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Match
Marcador del partit
- Date: Wednesday, 12 Nov
- Competition: ???label.competicio2???
- Stadium: Camp Nou, Barcelona
Resultat:
- FC Barcelona: 1
- Benidorm: 0
Match report
Match Report
Pitfall avoided (1-0)
Jordi Clos
FC Barcelona defeated Benidorm by the minimum margin on Wednesday evening and progressed to the quarter finals of the Copa del Rey. A goal from Lionel Messi three minutes from time was enough to give the home side victory.
After Real Madrid’s exit the night before and Villarreal’s elimination by opposition
from la Segunda B, the Blaugrana will just have been relieved to have made it through against
Benidorm. After winning the first leg by a single goal two weeks ago, Barça rarely looked like
going behind on the night but it did take longer than many predicted for the breakthrough to come.
First team
Their opponents’ lowly ranking and the cold conditions made for a dangerous combination
and coach Pep Guardiola was well aware of the pitfall that a game like this one could cause his
side and he therefore named eleven first-team players to start the encounter.
Making saves
Despite a strong team, the trainer would have hoped for a better first half display than the
one that Barça produced as they rarely found the rhythm that has won them so many plaudits this
term. There was little swift movement of the ball and Benidorm were able to withstand the initial
push by the home team. It was the visitors, in fact, who had the first chance of the match when
José Manuel Pinto was called upon to make a good save.
More opportunities
Barça then raced to the other end and had a chance themselves, with a move that saw them
score a very similar effort against Real Valladolid at the weekend, as Messi crossed for Bojan. The
same two players than combined again just before the break to create another opportunity, but again
Caballero was able to keep it out.
Dynamic change
The Blaurgana came out after the interval looking more lively and had a different dynamic to
their play, but they were almost caught on the counter-attack early on when Flavio went close after
making it into the six-yard box.
Messi chances
It was Messi who then caused the Benidorm defence to backtrack as he slalomed towards the
area, but then appeared to produce an effort that was neither a shot nor a cross and the chance was
gone. The Argentinian continued to test the visitors while Xavi and Samuel Eto’o also had
opportunities that they could not convert.
Increasing pressur
Slowly but surely, Barça began to find some fluidity and that allowed them to really apply
the pressure to the Benidorm area. Bojan could have added to the goal that he scored in the first
leg just after the hour mark, but as the clock ticked on it appeared that the visitors may go away
with an unlikely draw and stop Barça from scoring.
Spot on
It was not to be though as in the 87th minuet Bojan was fouled in the area and Messi stepped
forward to beat Caballero from the penalty spot. All of the Blaugrana’s hard work had paid
off and they can now look forward to a place in the next round.
Preview
Visiting manager in the stands
Benidorm manager Francisco López will not be able to take his seat on the Camp Nou bench for he has to observe a one-match suspension.
No excuses for missing this
Jordi Clos
The team is enjoying amazing form and amazing results as well, and now entertain Benidorm (21.00, TV3 and R@dio Barça) in the return leg of the Copa del Rey round of 32. Following the win in the first leg, Barcelona start with a one-goal advantage.
Football lovers in the city have no excuse not to be there for Wednesday’s match at the Camp
Nou. Barça, the leaders of both the Spanish league and Champions League Group C play their first
home game of this season’s Copa del Rey campaign. The opposition, Benidorm, and the first leg
result (0-1) may suggest a relatively uninteresting encounter, but with the way the team is playing
these days, it seems highly unlikely that this is going to be anything other than yet another
thriller. Whenever Guardiola’s side take to the pitch, you can be guaranteed there will be
plenty of terrific football on show, and probably plenty of goals too!
Taking it seriously
That was just what we got four days ago in the
6-0 win over Valladolid. Several of the stars that gave such a recital on Saturday may be rested
for tonight’s match against Benidorm. But Pep Guardiola has already made it patently clear
that this is not a tournament he intends to take lightly. And he is not just saying that. He
won’t be drawing upon the reserves to put his squad together; all of the players will be
taken from the first team. The only players that we know will definitely be sitting this one out
are the injured Andrés Iniesta, Éric Abidal and Gaby Milito. Jorquera, with gastroenteritis, may
also have to miss the game.
Favourable history
Historically, two-legged cup matches with teams from Division 2B have caused few problems for
Barça, for they have never gone out to a side drawn from that level. The last such clash was in the
2007/08 season, when Alcoyano were beaten 5-2 on aggregate, although the side from Alicante did
manage a memorable 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou in the second leg. It was in that edition that Barça
last appeared in a Copa del Rey match at the Camp Nou, a 1-1 draw with Valencia on February 27.
Benidorm on song
Benidorm, meanwhile, come to the Camp Nou for the
second time in an official match. Their last visit was in the round of sixteen of the 1999 cup,
when they were beaten 3-0 after the first leg had ended with the same result as this year’s
meeting, 1-0 to Barça.
But Francisco López’s side has now gone eight games without defeat in their league, and
are therefore on something of a roll and will be looking to impress at the Camp Nou.
