Watch great football and post-to-post attack highlights of Barca against Sevilla.


Video Highlights: Tuesday 15/01/2008 22:00 hours, Copa Del Rey, Round 1/16 ( 2nd Leg )

FC BARCELONA - SEVILLA CF 0 - 0
Stadium: Camp Nou, Barcelona

Capacity : 98,772
Attendance : 75,917

Referee: A. Perez Bull


Goals:


None


Cautions:


Yellow Card:


FC Barcelona - Dos Santos ( 46' ), Marquez ( 54' )


Sevilla CF - Mosquera ( 54' ), Duda ( 91' )


Line-up :


FC Barcelona (4-4-3): Valdes, Zambrotta, Puyol, Milito, Sylvinho, Marquez, Xavi, Gudjohnsen ( Bojan, 50' ), Iniesta, Dos Santos ( Deco, 68' ), Henry
Manager: Frank Rijkaard


Sevilla(4-4-2): De Sanctis, Alves, Mosquera, Dragutinovic, Adriano, Renato, Poulsen, Navas, Capel ( Alfaro, 81' ), Chevanton ( Duda, 74' ), Fabiano ( Kerzhakov, 68' )

Manager: Manolo Jiménez


Video Highlights:

A happy club president gives his players praise accolades and urges the fans to show more support.



President of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta was not in any mood to hide or tone down his feelings after the Blaugrana shoved aside mighty Sevilla to gain the quarter final ticket for the Copa del Rey. Laporta spoke with satisfaction and looked ahead to the futre in both the King's Cup, the La Liga and the Champions League, as he said Barca will take each match as it came. Laporta said:

We must congratulate the team. The players made a titantic effort. It was a match of power against power, and our team prevailed. It was all very exciting, but over 180 minutes we showed effort and fight. Sevilla are a great team, and it was a match of two global giants. We shall continue to take each match step by step. This applies to the La Liga as well. An important factor is the support of the fans. The players need the support to keep their spirits up.

Manolo Jimenez traces Sevilla's defeat to French goal king, Thierry Henry.


While recognizing that his boys played well in both legs against Barca, Manolo Jimenez spotted Rafa Marquez and Thierry Henry as the two players who were responsible for his sides defeat in the Copa del Rey. The coach was not in doubt that both sides had played well, but gave in to the defining moment which went as far back as the first leg when a 24th minute goal by Thierry Henry opened scores and sent Sevilla in the defensive up till the end of the second leg tie. Jimenez admited that:

Thierry Henry's goal was the decider of this two-legged tie between Barca and Sevilla.The tie was very even and was only unbalanced by the ability of two players one who passed the ball and the other who scored a great goal. That was the truning point.

The Coach was not short of praises for his own team as well, and also had some words of praise for the Barca defence:

We caused them a lot of problems and stopped them moving the ball about. We had four chances of our own and even had the ball in the net, only for it to be disallowed, but we just did not have any luck going forward. I think we saw the Sevilla team of old, despite the absences and I am very proud. Barça were very good defensively, but there was only one period when either team was dominant and that was in the second half of the first leg when we were.

Frank Rijkaard was happy that Barca picked a ticket to the quarter final stage of the Copa del Rey. The manager spoke to the press afterwards.



A team that knocks out the defending champions should deserve to be the new champions themselves. FC barcelona must strive on to win the Copa del Rey after edging out last year's champions, Sevilla CF. The Blaugrana secured a 1-1 draw in the first leg and a goalless draw in Camp Nou meant they go through on away goal rule. A pleased Frank Rijkaard who got his tactics dead right on the night, was happy iwht the result. The stars played to instruction and had a very organized defence with Milito, Puyol, Sylvinho and Zambrotta being intact and Marquez providing cover. Rijkaard said after the match:

I was very pleased, particularly in defence where the team was very focussed and gave everything. Before the game we said that the worst thing would be to concede a goal and we have played the game accordingly. We wanted to concentrate on Sevilla's strong points without giving up our own style. It was not that attractive, but that was not just us as Sevilla had a very tactical approach. They were strong and kept a lot of people back. It was important for us to progress to the next round and we have done that against a great team.

Barça face Villarreal or Recreativo in the next round of the Copa del Rey. Rijkaard is not bouyed by the prospects of facing either, and is ready for the quarter opponents. The Dutchman is instead more concerned with securing a ticket to the semi-final through good football:

Villarreal is more well known and appear strong, but in knockout tournaments the only thing it worry about is playing well yourselves.

FC Barcelona see off defending champions Sevilla.


Match Report: Tuesday 15/01/2008 22:00 hours, Copa Del Rey, Round 1/16 ( 2nd Leg )

FC BARCELONA - SEVILLA CF 0 - 0
Stadium: Camp Nou, Barcelona

Capacity : 98,772
Attendance : 75,917

Referee: A. Perez Bull


Goals:


None


Cautions:


Yellow Card:


FC Barcelona - Dos Santos ( 46' ), Marquez ( 54' )


Sevilla CF - Mosquera ( 54' ), Duda ( 91' )


Line-up :


FC Barcelona (4-4-3): Valdes, Zambrotta, Puyol, Milito, Sylvinho, Marquez, Xavi, Gudjohnsen ( Bojan, 50' ), Iniesta, Dos Santos ( Deco, 68' ), Henry
Manager: Frank Rijkaard


Sevilla(4-4-2): De Sanctis, Alves, Mosquera, Dragutinovic, Adriano, Renato, Poulsen, Navas, Capel ( Alfaro, 81' ), Chevanton ( Duda, 74' ), Fabiano ( Kerzhakov, 68' )

Manager: Manolo Jiménez


Match Report:


Hostilities began very early in a match that did not produce any goals, but was more interesting than some matches that did.


In the very first minute, Dani Alves delivered a cross that Ernesto Chevantón connected with, but this narrowly missed target. Barca responded with an Iniesta effort in the 4th minute. The creative one curled a ball that sailed across the far post of Sevilla. Iniesta returned in the 17th minute to set up Thierry Henry, who kicked the ball a litttle too hard, sending it wide.


Sevilla closed up the middle, as the visitors feared an incursion into attack by Barca. Fabiano made a brief scare when he nodded a corner over at the Blaugrana goal area, while Eidur Gudjohnsen rattled Sevilla keeper Morgan De Sanctis' with a stormy shot from 25 yards, ensuring that the first half ended goalless.


On resumption of play, the coaches kept their first-half players and pattern intact as no early chnages were made. Dani Alves again caused early scare by testing Valdes, but the Barca keeper did well to put the ball into his safe custody. A change did come in the 55th minute when hardworking Gudjohnsen was replaced by sleeky Bojan Krkic, who immediately added more vitality and creativity to the game. Giovani was also replaced by Deco who was just returning from injury.


FC Barcelona continued to dominate the game, with some good football and scares coming from Thierry Henry and Bojan, who the Sevilla defenders tried to cut off. The Blaugrana were however a bit too relaxed and unmindful of their defence, not until Sevilla had another surprise in store for Barca, as an 82nd minute free-kick shot by Dani Alves rattled Valdes, who spurn the ball unto the Barca cross bar and away from danger. A disaster was averted. However, Sevilla surged forward again and this time, Navas got the ball into the Barca net, but the effort was disallowed as Duda was well placed in an undeniable ofside position.


Bojan signed off the night with an effort that would have resulted into goal, but the young goal machine was not lucky to his angular effort go in. The match ended goalless as the hosts, FC Barcelona knocked out the defending champions Sevilla on away goal rule after a 1-1 draw in Seville during the first leg.


My Comments:


FC Barcelona confirmed their superiority over Sevilla CF, as the defending champions of the Kings Cup bowed to the team of the moment, a star-studded and revived Barca squad. The quarter finals is Barca's next port of call, and it looks more and more likely that the Blaugrana will get to the final...and eventually win the trophy.