Messi celebrates becoming a dad but he isn't marked, Barca beat Celta

Barcelona's 3-1 home win over Celta Vigo on Saturday marked the Catalan club's best start to the Spanish league in its 113-year history. Goals from Adriano, Villa and Alba gave Barça the win over Celta and also confirmed their record breaking start to the season, with 9 wins and a draw in the first 10 games.

Celta's only victory at Barça came in the 1941-42 season but the Galicians surprised their illustrious hosts with some neat play and Mario Bermejo levelled at 1-1 three minutes after Adriano's 21st-minute opener. Lionel Messi could not produce a goal to mark the birth of his first son but Barcelona still took the points with a straightforward 3-1 Primera Division victory over Celta Vigo. Three goals in the space of five minutes.

Alves had come on for the injured Adriano on 40 minutes and Vilanova brought on Bartra for Cesc for the second half to give the team more defensive solidity. Celta’s well organised defence proved a tough nut to crack though and only a brilliant exchange between Villa and Alba brought about the definitive third goal on the hour mark. With the game looking pretty much done and dusted, Barça played out the final half hour comfortably, with the only hint of a problem coming when Messi received a knock late on.

World player of the year Messi became a father for the first time this week, and played the full match on Saturday. Barcelona moved three points clear at the top after Atletico Madrid's unbeaten start to the season was ended with a 2-0 defeat at Valencia. Tito Vilanova’s Barça march on, with their latest win coming against Celta at the Camp Nou. Despite missing Abidal, Puyol and Piqué, the defence stood strong again, with Alba and Adriano also chipping in with goals before the Brazilian was taken off injured, The win means the team have made a record breaking start to the league campaign, with nine wins and a draw in their first ten matches.

The win means that Vilanova, who stepped up from assistant coach to succeed Pep Guardiola at the end of last season, has made a better start to the La Liga season than any of his predecessors at the Camp Nou. Louis van Gaal held the previous record after his side won eight of their opening 10 matches in the 1997-98 campaign, when Barça went on to win the title. "The points that we have are more important than the record," Vilanova said. "More than a record it's a sign of the desire this team has."

Copa del Rey: Barcelona beats Alaves 3-0

Barcelona didn't need Lionel Messi to secure a successful start to its Copa del Rey defense Tuesday, beating third-tier Alaves 3-0 after goals by David Villa, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas. Andres Iniesta celebrated being named on the shortlist for the FIFA World Player of the Year award with a glorious goal for Barcelona as the holders won 3-0 at Alaves in a King's Cup last-32 first leg on Tuesday. The Spain playmaker, who struck the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final, had limited space on the edge of the area when he curled a delicate shot into the top corner to double Barca's lead after 50 minutes. Alaves reached the final of the UEFA Cup in 2001 and now play their football in the third tier of Spanish football but battled hard against a Barca side who were without the rested Lionel Messi.

The 2001 Uefa Cup finalists who lost to Liverpool are now in Segunda B, the Spanish third tier. The Alaves keeper Urtzi Iturrioz was kept busy by an Alexis Sanchez header and a shot by Iniesta from the edge of the area before Villa fired Barca ahead on 40 minutes as he crashed a shot in off the crossbar after receiving a long ball from Iniesta. Alaves have a mountain to climb if they are to come back in next month's second leg at the Nou Camp, particularly after Cesc Fabregas headed a third for the unbeaten La Liga leaders at the end.

Villa opened the scoring in the 40th minute when he perfectly timed his run past Alaves' back four to powerfully latch onto a long pass by Iniesta and send it into the net via the crossbar. Villa, who missed the second half of last season and the European Championship after breaking his leg, said he's enjoying every minute being back on the pitch. "From hospital it was difficult to score goals," Villa said. "After all this time I want to play as much as possible, but I am in the hands of professionals and they know what's best for me." Coach Tito Vilanova had decided to rest Messi, forward Pedro Rodriguez, midfielder Xavi Hernandez and defender Jordi Alba for the game. With several other defenders out injured, Vilanova selected Martin Montoya, Javier Mascherano, Marc Bartra and Dani Alves for the back four.

credits to: http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Barcelona-beats-Alaves-3-0-in-Copa-del-Rey-3994537.php

Jordi Alba 'the Hero' breaks Celtic hearts: 94th, 2-1

A Jordi Alba goal in the final minute of injury time sparked off celebrations at the Camp Nou. It was just reward for Barça against a Celtic side that only wanted to defend its early lead. “We know it won’t be easy against Celtic because we have already suffered at home against Spartak when they came close to winning,” left-back Alba said. Celtic were denied a famous draw in the Nou Camp last night with the last kick of the game. For 93 minutes it looked as though their English-born goalkeeper Fraser Forster would earn them a point but when Adriano crossed with Barcelona's last attack Jordi Alba scored from a yard out.

The goal made Barça hungrier than ever, but also got the Scots concentrating even more earnestly on keeping things as tight as physically possible at the back. It wasn’t pretty football, but it was remarkably effective, with Barça in almost total control of the ball but failing to produce much in the way of real chances in the first 45 minutes. It needed a little piece of magic, and that finally came a matter of seconds before the break. When Messi, Xavi and Iniesta combine to create an attacking move, you always suspect that something special might happen. And indeed it did. A pinpoint strike from Iniesta finally had Forster beaten. All square at half time. 

A first-half own goal from Javier Mascherano rewarded Neil Lennon's team for playing with calm intelligence and although Andrés Iniesta equalised on the stroke of half-time and David Villa hit the post in second-half added time, goalkeeper Fraser Forster appeared to have earned Celtic a valuable point. That was until Adriano arced in a perfect right-wing cross and Alba applied the finish.

The Celtic coach's animation was in stark contrast to the man alongside him on the touchline. Barcelona's Tito Vilanova was as passive as his team, who at that stage were playing none of their mesmerising football. Adriano tried his luck from distance but Forster, looking assured, got down to his near post to make the comfortable save. On 34 minutes there were even Olé cries from the Celtic fans as their team briefly kept possession in midfield with audacious ease. With a quarter of an hour to go, Vilanova sent on Tello and Villa for Pedro and Alexis. The Asturian was played as an out-and-out striker in search of a second goal, while Tello and Alba slotted in on the wings. It was a risky move, even though by now Celtic were clearly quite happy to settle for a draw. But Barça wanted more, and made the green-and-whites pay for their lack of ambition.

In the final minute, it looked like Villa had finally done it, but his shot struck the post. However, the best had yet to come. With the referee just seconds away from blowing time on an intense footballing spectacle, Jordi Alba pounced on a killer pass from Adriano. Of all people, the two full backs had combined to bring Barça a goal just when it looked like they had left it too late. The Camp Nou went wild. And had every right to do so. An extraordinarily tense evening had ended in the most dramatic of fashions. And the upshot of it all is that Barcelona maintain their one hundred per cent record and a five-point lead over Celtic, who stay second. A place in the last sixteen is already well in sight.

credits to: http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/match-archive/2012-2013/champions-league/round-3-g/fc-barcelona_celtic

'Remuntada' Barcelona: D. Villa's late goal helps Blaugrana beat Sevilla

Barcelona maintained their 100% record in La Liga on Saturday night with a memorable 3-2 win against Sevilla at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. David Villa scored in injury time after Cesc Fabregas netted a brace to give Barcelona a dramatic 3-2 comeback win against 10-man Sevilla on Saturday, equaling the Spanish pacesetter's best league start ever with six straight wins.

Winger Piotr Trochowski put the home side in front firing home in the 26th minute before Spanish striker Negredo doubled the lead in the 48th minute -- executing a delightful chip over the onrushing Victor Valdes after being played in by Gary Medel.

A Barca fightback looked unlikely, but was given momentum five minutes later when Cesc Fabregas fired home a left-foot drive. Tito Vilanova's side were in serious danger of dropping their first points of the campaign when Sevilla went 2-0 up at their Sánchez Pizjuan stadium through Piotr Trochowski and Alvaro Negredo.

It proved a pivotal point in the game. Barcelona, aided by substitute's Thiago and Villa, surged forward in search of an equalizer which eventually arrived from the boot of Fabregas who calmly slotted home under Andres Palop after Lionel Messi had played him in. Sevilla were not helped by the 72nd-minute dismissal of Gary Medel following a clash with Fabregas, with Barca's final two goals coming while the hosts were attempting to hold on.

The stage was set for Villa, only recently returned from a broken leg, and Spain's record scorer ran through deep into added time and sent a left-foot shot past Andrés Palop. "We were never comfortable during the game, but when things got complicated we demonstrated our character," Fabregas said.

"Once again, [Fabregas] played at an excellent level," said Vilanova. "He was really driven tonight. The first goal reflects that. He ran a lot and I hope we recovers well for the Champions League." "It is very good for Villa to score. It had been a long time since he had played as our striker," said Vilanova. "A few months ago it would have been unthinkable that he would be this well by now."

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Sevilla-Barcelona 2-3

Sevilla FC: Palop, Cicinho, Botía, Spahic, Navarro, Medel, Maduro, Rakitic, Navas, Negredo, and Trochowski

FC Barcelona: Valdés, Alves, Song, Mascherano, Alba, Busquets, Xavi, Fábregas, Alexis, Messi, and Pedro

SUBSTITUTES:

Sevilla FC: Diego López, Luna, Fazio, Babá, Kondogbia, Manu del Moral, and Campaña

FC Barcelona: Pinto, Bartra, Montoya, Sergi Roberto, Thiago, Villa, and Tello

SUBSTITUTIONS: Sevilla FC: Manu on for Trochowski (26′), Kondogbia on for Rakitic (75′), Luna on for Negredo (81′); FC Barcelona: Tello on for Alexis (70′), Thiago on for Busquets (75′), Villa on for Alves (79′)


credits to: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/29/sport/football/football-spain-barcelona/index.html