Barcelona Boss Guardiola Pleased After Sporting Gijon Win

Barcelona maintained their lead at the top of the table with a win over Sporting Gijon, and Pep Guardiola liked what he saw.

Speaking to Marca after the game, Guardiola said, "It was a good victory in a stadium where few have won."

"This win carries a lot of merit. We did not make the best decisions in the final third, which prevented the margin from being greater.

"We are happy with our defensive play, since they did not create as many chances as Tenerife or Villarreal.

"Anything could have happened with the two free-kicks Sporting had at the end."

Barca's next game is at home against Getafe.

Player Ratings: Sporting Gijon 0-1 Barcelona

Lionel Messi y Pedro celebran con el Barcelona frente al Sporting de Gijón en la Liga BBVA (Getty Images)

Sporting Gijon

Juan Pablo - 8: An excellent performance, the man mainly responsible for keeping the scoreline respectable.

Alberto Lora - 5: Got forward on occasion, but was highly frustrated by Pedro down the left flank.

Alberto Botia - 5: Not the best performance against his former club, although he did deal with Ibrahimovic fairly well.

Gregory - 6: Looked more assured than his defensive partner, and made one crucial challenge on the line.

Roberto Canella - 5: Showed why he is so highly rated at times going forward, but just couldn't handle Messi.

Cristian Portilla - 4: An anonymous performance, failed to nullify Barca's midfield.

Alberto Rivera - 5: Hustled and bustled as always, but failed to provide much attacking impetus.
Luis Moran - 4: Barely made an impact on the game.

Miguel De Las Cuevas - 5: Found himself in some decent positions, but his final ball was often lacking.

Carmelo - 4: An ineffective performance, got no joy on the wing.

Mate Bilic - 4: Had a couple of decent chances which he should have done better with.

Substitutes

Diego Castro - 6: Looked quite lively after coming on, but didn't have enough time to make a real impact.

David Barral - N/A

Sergio Matabuena - N/A

Barcelona

Victor Valdes - 7: Had very little to do, but didn't make any mistakes.

Carles Puyol - 7: Demonstrated his attacking skills down the flanks again, and was solid in defence.

Gerard Pique - 7: Another commanding performance in the centre of defence.

Rafael Marquez - 6: A solid performance, with none of the mishaps that have crept into his game of late.

Eric Abidal - 7: Another impressive performance, although he did not get forward much.

Sergio Busquets - 6: Did his job well, without contributing anything spectacular.

Xavi - 7: A typical performance, never lost the ball and created some great opportunities.

Andres Iniesta - 8: A constant threat, dribbling past players and finding team-mates at will.

Pedro - 8: Proved his undeniable instinct for goals once again with a very well taken effort, and was lively throughout.

Lionel Messi - 7: Some mesmerizing runs and passes, but his finishing was ordinary.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 5: A disappointing performance, had plenty of opportunities but never looked like taking them.

Substitutes

Bojan - N/A

Sporting Gijon 0-1 Barcelona

Lionel Messi y Pedro celebran con el Barcelona frente al Sporting de Gijón en la Liga BBVA (Getty Images)

Sporting Gijon 0-1 Barcelona - Lineups/Stats
La Liga Fixtures, Results
Sporting Gijon pushed Barcelona all the way in El Molinon, but went down by a solitary goal from Pedro as the Blaugrana extended their lead at the top of the table.

The visitors started the stronger of the two sides, dominating possession from the off, but los Rojiblancos were trying to stifle their illustrious opponents by pressurising them across the pitch.

Andres Iniesta almost broke his duck for the season after some excellent build up play through the middle of the pitch in the 12th minute, but the shot was saved. From the resulting corner, Zlatan Ibrahimovic hit the post with his header before the rebound was tucked home, but the Swede was correctly adjudged to have been offside.

Sporting had an opportunity when Carles Puyol put the ball behind for a corner in the 17th minute, but the set piece was poorly executed. Minutes later, Miguel de las Cuevas played Mate Bilic into space, but the Croatian could only drag his shot wide.

It was a warning sign for the Blaugrana, who were looking more exposed in defence with Puyol moved to right back in the absence of Dani Alves. At the other end, Ibrahimovic was showing no signs of improving his recent poor form as he blazed a shot over the bar from inside the penalty area.

On the half hour mark, Barcelona took a quick free kick, albeit from the wrong position, and from Iniesta's through ball, Pedro raced clear and tucked the ball home for the opening goal. Sporting protested at the location in which the free kick was taken, but referee Paradas Romero allowed the goal to stand.

With their minds still on the opening goal, the hosts nearly found themselves two down when Messi flashed a shot across the face of goal but no one was following up at the far post.

After firing a free kick over the bar, Ibrahimovic was played in on goal in the 40th minute but he displayed a lack of conviction and his final shot was weak and easily saved by Juan Pablo.

The pace of the game slowed to that of a training game in the final few minutes of the half, and the referee ended the first 45 minutes with the score still at 1-0.

The second half started in the same vein as the first had ended, with Barcelona in the ascendancy. Just a few minutes in, Alberto Lora was booked for a handball on the edge of his own area, but Xavi couldn't hit the target with his effort after persuading Ibrahimovic that he should take the set piece.

10 minutes into the half, Iniesta slid the ball through for Ibrahimovic but Juan Pablo rushed out of his goal to clear the danger. The hosts were defending stoically, but a lack of options in attack led Manolo Preciado to bring on David Barral and Diego Castro in the 57th minute.

With two strikers on the pitch, Sporting were clearly going out for the equaliser. Bilic tested Victor Valdes with a 20-yard free kick just before the hour mark before Castro crossed towards Barral, but it was too close to Valdes.

The Blaugrana were being pressurised in defence for the first time in the match and looked to re-establish their authority by holding onto the ball and denying Sporting possession. The game could have been put beyond Sporting in the 65th minute when Pedro broke down the left hand side to cut back for Messi, but the Argentine's shot was wide of the target.

The rain continued to pour down in El Molinon as the match drew towards its conclusion, making it difficult for the visitors to play their usual slick passing game. Nonetheless, they should have been 2-0 up in the 73rd minute. Xavi played a great through ball for Lionel Messi to square across the six-yard box, but it evaded the inept Ibrahimovic and Pedro blasted his shot high over the bar.

Minutes later, Ibrahimovic turned and cut the ball across goal but as Pedro looked certain to turn the ball in, Lora put him under just enough pressure to turn the ball away from danger.

The game was becoming more open in the final 10 minutes as Sporting tried to find an equaliser, but the greater amounts of space suited Barcelona as they threatened to double the lead. Xavi tried to play a ball over the top for Ibrahimovic to run onto, but Juan Pablo raced out of his penalty area to head the ball away from the former Inter man.

Pedro brought a save from the Sporting stopper in the dying minutes, but the game was still very much up for grabs as the clock ticked into injury time. Unfortunately for Manolo Preciado, his side were unable to make the most of their free kick opportunities and the Blaugrana claimed all three points to continue setting the pace at the summit of La Liga.

Player Ratings: Real Valladolid 0-3 Barcelona

The Blaugrana extended their lead at the top with a commanding win against Valladolid, and Goal.com was on hand to rate the players

Real Valladolid

Justo Villar - 3: At fault for the second goal, and looked a nervous wreck throughout, with some shocking clearances.

Pedro Lopez - 6: Kept Henry fairly quiet down the left.

Luis Prieto - 5: Was unable to handle Barca's myriad of threats down the centre.

Cesar Arzo - 5: Like his partner, just found the going too tough out there.

Alberto Marcos - 4: Unfortunately for him, Messi and Alves were inspired tonight, and there was nothing he could do to stop them.

Marquitos - 4: Barely made an impact in the centre of midfield.

Borja - 4: Failed to stop Barca's attacks, and soon resorted to some cynical challenges.

Carlos Lazaro - 3: Completely anonymous, barely touched the ball.

Fabian Canobbio - 5: Put a few dangerous set pieces in, but never threatened from open play.

Jonathan Sesma - 5: Tried valiantly to create something up front, but he hardly ever saw the ball.

Diego Costa - 6: The only Pucela player who looked vaguely threatening, mainly with some long range efforts.

Substitutes

Haris Medunjanin - 6: Looked lively after coming on, albeit after the game was already lost.

Nivaldo - N/A

Pele - N/A

Barcelona

Victor Valdes - 7: Made some excellent saves on the rare occasions that he was tested.

Daniel Alves - 9: A near perfect performance, absolutely terrorized the opposition defence and chipped in with a goal of his own.

Carles Puyol - 7: Calm and composed throughout, and was barely threatened.

Gerard Pique - 7: Had very little to do, but made no mistakes.

Eric Abidal - 8: Has grown in confidence in recent weeks, and looked menacing going forward.

Seydou Keita - 6: Slotted in well after his time away without doing anything spectacular.

Xavi - 8: Another flawless performance, and took his goal perfectly.

Andres Iniesta - 8: Complemented Xai perfectly, and never gave the ball away.

Lionel Messi - 9: On a completely different level to the opposition, absolutely destroying their confidence every time he touched the ball.

Thierry Henry - 5: For such a dominant team performance, he did not have enough of an impact.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 6: Took a long time to get involved, but did well to set Messi up.

Substitutes

Gabriel Milito - 6: Didn't commit any mistakes after coming on.

Dmytro Chygrynskiy - N/A

Bojan - N/A

Real Valladolid 0-3 Barcelona

Real Valladolid 0-3 Barcelona - Lineups/Stats La Liga Fixtures, Results
Barcelona extended their lead at the top of La Liga to eight points with a routine victory over hard-working Real Valladolid. Xavi and Dani Alves scored a brace of goals within two minutes to put the game beyond Valladolid, and Lionel Messi completed the scoring in the second half.


The visitors started at a rapid pace and had won a corner after 15 seconds, but los Pucelanos were hassling and harrying to deny them time on the ball. Victor Valdes was forced into action early on after Diego Costa had won a free kick on the right wing, and the keeper cleared the danger well.

After 10 minutes, Justo Villar made a good save to tip Lionel Messi's shot behind for a corner as the Blaugrana pressed forwards, but Valladolid were giving as good as they were getting.

Costa held off Pique to strike a low shot to Valdes' right in the 18th minute, but he was able to divert it behind for a corner. However, just as the hosts were really threatening, Barcelona took the lead.

The Blaugrana counter-attacked with speed and precision as Dani Alves was set free on the right hand side, and Xavi burst into the penalty area to volley home spectacularly for his first league goal of the season.

Incredibly, the lead was doubled less than 90 seconds later. Dani Alves' cross was meant for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but instead it looped over Villar and into the far corner. It was a hammer blow for los Blanquivioletas, who would have been pleased with their opening 20 minutes.

It was nearly 3-0 in the 28th minute as Messi danced his way past two players in the penalty area but Cesar Arzo made a crucial tackle to prevent the Argentine from advancing any further. The Blaugrana were now far more comfortable in possession and were able to press a higher line as Valladolid came to terms with the scoreline.

As the half wore on, Barcelona looked happy to hold onto the ball and make the hosts work hard to try and win possession back. On the rare occasion that los Pucelanos were able to get beyond the halfway line, a loose touch often let them down.

They were given a golden chance in the 43rd minute when Gerard Pique was booked for a deliberate handball on the very edge of the penalty area. Borja Fernandez blasted the free kick straight at Valdes, who parried it back into the danger zone but the ball was eventually cleared and the half ended 2-0.

Dani Alves continued to be a threat on the right hand side after the break and sent in another testing ball in the 49th minute, but Andres Iniesta couldn't hit the target with his effort. In the 56th minute, Alves crossed for Thierry Henry but Villar saved the Frenchman's acrobatic overhead kick.

Moments later, Villar was beaten for a third time. Alves sent a ball in for Ibrahimovic, who laid the ball back for Messi to guide into the far corner.

Valladolid weren't giving up, however, and Valdes had to be alert to save Arzo's effort from a 59th minute corner.

Gabriel Milito was granted some much needed playing time as he replaced Pique on the hour. Henry had a couple of opportunities to add to the Blaugrana's lead before Messi shot wide, and Barcelona were starting to turn the screw on the demoralised home side.

With 20 minutes to go, Messi showed superb strength to hold onto the ball before setting up Ibrahimovic on the right hand side of the box, but Villar saved the Swede's low shot well.

As the clock ticked down, the hosts were still looking for the goal they deserved but were unable to penetrate the Barcelona backline. Villar nearly gifted the Blaugrana a fourth when he passed the ball straight to Messi, but the Argentine was taken unawares and the ball ricocheted back to the grateful Paraguayan stopper.

Barcelona saw out two minutes of injury time to complete the victory and remain unbeaten at the halfway point of the season - which no other Barcelona side has done - while also extending their lead at the top of the table.

Player Ratings: Barcelona 4-0 Sevilla

Los Rojiblancos were completely outclassed by a rampant Blaugrana at the Camp Nou as they put four goals past the beleaguered visitors. Goal.com took a closer look at the players on display

BARCELONA

Valdes: 6 - Might as well have sat in the stands and enjoyed a better view of Barcelona's display. Kept his concentration well enough to deny the visitors on the rare occasion that he was called into action.

Alves: 8 - As always, he was constantly looking to get forward to support the attack and set up Messi's goal with one of many dangerous crosses. Could even have opened the scoring in the first half but only found the side netting.

Puyol: 7 - Threatened in attack on several occasions during the first 45 minutes but was substituted at half time due to injury.

Pique: 6.5 - Had nothing to test him for large portions of the match but was almost caught out by Kone in the second half when the striker beat him and Marquez.

Abidal: 8.5 - Defended well against Navas and made a good block from Kone's shot in the first half. Continued to counter any sort of offensive threat from Sevilla in the second period before playing an excellent ball to set up the final goal of the night.

Xavi: 8.5 - Arguably the best passer of the ball in the world. Played a perfect pass for Pedro's goal and was always looking to spread the ball to the rampaging Dani Alves.

Busquets: 7 - His limited defensive talents were not tested by Sevilla and he was able to cover for Xavi and Iniesta's attacking runs with relative ease.

Iniesta: 8.5 - The ball seemed glued to his foot when he chose to run at the visitors, and he was sublime on the ball all night long.

Messi: 9 - Weaved his spell over the Sevilla defence for the entire night, as he made countless dangerous runs and incisive passes, before wrapping up proceedings with his 100th and 101st goals in the Barcelona shirt.

Ibrahimovic: 6 - Missed a simple chance in the opening five minutes, while he had a number of other opportunities to score. Looked slightly tense in front of goal.

Henry: 7 - Could have opened the scoring in the first half when Palop raced out of his box, but linked well with Abidal and set up a number of chances before being substituted just after the hour.

Substitutes:

Marquez: 6.5 - Looked weak in defence but it was his cross that led to the first goal.

Pedro: 7 - Coolness personified as he deftly chipped over Palop in the 70th minute to put the game beyond Sevilla.

Bojan: N/A - No time to get involved.


SEVILLA

Palop: 7.5 - A high mark to give a keeper who conceded four goals, but he cannot really be personally blamed for any of them. He also made a lot of good saves to keep Sevilla in the game until the latter stages of the match.

Konko: 5 - Didn't know how to deal with the combined threat of Henry and Abidal, as Barcelona created a number of opportunities from the left hand side.

Escude: 5.5 - Reading the game brilliantly to keep the ball away from danger, but undid his good work in the first half when he poked the ball into his own net for the opening goal. Never recovered from that error.

Dragutinovic: 5.5 - He was marking Ibrahimovic well and did a good job in the first half, but went to pieces in the second half as Barcelona cut through time after time.

Navarro: 5 - Couldn't contain Dani Alves at all as the Brazilian had the freedom of the right hand side, while he also struggled to cope with Messi.

Lolo: 5.5 - Uncertain defensively and two of his challenges in the box could have been given as penalties on another night.

Valiente: 4.5 - Nearly tried to swap shirts with Messi in the first half and was booked. Clearly out of his depth and withdrawn at half time.

Stankevicius: 4.5 - He was dropping back almost as a wing back to help Konko against the threat of Abidal and Henry. Lack of understanding with his team-mates showed as he tried to step up for offside when Pedro made his run to score the second goal.

Navas: 5 - Enjoyed a free role behind Kone but after providing an option on the counter attack in the first half, he was conspicuous by his absence later on.

Carlos: 5 - Did nothing to warrant his starting role and was justifiably taken off at half time.

Kone: 6 - Poor first half as his touch let him down on a number of occasions but he was more lively in the second half and troubled Marquez with his movement.

Substitutes:

Capel: 5.5 - Offered a more experienced option on the left hand side but the visitors were so defensive that he had no real impact on the game.

Duscher: 5.5 - He couldn't impose himself on the Barcelona midfield and his short temper was on show again after being booked for a challenge on Busquets.

Adriano: 5 - Had no effect going forwards and did very little to contain the hosts' attacks.

Barcelona 4-0 Sevilla

Barcelona 4-0 Sevilla - Lineups/Stats

La Liga Fixtures/Results

Barcelona eased to a 4-0 victory at the Camp Nou against Sevilla in a dominant performance. A Julien Escude own goal opened the scoring before Pedro doubled the lead, but some excellent goalkeeping from Andres Palop prevented the score from becoming embarrassing. Lionel Messi completed the scoring with two goals in the final 10 minutes.

The hosts started typically comfortably on the ball and could have taken an early lead when Thierry Henry set up Zlatan Ibrahimovic following a superb ball by Andres Iniesta, but the Swede could only shoot feebly wide from five yards.

Messi had a shout for a penalty in the 10th minute when Lolo appeared to pull him back in the penalty area, but referee Delgado Ferreiro waved away the appeals. Moments later, another excellent ball set Henry through on goal, but Palop raced out of his penalty area and blocked the shot well.

The home side were dominating proceedings, knocking the ball around with ease on the slick surface, but were being frustrated by a solid Sevilla backline. In the 20th minute, Iniesta went on a mazy run that was almost Messi-esque before teeing up Dani Alves, but the Brazilian could only find the side netting.

Sevilla had barely been able to get out of their own half in the first 30 minutes and could easily have gone behind but Carles Puyol's header landed on top of the net from a Xavi corner. Just after the half hour mark, Messi hit a 20-yard shot that was deflected wide, and this time Puyol's header was blocked by Palop.

With 10 minutes until half time, the veteran keeper pulled off an excellent save from another deflected shot by Messi to tip it over the crossbar. Marc Valiente was struggling to deal with the Argentine's danger and was booked for a foul that would have been more at home on a rugby pitch.

As the rain continued to pour in the Camp Nou, Puyol slipped to allow Arouna Kone to have a sight on goal but his strike went out for a corner, Sevilla's first of the game. It was the 38th minute.

Nonetheless, the visitors were starting to come forward a little more as the half time whistle approached. Some good play by Kone and Jose Carlos set Jesus Navas through, but the angle was too tight to shoot and his touch was too strong as he attempted to round Victor Valdes. Despite some late Barcelona pressure, the half ended goalless.

Los Nervionenses made a double change at the break, with Diego Capel and Aldo Duscher replacing Jose Carlos and Valiente. Rafa Marquez also came on for the hosts after Puyol couldn't shake off an injury.

Kone nearly stunned the Camp Nou just after half time when he beat Marquez and Pique, but Valdes closed the angle and the ball was hooked clear of danger.

In the 49th minute, the hosts took the lead in fortunate circumstances. Marquez received the ball on the right wing and after Pique had got the slightest touch on the low cross, Julien Escude could only stab the ball into his own net.

It was nearly 2-0 two minutes later. Messi received the ball 35 yards from goal after a superb run by Dani Alves, but after running into the area Palop saved the Argentine's shot with his boot. Shortly after, Ibrahimovic played the ball back to Henry in the penalty area but the Sevilla keeper was able to make yet another save.

Ibrahimovic thought he had scored in the 54th minute, but he was correctly flagged offside after heading in from a matter of feet.

Barcelona were rampant, and the Camp Nou faithful were on the edge of their seats as the home side launched attack after attack. Manolo Jimenez took a gamble by taking off Abdoulay Konko for Adriano in an attempt to reverse the tide, but Henry continued to pose a threat on the left flank and tested Palop's reflexes in the 62nd minute.

In the 67th minute there was mayhem in the Sevilla penalty area. Messi was free in the box and brought another save from the outstanding Palop, before the next shot was blocked and Ibrahimovic's shot was cleared off the line. Substitute Pedro then had a chance after Abidal's cut-back found him 10 yards out, but it was straight at Palop.

The Sevilla keeper was finally beaten for a second time with 20 minutes to go. The pass from Xavi was perfect as Marius Stankevicius tried to step up for offside, but Pedro raced clear and chipped over the advancing Palop.

Sevilla looked a beaten side, and were content to sit back and let Barcelona knock the ball around between themselves to the rhythm of the olé's coming from the crowd.

As the game ticked into its final 10 minutes, the fans were growing impatient as they waited for the third goal, which arrived in the 85th minute. Messi picked up the ball from another Dani Alves cross and could barely miss from 10 yards out to score his 100th goal for the club.

The frustrations of los Nervionenses' stopper were plain to see as the hosts continued to caress the ball around the pitch. Kone had a shot blocked in the 90th minute, but the threat from the visitors had been negligable throughout.

The game was wrapped up in the 91st minute when Abidal played Messi through, and the world's best player slid the ball effortlessly past Palop. It was a sublime performance from the Spanish, European and world champions as they brushed the Champions League contenders aside.

Player Ratings: Sevilla 0-1 Barcelona

A win wasn't enough for Barca in Andalusia. As the Copa del Rey holders crash out, Goal.com rates the performers on show

SEVILLA

Andres Palop - 8.5: Made a number of good saves to keep Barcelona at bay including one excellent stop when it seemed certain Ibrahimovic would score.

Abdoulay Konko - 7: Found it difficult early on as Henry got the better of him but as the game wore on he improved and kept Henry quiet.

Ivica Dragutinovic - 6.5: Ibrahimovic seemed out of sorts but the Serbian still had work to do to stop the Swede. A solid performance.

Julien Escude - 6.5: Marshalled the defence to good effect. Kept Sevilla well organised at the back, particularly late on when Barca threw everything at them.

Fernando Navarro - 6: Had his moments but overall had to work extremely hard just to keep tabs on Messi.

Aldo Duscher - 6: Battled well in the first half as his side played at a high tempo. Looked tired as he went off shortly after the interval.

Romaric - 7: Worked extremely hard closing Barca down and not allowing them to settle. A very good performance. Needless temperamental play acting in stoppage time.

Adriano - 6: In the early stages he looked like Sevilla's greatest attacking threat but he faded and was replaced shortly after the hour mark.

Renato - 7: Had to graft hard to stop Barca from playing possession football and did so to good effect. Showed great energy into the closing stages to shut Barca down.

Jesus Navas - 6.5: Drifted in and out of the game but provided an excellent outlet to relieve pressure on his defence in the latter stages.

Alvaro Negredo - 6: Had a couple of half chances early on and although he showed well he was rarely involved as Barca dominated the second half.

Substitutes:

Lolo - 6: Ran his socks off closing Barcelona players down for half an hour.

Diego Capel - 6.5: Was a threat on the counterattack and as a result Barca couldn't commit too many men forward in search of an equaliser.

Cala: N/A

BARCELONA

Jose Manuel Pinto - 7: Kept a clean sheet. Made one or two decent saves when called upon.

Daniel Alves - 6.5: Unusually quiet performance in the first half but improved gradually over the 90 minutes.

Gerard Pique - 7: One or two minor blips but overall a very good defensive performance. He also surged forward to aid the attack on a couple of occasions.

Carles Puyol - 8: While his attackers went in search of goals it was the captain who ran the show at the back. Made a vital interception to save a certain goal for Negredo and was a commanding presence throughout.

Eric Abidal - 6.5: A solid, reliable defensive effort without really doing anything outstanding.

Xavi - 7: Ran the show when Barca needed goals. Had some uncharacteristic mishit passes but overall kept Barca ticking as they searched for a second goal. Finished well to give Barca the lead.

Sergi Busquets - 5.5: The intensity of the midfield battle would have suited Seydou Keita or Yaya Toure more. Looked lightweight for large periods.

Andres Iniesta - 8: A typically energetic display. He was everywhere and almost fashioned a brilliant solo effort. Endless energy and effort.

Lionel Messi - 7.5: Took him a while to get going but he was Barca's greatest threat. Ran out of options at times and probably tried to do too much on his own as Sevilla were well organised at the back.

Thierry Henry - 4.5: Can't be faulted for effort but so much of it was misdirected. He doesn't look like a confident footballer. Petulant yellow late on.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 5: Never looked comfortable and was off the pace throughout the game. Had one decent header but really should have scored in the first half.

Substitutes:

Pedro: N/A

Bojan Krkic: N/A

Sevilla 0-1 Barcelona

The Blaugrana's hopes of another sextuple winning year has ended after being eliminated from the Copa del Rey

Sevilla 0-1 Barcelona (agg: 2-2) - Lineup/Stats

Copa del Rey Fixtures & Results

Barcelona nabbed the only goal of the night through Xavi just past the hour mark but Sevilla denied them a winning aggregate goal despite a ruthless onslaught from the visitors. Sevilla qualified for the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on away goals having scored twice at the Camp Nou in the first leg.

Trailing 2-1 at home, Barca coach, Pep Guardiola did not hesitate naming his strongest possible outfield team on a wet, soggy night in Seville.

But it was the hosts who almost took the lead after just two minutes. Jesus Navas' corner found Romaric, whose header was brilliantly parried away by Jose Pinto, before the rebound was blocked by Dani Alves.

The Andalucians had another chance moments later when Adriano dinked in a cross from the left which drew out Pinto, who did just enough to flail at the ball and forced Alvaro Negredo to nod his header off target.

The reigning Copa del Rey champions continued to be pinned back in their own half, and Jesus Navas' blistering 50 yard run to beat Eric Abidal and Andres Iniesta sent the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan crowd leaping to their feet, but his eventual cross was easily cleared by Gerard Pique.

Barca's first decent shot at goal came on 15 minutes when Thierry Henry cut in towards the middle from the left, but his shot was easily gathered by Andres Palop.

Sevilla had the ball in the back of the net in the 20th minute when a Pinto carelessly attempted to dribble a backpass out of his area, but he was robbed by Negredo and Jesus Navas coolly chipped the ball into the empty net, only for the referee to annul the goal after deeming that the former Real Madrid striker had illegally won possession.

Barcelona had the best chance of the game on 27 minutes when Messi's deflected cross found Ibrahimovic completely unmarked at the backpost, but the Swede's attempt to curl a right-foot lob past Palop went horribly wrong as his effort bobbled all the way to the corner flag.

Moments later, Messi had his first shot at goal when he tried to nestle the ball into the bottom corner from 20 yards out, but Palop dived full stretch to turn it around the post. The Catalan outfit gradually took control of proceedings and the home crowd began to grow restless, and Henry gave Palop a few nervous moments with a number of dangerous low crosses from the left.

But despite the game remaining an open affair, neither side could break the deadlock on the night after 45 minutes.

Barcelona started off the second half at breakneck speed as they started to show more urgency. Just a minute in, Messi picked up a loose ball off Ibrahimovic and galloped forwards, before slipping in a through ball to Iniesta which Palop managed to claim after darting off his line.

Ibrahimovic then sent a looping back header from Messi's free kick towards the top corner but Palop made an acrobatic save to punch it out.

Straight to the other end, Navas again saw his effort roll across the line but he was ruled out for offside. The action didn't let up and Iniesta came close on 55 minutes when he dribbled past three players into the box, but he miscued his eventual shot under a challenge from Julien Escude and Abdoulay Konko was able to clear it away calmly.

Messi then forced Palop into a fine save with a shot from a tight angle and the veteran goalkeeper was called into action again with a fingertip block to deny Henry.

But on 63 minutes, Barca pulled the aggregate scores levelled when Romaric's clearance spun off Xavi, but the ball fell kindly back to the playmaker to arrow in a thunderous drive on the edge of the box into Palop's bottom left corner.

Three minutes after that, Messi almost put the visitors in front outright when he ran onto Henry's through ball but his chip over Palop bounced wide. The FIFA World Player of the Year had another glorious opportunity moments later when he shimmied his way into the box and curled in a shot, only to see it cannon back off the post before Ibrahimovic stabbed the rebound well wide.

With 15 minutes to go, Sevilla almost killed off the tie on the counter attack. Jesus Navas blitz past three players in a searing run before slipping in Diego Capel, who decided to square the ball to Negredo in the middle but Puyol made a pivotal sliding tackle to flick the ball out for a corner at the far post.

A goalmouth scramble with five minutes to go presented Messi with yet another chance, but his low shot was slapped away by Palop.

The pressure from Barcelona was unrelenting as the clock ticked down but in the end, Sevilla held on to hand Pep Guardiola a taste of his first ever elimination from a cup competition as the Andaluz side go on to meet Deportivo La Coruna in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.

Guardiola calls up the big guns for Seville trip

Guardiola calls up the big guns for Seville trip

www.fcbarcelona.cat

Seventeen of the first team squad’s available 18 players will travel to Seville tomorrow together with Jonathan and Thiago. Márquez, Gai and Vázquez miss out on the trip.

Pep Guardiola is taking all his stars to Seville to turn round the tie and welcomes back Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was suspended for the game in Tenerife Rafa Márquez is rested and youngsters Jonathan dos Santos and Thiago Alcántara are included. Jeffren is still on the injury list and Touré Yaya and Keita are away at the African Nations Cup.

Final training session

The squad trained ahead of tomorrow’s game in low temperatures behind closed doors at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. Reserve players Gai, and Víctor Vázquez joined Thiago Alcántara and Jonathan dos Santos for the session.




Travel arrangements

The team travel to Seville on Wednesday, flying out from El Prat at 11.00 and arriving in Seville at 12.30. The team will make their HQ at the Hotel Alfonso XIII until close to kick off rime at 22.00 and fly back immediately after the game.

Full squad list:

Valdés, Pinto, Alves, Puyol, Piqué, Milito, Txigrinski, Abidal, Maxwell, Busquets, Jonathan, Thiago, Xavi, Iniesta, Bojan, Pedro, Henry, Ibrahimovic and Messi.

Hat-Trick Messi Happy With Tenerife Win

'La Pulga' also praised Bojan for his contribution

Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi said the result was more important than his contribution after his side came away from Tenerife with all three points in a five goal rout.

Messi put himself level with David Villa in the Pichichi charts with a fantastic hat-trick and also supplied the cross for Carles Puyol's first half header while Ezequiel Luna put through his own goal for the fifth.

"I'm happy about my goals but the important thing is that we have achieved another victory and played a nice game," he said afterwards, as quoted by AS.

"it was very nice, it is important to enjoy the game and what we have done today."

The Argentine wizard also praised team-mate Bojan Krkic who assisted in all three of his goals.

"He's doing a great job. Today he has three assists and I am happy for him, he deserves it," noted Messi.

Player Ratings: Tenerife 0-5 Barcelona

Player Ratings: Tenerife 0-5 Barcelona

TENERIFE

Sergio Aragoneses - 5: Busied himself picking it out of the net. Made one or two decent saves but beaten five times and saved once by the woodwork.

Juanlu - 5: Slack defending allowed Barcelona to attack at will and like the rest of his back four he was really stretched.

Pablo Sicilia - 4.5: Lucky to stay on the field after some heavy challenges. Defended admirably for the first half hour, then collapsed.

Ezequiel Luna - 5: Unlucky for the own goal because Pedro would probably have scored anyway. made some decent challenges and was strong aerially but his side were destroyed on the floor.

Carlos Bellvis - 5.5: Did quiet well in the first half but was busy in the second as Barca improved.

Mikel Alonso - 6: Got amongst Barca in the first half and looked to be leading the charge to a possible upset but he disappeared after the break.

Daniel Kome - 6.5: Tenerife's biggest threat. He really pressurised Maxwell in the first half and gave Barca's defence plenty to think about, switching wings to good effect.

Ayoze - 6: Battled hard to good effect in the first half. Made some vital challenges to keep the scores level but when Barca hit the front, his task of stopping Xavi & co. was impossible.

Ricardo - 5: Did little to impress. Never really involved.

Alfaro - 6.5: Got himself into great positions but lacked the crucial quality to trouble the champions. With better finishing he could have had his side out of sight in the first 20 minutes.

Nino - 5.5: Looked eager and energetic early on but was very frustrated in the second half. He blazed a couple of efforts off target from distance to highlight his frustration.

Substitutes:

Dinei - 5.5: Did little to inspire his side but had a difficult task coming in a 3-0 down.

Angel: N/A

BARCELONA

Victor Valdes - 8: Commanding performance between the sticks. When his team were slow to get out of the blocks Valdes was alert and thwarted Alfaro on a number of occasions. Very good performance throughout the 90 minutes.

Daniel Alves - 7: Quieter than usual as an attacking threat but the best of the back four over the 90 minutes.

Rafael Marquez - 5.5: Very shaky at times and lucky his side weren't exposed by some awkward moments particularly early on. Settled as his midfield and forwards wrapped it up before the break.

Carles Puyol - 6.5: Looks more comfortable with Gerard Pique beside him. Took his goal well and it came at an important time as his side asserted their dominance. The second half was easier but he's had many better games.

Maxwell - 5.5: Like the rest he looked more at ease when the game was wrapped up but early on Kome gave him a torrid time.

Xavi - 7: Never seems to have a bad game but was quiet by his own high standards tonight. When it mattered in the first half he was on hand as his side needed to maintain possession.

Sergio Busquets - 6.5: Seemed lost early on as Tenerife powered out of the blocks but was more involved after the break.

Andres Iniesta - 8: When all around him seemed to be strolling at times he popped up everywhere. Typically energetic showing and an excellent midfield performance.

Lionel Messi - 10: Not as involved as usual in the early exchanges but as the game wore on he showed why he is the world's best player. Three goals and an assist, clinical and efficient. Brilliant.

Thierry Henry - 7: Will get slated for not scoring but playing a high line allowed his team space to breathe in midfield. Worked really hard, especially in the second half. Unlucky not to score when he hit the post and deserves credit for what is often a thankless task up front.

Bojan Krkic - 8: Quiet for large spells. Had one decent effort on goal but his three assists to Messi alone made him one of the standout players, especially unselfish for Messi's second when he could have opted to go it alone.

Substitutes:

Pedro - 6.5: Not on long but did well to fashion the fifth goal.

Gabriel Milito: N/A

Dmytro Chygrynskiy: N/A

Tenerife 0-5 Barcelona

The wizard was on form, and so were his club

Tenerife 0-5 Barcelona - Lineups/Stats

La Liga Table, Fixtures, Results

Barcelona stunned Tenerife with a triple salvo just before the interval, and two more in the second period, to scoop a comprehensive victory and thus re-take pole position in La Liga.

Real Madrid had earlier in the evening grabbed top spot with a convincing win over Mallorca, but the Blaugrana overcame a difficult start at the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez to run out leaders both on the night and in the table.

Lionel Messi provided two of the three first half goals, and another late on, on what was a banner evening for the young Argentine, who held the attack line brilliantly on an evening that saw Barcelona bereft of two of their African midfield stars.

Tenerife, meanwhile, were able to field star forward Nino along with Ayoze Garcia, the latter overcoming stomach flu and the former shaking off injury.

This late boost in team news gave the hosts confidence in the early stages, and in fact any observer would have felt that the islanders were on course for a shock victory.

Just five minutes in, Nino teed up Alfaro for a long-range effort after some poor Barcelona play, but the midfielder could only watch as his effort hit the post.

Luna and Alfaro then came close, the latter testing Victor Valdes, before Barcelona could even get a look-in.

While the chances were coming in and around the box, the culprits appeared to be in Barca's midfield, where Sergi Busquets was looking particularly vulnerable in the early stages.

However, ten minutes before the break Barca had taken the lead in what was surely a lesson to Tenerife in taking chances. Young Bojan was the architect, cruising down the left before cutting it back for a simple Lionel Messi finish.

Eight minutes later Lionel Messi whipped a free kick into the box off a Daniel Kome foul, and captain Carles Puyol was able to head it home for 2-0.

Still dazed and winded, Tenerife then succumbed to the deadly third strike. It was again Messi, and again Bojan set it up, this time with another square ball after a fine counter-attack, enabled by the vision of Andres Iniesta.

Barcelona were well and truly in control heading into the second period, the midfield having regained its confidence, and the only wonder was that there was such a long wait for another goal.

Fifteen minutes from time Bojan once again showed his worth by keeping the ball alive in the box and cutting back for Lionel Messi to score the finest goal of the evening, an audacious lob that left Sergio Aragoneses stranded.

That wasn't all: the fifth came five minutes from time, Luna guiding the ball into his own net following great play from Thierry Henry and Tenerife native Pedro.

Player Ratings: Barcelona 1-1 Villarreal

Villarreal came back from a one-goal deficit to earn a draw at the Camp Nou. Goal.com rates the players on show

BARCELONA

Valdes - 5.5 - Nothing special, nothing bad. Clearly not his best game in a Barca shirt but couldn't do much about the goal.

Abidal - 5.5 - Same as above. Looked a little slow when challenged by the Villarreal front men but made up for that with some experience.

Pique - 6 - Solid enough but nothing special. Managed his space well and always looks a threat at set plays.

Puyol - 6.5 - Solid display from an experienced player. Got all over the pitch and filled in where he was needed.

Alves - 6 - Galloped up and down the wing well but missed some obvious signs of danger. Needs to work hard on long and accurate passing plays.

Jonathan - 6 - Did okay on his La Liga debut. Flew around the pitch with enthusiasm and the quality will follow with time.

Xavi - 6.5 - Good passes and ran his space well. Looked frustrated at times but his delivery and final ball was always a threat.

Busquets - 6 - Aggressive and sometimes a little clumsy. Runs around like a headless chicken but this compliments all of the other players around him nicely.

Pedro - 6 - Got about the pitch well and played some nice passes. Needs to work on his quality and be more aware of what's going on around him.

Ibrahimovic - 6.5 - Frustrating. For someone so gifted he really needs to do better when he is in good positions. Missed too many chance tonight.

Henry - 7 - A reminder of old times. Danced well up and down the left when he drifted and still has enough to put defenders on the back foot.

Substitutions

Iniesta - 6 - Immediately brought an aura of authority onto the field with him. His passing and awareness is what Barca lacked but couldn't do enough to get an extra goal.

Bojan - N/A

VILLARREAL

Lopez - 6 - Did well and made a lot of good, niggly little saves. Not a lot he could do about the goal.

Godin - 6 - Held his defensive position well and tackled with good timing. One to keep an eye on for rest of the season.

Venta- 6.5 - Given the hard task of taking on Henry and he did the job very well. Needs a little more quality in play from the back.

Capdevila - 6 - Solid enough but this was not his best game. Looked a little slow when he was forced onto the back foot.

Marcano 5.5 - Relatively quiet but made up for this with his awareness. Doubled up on necessary players and filled in with a second of notice.

Cazorla 6.5 - Brilliant first 45 and was unlucky to eventually be taken off. Full of energy, which makes up for lack of quality at times.

Cani- 6 - Good runs, good passing but always looked as though he was missing an added something, which would have made a difference.

Senna - 6.5 - Solid enough and got stuck into the midfield battle. On another day his delivery could have led to a goal or two.

Bruno - 5.5 - Quiet and a little disappointing. Got about well but lacked quality at vital times in the game.

Nilmar - 6.5 - Ran his socks off for the team and stretched the Barca defence at times, creating space for other players.

Fuster - 7 - Really did well and justified his starting position. Pounced for the goal and will be looking to cement his place in the team.

Substitutions

Rossi - 5 - Could have scored late on with a little glancing header but did not have enough time for a bigger impact.

Eguren - N/A

Escudero - N/A

Barcelona 1-1 Villarreal

The Blaugrana could not get 2010 off to a winning start

Barcelona 1-1 Villarreal - Lineups/Stats

La Liga - Fixtures/Results

Pedro and David Fuster were on the score sheet at the Camp Nou, as the league leaders were held to a draw.

Pep Guardiola chose to rest Lionel Messi by not including him in the squad at all, while Jonathan Dos Santos earned a start, and Gabriel Milito made the bench. Nilmar led the line for Villarreal, with Joseba Llorente, Giuseppe Rossi and Robert Pires all substitutes.

Barcelona dominated the early stages, and it came as little surprise when they opened the scoring after just seven minutes. Some neat build-up play saw the ball find its way to Daniel Alves on the right, and the Brazilian's cross was smashed onto the bar by Thierry Henry. Pedro, however, was alert to the rebound, and he fired home to give the Blaugrana the lead.

Barca continued to monopolise possession after taking the lead, and although they were not creating too many chances, they still looked by far the more likely team to score. On 25 minutes, Henry came close again, but his header was saved by Diego Lopez just before it crossed the line. Minutes later, the visitors had their first chance of the match, when David Fuster inexplicably headed Cani's cross over from inches out.

On the stroke of half-time, Alves caused more havoc down the right, but Henry could not direct his header goalwards, under pressure from Lopez. Ultimately, despite the best intentions of both sides, it was a half of few chances, as Barca went into the break ahead by one goal.

Villarreal had the first chance of the second half, but Fuster once again blazed over, this time having been played through by Nilmar. However, he did not have to wait long to get another opportunity, and this time he made no mistake. Cani swung a ball in from the right, and Fuster was on hand at the far post to tuck it past a helpless Valdes.

Just before the hour mark, Guardiola brought Andres Iniesta on, taking Dos Santos off. The midfielder was immediately in the thick of the action, as his first shot of the night was well saved by Lopez. Minutes later, he tested the visiting keeper again, this time with a fierce drive from outside the box that was tipped away from the corner of the net.

Chances continued to come at a premium, although Zlatan Ibrahimovic should have done better with a shot from inside the area that was dragged wide. However, it was Rossi, the substitute for the visitors, who had the best chance just three minutes from time, but his effort was cleared off the line by Carles Puyol, after the Italian had got past Valdes.

The winning goal never came for either side, and in truth, it seldom looked likely to do so. Ultimately, it was a lacklustre performance from the Blaugrana, who will need to improve if they are to repeat last year's successes.