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Match
Marcador del partit
- Date: Thursday, 24 Jul
- Competition: ???label.competicio25???
- Stadium: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Resultat:
- Hibernian FC: 0
- FC Barcelona: 6
Match report
Match Report
The goals
0-1, Gudjohnsen (min 5)
0-2, Messi (min 15)
0-3, Gudjohnsen (min 18)
0-4, Pedro (min 28)
0-5, Bojan (min 49)
0-6, Touré Yaya (min 67)
First test overcome in style (0-6)
Roger Bogunyà
FC Barcelona cruised to victory in the first game of the preseason. Goals from Gudjohnsen (2), Messi, Pedrito, Bojan and Touré Yaya made it 6-0 in a game that saw all five of the new signings make their debuts.
Barça’s first fixture under Guardiola promised there could be big things ahead of us this
season. Barça were clearly the better side for all 90 minutes of their game with Scottish Premier
League outfit Hibernian FC. All five of the new signings got their moment, and the team played from
start to finish at a frenetic pace, and made it look all too easy as such constant pressure was
converted into six goals, scored by Gudjohnsen (2), Messi, Pedrito, Bojan and Touré Yaya.
Gudjohnsen scores first of preseason
Right from the start, it was evident that there was a huge gap between these two sides, and
that with this being Barça’s first game after the summer, while Hibernian are already well
into their stride. Barça enclosed the Scots in their area, and were already ahead before the first
five minutes were up, all thanks to a powerful drive from Gudjohnsen on the edge of the area.
Total domination
Once Barça had scored, they looked even more superior. Guardiola’s side showed that
this season they intent to pile the pressure on their opponents and stole ball after ball in the
Hibs half. Such superiority soon led to chances for Henry and Messi, and the second goal did not
take long in coming, the work of the Argentinian ace, who sent the ball into the home net thanks to
a strike from a narrow angle (min 15).
0-3 and 0-4
The third and fourth goals followed soon after. Gudjohnsen took advantage of a deflected
clearance from Hogg to catch the keeper out of position (min 18). That was two for the Icelander,
and moments later Barça were four up, thanks to an accurately placed long-range effort from Pedro.
Hibernian FC failed to cause any serious troubles for Barça in the entire first half, rarely
crossing the half way line, and the first forty five minutes ended with things at 4-0.
Six changes and more goals
Guardiola changed half his team for the second half, sending on Pinto, Cáceres, Touré,
Abraham, Jeffren and Bojan. Crosas had already come on late in the first half. It may have been a
different eleven, but it was more of the same at Murrayfield, and FC Barcelona scored their fifth
after an excellent individual run from Jeffren, followed by a cross that Bojan converted into a
goal. The former B team player was one of the outstanding players of the second half, making
penetrating run after penetrating run down his wing.
The sixth goal was almost a carbon copy of the fifth, with Jeffren making another storming
run down the right, this time finding Touré Yaya, who scored. It was Barça all the way, but with
Keita, Hleb and Eto'o together on the pitch, the seventh goal just did not want to come.
Preview
Murrayfield
Murrayfield was inaugurated on March 21, 1925 and currently holds 67,500 spectators. Usually the home of the Scottish national rugby team, it has also hosted football and American football, as well all concerts by the likes of U2 and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. In 2005 it was one of the Live 8 venues, offering concerts by such bands as The Corrs, Travis and Texas. This is the second time in two years that FC Barcelona have played a preseason game at Murrayfield. A year ago they beat Heart of Midlothian 3-1 .
Under starters orders
Roger Bogunyà
Barça 2008/09 tonight play (20.45, live on R@adio Barça) their first game of the preseason, against Hibernian. It will be the first game for Guardiola on the bench, and as many as five new signings may well make their debuts tonight.
The Guardiola era is only ten days old in the form of training sessions and gets properly started
tonight as they play their first game. The venue is Edinburgh’s legendary rugby stadium,
Murrayfield, and the opposition are Scottish Premier League outfit Hibernian. It will be a tough
challenge for a Barça side that has not had much time to adapt to the many changes in the squad
this summer.
Finding form
It will also be interesting to note which players have come
through best after the first ten days of work. It is the way the game goes, rather than the actual
result, that really matters, with the players eager to get things into shape for the all-important
Champions League qualifier, where the result will be of absolute importance.
Possible debuts
Murrayfield will the scene of possibly as many as
five
Barça debuts
. Hleb, Keita, Piqué, Alves and Cáceres could all be taking to the field for the first
time in a Barça shirt. But after suffering some gastric woes, the Uruguayan, Cáceres, is in doubt,
and will probably miss the game as a precautionary measure, after missing the Wednesday training
session.
No left backs
Without Cáceres or Sylvinho (with a slight sprain in his left leg) or
Abidal (with left Achilles Heel problems), Guardiola is going to have to improvise on the left of
defence, with one option being to play utility player Víctor Sánchez in that position, or to play
natural right sided defender Córcoles on the left.
Meanwhile, the three European champions,
Xavi, Iniesta and Puyol
, only arrived in Saint Andrews on Wednesday night, and will not be ready in time, while it is
uncertain whether Oleguer or Eto’o will be included. Both players joined in with training as
per normal on Wednesday night, after training in isolation on the previous days.
Historic opponent
Hibernian, or Hibs for short, were founded in 1875 and have won the Scottish championship
five times (1903, 1948, 1951 and 1952). Last season the Edinburgh outfit finished sixth out of the
twelve sides in the Premier League, with 52 points from 38 games.
Match Links
-
Squad list
-
FCB coach: pre-match press conference
- FCB coach: Post-match comments
-
FCB players: Post-match comments