Competition favourites Barcelona have kicked off their Champions League campaign in emphatic style by seeing off PSV 4-0 at Camp Nou, courtesy of a Lionel Messi hat-trick.
Browsing: Camp Nou
Barcelona made it three wins from three matches at the start of the 2018-19 La Liga campaign courtesy of a 8-2 victory over newly-promoted Huesca at Camp Nou on Sunday night.
Barcelona have confirmed that midfielder Philippe Coutinho has been handed the number seven shirt.
Barcelona goalkeeper Marca-Andre Ter-Stegen has admitted he would like to be one of the club’s four captains next season.
Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium was a target for the terrorist cell that conducted attacks in the city a year ago, Catalan newspaper “El Periódico” reported on Wednesday.
The first el Clasico of next season will take place at Camp Nou on October 28, while the reverse fixture will commence on March 3 next year.
Barca started the better, slipping through Luis Suarez who was denied by an impressive Raphael Varane block, before the Uruguayan striker volleyed home from the next attack after Sergi Roberto picked him out perfectly from eight yards.
Iniesta signed a “lifetime” contract with Barca last October but speculation has mounted over recent weeks regarding the 33-year-old midfielder’s future and a mooted move to the Chinese Super League.
Messi had given his side the slight advantage with an away goal in last month’s first leg at Stamford Bridge, and he was once again instrumental with two more goals and an assist to seal a 4-1 aggregate triumph.
Messi’s 365th goal in Spain’s top flight came inside 12 minutes, with Luis Suarez adding the second before the interval and Paulinho completing the victory late on as Barcelona stretched their lead at the top of the table back to nine points over Atletico Madrid
The Brazilian playmaker drew a line under a transfer saga that first started in the summer transfer window on Saturday after Liverpool and Barcelona agreed the second-biggest transfer fee in history
The Frenchman’s career move has not got off to the best start, though, as he was withdrawn 25 minutes into his first full league debut in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Getafe with a thigh problem.
Betis were without the ball for much of the opening 30 minutes, but the visitors were dangerous when they had the chance to break, with Joaquin rolling back the years with some wonderful touches in the final third of the field
Paulinho spent two largely unsuccessful years at Tottenham Hotspur between 2013 and 2015 but enjoyed a more fruitful time in the Far East, scoring 27 goals in 95 appearances for the Chinese Super League club
Ronaldo did not enter the field until the 58th minute of the contest as Los Blancos head coach Zinedine Zidane continued to ease the attacker back into action after representing Portugal at the 2017 Confederations Cup earlier this summer
The 46-year-old, in his third season in charge at the Camp Nou, confirmed the decision after their 6-1 win over Sporting Gijon on Wednesday
The European champions had ended FC Barcelona’s record-breaking run last season with a 2-1 win at the Camp Nou
The Argentine had gone more than 500 minutes without registering a goal or assist for Barcelona before netting against Los Che – his longest such drought since becoming a regular starter for the club in 2008
Barcelona remain top of the table on 76 points – six clear of second-place Atletico Madrid, while Real Madrid have moved to within seven of Luis Enrique’s side and to within one of their capital rivals with seven games of the season left to play in Spain’s top flight
Valencia were three goals down inside 29 minutes and were forced to play the entirety of the second period with 10 players when Shkodran Mustafi was given the marching orders for a challenge on Messi inside the penalty box