The 2-2 draw between the pair in last week’s quarter-final first leg had handed the advantage to the Catalans, but with star player Lionel Messi only starting the return as a substitute due to a hamstring injury, they seemed nervous throughout and PSG deservedly went in front just after half-time through Javier Pastore. However, with Messi summoned from the bench, Pedro fired home 19 minutes from time to send Barca into the last four....
The 19-year-old had impressed in the 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, where the youngster was one of the driving forces behind the Yanks reaching the quarterfinals, narrowly going down 2-1 to the Ecuador Under-20 side. In case you didn’t know… Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde is looking to strengthen his squad over the summer after a disappointing end to the 2018-19 season. Despite winning the La Liga, the Blaugrana were sensationally eliminated in the semi-finals of the Champions League by eventual winners Liverpool and also went on to lose the Copa del Rey final to Valencia....
The Catalans beat Valencia in convincing fashion over the weekend. Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang bagged a hat-trick and Frenkie De Jong also got on the scoresheet as Barcelona beat Jose Bordalas’ men 4-1. There is plenty of activity away from the pitch as well as the Catalans prepare for a hectic summer. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 22 February 2022. Alvaro Morata plays down Barcelona rumours Alvaro Morata has been extensively linked with Barcelona over the past few months....
Four games from the end of the campaign, Barcelona and Real Madrid would meet at Camp Nou with it all on the line. Except, it didn’t really pan out like that. Barca will step out on home turf for the first time since taking the title back from Madrid, a cantering triumph that was sealed by a 4-2 victory at Deportivo La Coruna last weekend. Ernesto Valverde’s men are yet to taste defeat in Spain’s top flight this season and sit 15 points above their bitter rivals....
Guardiola: Man City will not sign Messi Barcelona visit Sociedad with Neymar walking a disciplinary tightrope ahead of the first Clasico of the season but Luis Enrique is adamant all fit players will be included for the trip to San Sebastian. Asked if he would consider leaving Neymar out, he said: “No, not at all. There’s just one game [in my mind]. We’ll get the same points for winning in San Sebastian as we would for beating Real Madrid....
Barkley had not featured for England since 2016 after struggling for form and fitness in the latter stages of his time at Everton and early in his Chelsea career. But the 24-year-old has played in all but one of the Blues’ Premier League matches under Maurizio Sarri and appears to have put those concerns behind him. Asked whether Friday’s match felt like a second England debut, Barkley told Sky Sports: “No, because I’ve been here before, so I know what it’s like to play for England and how much it means to everyone and myself....
YouTube user Kyle Dekker took the popular meme of Baron Helmut Zemo dancing the night away in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and added an early-2000s twist that, frankly, seems like such a perfect fit that it’s a shame it hasn’t gotten more exposure. Looping the show’s footage with a backing track from the cult favorite flash toon site known as Homestar Runner, Strong Bad’s gruff acapella techno tune has never felt more at home....
Barry Trotz was fired by the Islanders after the conclusion of the regular season in the most shocking move of the offseason thus far. New York disappointed and missed the playoffs, but the team also had injuries and COVID issues and spent the first 13 games of its season on the road while its new arena was being made ready. And the Isles were one game away from making the Stanley Cup Final in 2021....
As per Corriere dello Sport and Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia), Barcelona are willing to cover half of Coutinho’s salary, meaning Lazio will have to pay the player €4.5 million a year. Lazio, however, are in a difficult financial position themselves, and are trying to register five players. The Serie A side are trying to sell Joaquin Correa to raise funds for new manager Maurizio Sarri. There has also been talk of president Claudio Lotito loaning money to the club, but it remains to be seen how the situation will transpire in the coming weeks....
Having graduated out of the famed La Masia academy system in Catalunya, the 34-year-old matured into one of the most decorated players of the modern era . He helped Barca to nine La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns during his time at Camp Nou, while also landing World Cup and European Championship honours with Spain. Iniesta has, however, decided to open himself up to a new challenge and will be continuing his distinguished career in Asia....
Argentina captain Messi has started in five of Barca’s six games this season, but was forced off in Wednesday’s 1-1 home draw against Atletico Madrid with a groin injury that will keep him out of action for three weeks. The 29-year-old will miss Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers in Peru on Oct. 6 and at home to Paraguay five days later, the Argentina Football Association (AFA) said in a statement....
Real Madrid show off new kit for 2017-18 The 37-year-old enjoyed tremendous success at Camp Nou as a player, where he won 15 trophies, including two Champions Leagues and four Ligas, in a seven-year spell with the club. His career, however, was interrupted by a tumour on his liver, which forced him to receive a transplant, although he was able to resume his career. “It makes me really happy to be officially part of the club,” he told Barca’s official website....
Jose Mourinho has been linked with an astronomic 150 million euro ($166M) bid for the Uruguayan, who lifted the Pichichi award last season as the top scorer in La Liga. “We read, we listen, we see this news, but of course, our interest in this particular case is that Luis Suarez is happy at Barcelona,” the president told Sky Sports. “We are trying to extend his contract with Barcelona and he is one of our big future efforts because he is still young, he has a vision, a lot of ambition....
Nike who have sponsored the Catalan club for quite some time now feature on the shirt, but Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten replaces Qatar Airways as the Catalans new shirt sponsor and is among the new additions to the kit. According to reports the deal with the e-commerce company will earn the Camp Nou club, north of £150 million during a four-year deal, which is also subject to a steep increase if Barcelona goes on to win either the Spanish championship or the Champions League....
The five-time European champions have fallen short in the continent’s premier club competition in recent seasons, including an extraordinary semi-final loss to Liverpool in 2018-19. Ancelotti, whose side face Barca in a friendly in Florida on Wednesday, feels Ernesto Valverde’s men should be contenders once more this season after seeing the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Frenkie de Jong arrive. “I believe that Barcelona is always a candidate to win the Champions League,” he told a news conference....
There has been intense speculation regarding the 26-year-old’s future, and reports from various sources suggested that Barcelona were interested in signing Luiz to bolster their defence. However, Chelsea categorically denied all reports, while manager Jose Mourinho said only a few hours ago that David Luiz would be staying at Stamford Bridge this season. Chelsea signed Luiz from Benfica in 2011 for a fee of around £20m. The Brazilian had a solid 2012/13 season, making a total of 57 appearances in all competitions, scoring 7 goals in the process....
According to Sport, Barcelona are keen to sign a replacement for their veteran defender Gerard Pique. At 35, the Spaniard is in the twilight of his career. Pique is a club legend at Barcelona, but has been unable to maintain consistency in recent years. Xavi views Kounde as the ideal replacement for his former teammate. Kounde joined Sevilla from Bordeaux in the summer of 2019 in a deal worth €25 million....
In case you didn’t know… Valverde is in his second year at Barcelona, having joined from Athletic Bilbao as a replacement for Luis Enrique. The 55-year-old has had a great impact at the club so far, although he has had his fair share of criticism from a section of Barca fans. He led Barca to the league and the Copa del Rey in his debut season, and the club is still in the hunt for the treble this season....
In case you didn’t know Satorra was in charge of match logistics at Barcelona for four decades and gained cult status after the infamous El Clasico incident. In 2011, Barcelona played host to arch-rivals Real Madrid at the Camp Nou in the Spanish Super Cup. Argentine talisman Lionel Messi scored the match-winner in the 88th minute but the game was marred by confrontational scenes as a result of a Marcelo challenge on Cesc Fabregas....
Fresh from winning the Monte Carlo Masters last week, top seed and World No. 5 Nadal started his quest for his ninth title at the Catalan capital with a 6-3, 6-2 win over compatriot Marcel Granollers. The windy conditions made it a difficult start for Rafa as he lost his opening service game. But the 14-time Grand Slam champion soon re-grouped to complete the triumph in 1 hour 31 minutes....
