Villarreal barca

IMAGE: Barcelona's Jordi Alba celebrates. Photograph: Jon Nazca/Reuters Antoine Griezmann scored two goals and provided two assists as Barcelona staged a stunning last-gasp comeback before beating Granada 5-3 away after extra time on Wednesday to reach the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. Granada were 2-0 up with two minutes of normal time remaining thanks to strikes from Kenedy and Roberto Soldado in either half. But Griezmann, who had surrendered the ball in the build-up to Soldado's goal, pulled Barca back into contention in the 88th minute and then set up Jordi Alba's stoppage-time equaliser with a glancing header which the defender nodded home. The French forward gave Barca the lead 10 minutes into extra time and even though a Fede Vico penalty moments later restored parity, Frenkie de Jong put Barca back in front in the 108th before a stunning volley from Alba, served up by a cross from Griezmann, clinched the Catalans' place in the last four."Football is incredible," raved … [Read more...] about Football: Barca rally to reach Copa semis

'The decision to let me leave was something that not only (Lionel) Messi didn't understand, but many Barcelona fans didn't, either.' IMAGE: The 34-year-old Luis Suarez has fired Atletico to a 10-point lead over his former side at the top of the La Liga table having played a game fewer. Photograph: Sergio Perez/Reuters Atletico Madrid forward Luis Suarez says he has still not been offered an explanation as to why Barcelona allowed him to leave last September. One of new Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman's first acts in charge at the Camp Nou was to tell Suarez he was surplus to requirements. The Uruguayan says that the decision, and the way it was communicated, were not conducted in the way he would have liked. "When Barca told me I wasn't in their plans it was a tough one to take," he told Spanish radio station Onda Cero. "I wasn't expecting it, they were tough times, especially in the way it happened. Koeman called me and told me I wasn't in his plans. … [Read more...] about Atletico’s Suarez says Barca exit remains unexplained

IMAGE: Barcelona's Lionel Messi shoots at goal from a free-kick during the La Liga match against Real Betis on Sunday. Photograph: Marcelo Del Pozo/Reuters Lionel Messi came off the bench to haul Barcelona back from a goal down against Real Betis to win 3-2 but it was winger Francisco Trincao who snatched victory by choosing the perfect moment to score his first goal for the club. Barca coach Ronald Koeman took the surprising decision to leave Messi and the in-form Frenkie de Jong out of his starting lineup, perhaps with next week's Copa del Rey semi-final first leg at Sevilla in mind, and saw his side fall behind to a Borja Iglesias strike on the counterattack in the 38th minute. Messi levelled for Barca in the 59th, less than two minutes after coming on, and then helped his side find a second goal by releasing Jordi Alba with a sumptuous pass which led to Betis defender Victor Ruiz sending the ball into his own net. Ruiz made amends by powering in a header from a Nabil … [Read more...] about PIX: Messi, Trincao give Barca comeback win; PSG score

IMAGE: Barcelona's Gerard Pique said Real's charge to last season's title had been aided by refereeing calls. Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is facing an investigation from the Spanish soccer federation over comments he made in a recent interview suggesting referees favour Real Madrid because most Spanish referees are Real supporters. A federation spokeswoman said Barca have been informed of the investigation into Pique, which will determine whether he broke the federation's rules on questioning the honour or impartiality of referees. Speaking to YouTube personality Mario Alfonso (known as Dj Mario) earlier this month, Pique said Real's charge to last season's title had been aided by refereeing calls, calling the decisions "the most grotesque thing I've ever seen in my life". The player, who has a penchant for making jibes at Real Madrid, also cited remarks made by former referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez, who said last year that … [Read more...] about Barca’s Pique investigated for saying refs favour Real Madrid

Barcelona might keep Philippe Coutinho on the bench to deal with its financial difficulties, local TV show Onze reported. The Brazilian left Liverpool to join the Catalan giants in the 2017/2018 season for a whopping $144 million but the Reds only receive the whole sum if certain criteria are met, including the number of matches the midfielder plays for Barcelona. According to Onze, Barcelona will have to pay Liverpool $8.4 million if Coutinho appears on the pitch in seven matches. At present the midfielder is sidelined with injury, but reports say he will recover by March. Barcelona’s financial predicament may force the club to "get rid of" Coutinho to avoid paying millions to Liverpool, Onze adds. This could change of course if other midfielders get injured and manager Ronald Koeman has no one else to fill the gaps. How Serious is Barcelona’s Financial Problem? According to data released by the club itself, its total debt has rocketed to $1.3 billion, which prompted it to … [Read more...] about Barca May Put Philippe Coutinho on the Bench to Cope With Financial Problems, Report Says