi ( 48' )


Corners:


FC barcelona 5 - Racing Santander 2


Shots on Goal ( On Target ):


FC Barcelona 12 ( 2 )- Racing Santander 9 ( 1 )


Posession:


FC Barcelona 67% - Racing Santander 33%


Line Up:


FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes, Sylvinho ( Abidal, 82' ), Milito, Puyol, Zambrotta, Deco, Gudjohnsen ( Marquez, 58' ), Iniesta, Giovani ( Messi, 66' ), Henry, Bojan
Manager: Frank Rijkaard


Racing Santander(4-4-2): Coltorti, Sergio Sanchez, Cesar Navas, Oriol, Luis Fernandez, Tchite ( Pinillos, 76' ) Serrano ( Colsa, 62' ), Jorge Lopez, Duscher, Jordi, Bolado ( Pablo Alvarez, 46' )

Manager: Marcelino Garcia Toral


Match Report:


Barca entered into the match with a lot of pressure, especially after learning that Real Madrid were already two goals up away to Atletico, which meant a ten point gap had been opened at the top of the table. A win now meant more than it had even been considered before the match started.


The Catalan giants breathed down heavily on the resolute Santander squad, who held on and absorbed all the attacks that were thrown at them by the eager hosts. Thierry Henry and Zambrotta were the early goal seekers, as Zambrotta kept up pressure by running deep into the Racing half and looking great in display. A cross that was floated to Thierry Henry in the 20th minute was nearly in, after the French man headed just wide, and then Sylvinho emerged from the left flank to flick another crosss to Bojan Krkic, who narrowly missed the opener for Barca. It was only a matter of time. Ten minutes after his headed miss, Thierry Henry returned and this time, got the header right on target. Iniesta sent a well delivered corner into the Santander area, and the ball bounced of a bewildered Racing defence to go Henry's way. The goal king wasted no time to nod home for 1-0 to FC Barcelona.


The remaining fifteen minutes of the half didn't produce any more goals, but saw one half-hearted attempt by Racing to even things. The game also started in the second half in much the same way as it had started in the first, but this time, the visitors were not able to hold on without being broken for too long. Deco sent a fierce shot which the Racing keeper was at his best to save and Gudjohnsen soon raced down to meet a pass, and the ice man volleyed a ball that was luckily deflected away from goal. Santander also responded with close misses of their own through Oscar Serrano, exposing some lax in the Barca defence and prompting coach Rijkaard in the 58th minute to bring on Marquez who came in for Gudjohnsen in order to solidly the defensive midfield area.


FC Barcelona maintained control of the game, with Lionel Messi coming in at 66 minutes on the clock to replace Giovani dos Santos in the to mark the return of the Argentine magician since his injury in the 3-0 smashing of Valencia. Messi was immediately running at the Santander defence, being called of by the referee for an offside and also upsetting the defence with god football and another chance that the visitors had to foul the Argentine whizzkid. Sensing clear and present danger, Racing's Coach Marcelino quickly withdrew most of his men and formed a tight defence wall that stayed guard till the end of the match, but not without a surprise counter attack from the scared visitors in what would have been a heart breaking equalizer. In the closing seconds, Jordi managed to head narrowly off target as Zambrotta bravely kept the ball out of danger to ensure Barca secured all three points at stake.


My Comments:


Great football played, though not the best that we have seen from Barca this season. Zambrotta was great and in top form while once again, Thierry Henry proved he was simply a master in what he knows how to do best - good football and good goals. It was good to see Lionel Messi back in action and still with the threatening form he had when he left. Madrid may have won 2-0 at the Calderon, but FC Barcelona look more likely to maintain the winning streak as the league takes an all win dimension for the two top teams.


Barca will need to step up their game against Villarreal as the yellow submarines host the Blaugrana in the Copa del Rey quarter final first leg. It was Villarreal who beat Barca 3-1 few months back in the La Liga, and the match will be played at the same venue. Villarreal also showed warning signals by thumping Valencia 3-0 same time as Barca were beating Racing Santander 1-0. A lot of work needs to be done, even as the Barca stars say they prefer results to good football these days.