Friday, May 18th, 2012
Pep Guardiola became Barcelona’s most successful ever coach in terms of trophies won after Barcelona lifted the 12th of his reign with a 2-0 win over Porto.
Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas got the goals on a night that ended comfortably in more glory for Barca but which early on threatened to go wrong.
Porto, who went unbeaten in the league last season on their way to a domestic and European treble, began brightly. In a similar manner to the way Real Madrid played against Barcelona in last week’s Spanish Super Cup, the Portuguese pressed very high and tried to disrupt a Barcelona backline without a recognised central defender.
Vítor Pereira’s men nearly got their reward as well as first João Moutinho was denied by Victor Valdes and then Hulk shot narrowly wide from a tight angle. Barcelona had struggled to settle but in between those two Porto chances could have taken the lead themselves when Pedro Rodriguez attempted to lob Helton.
However, after the first quarter the European champions began to control the game with Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Messi becoming the dominant forces. Porto’s pressing persisted but more and more Barca were able to make the pass into midfield and spring into the space in attack. Indeed had David Villa not been flagged offside on several occasions they could have been well ahead by the break, but when the goal did come it was from a Porto error. Freddy Guarin’s misguided passback leaving Messi one-on-one with Helton and the Argentine cooly rounded the keeper before slotting the ball into an empty net.
More chances came for Barca at the start of the second-half with Villa shooting straight at Helton after more good work in the build up by Messi before the Porto captain did well to clear the ball from Pedro as he bore down on goal. Yet, Porto maintained their threat, Guarin had a fantastic effort tipped wide by Valdes and the Portuguese champions were right to feel aggrieved when Eric Abidal appeared to fell the Colombian in the box with 10 minutes remaining. Indeed Pereira was in no doubt had the foul been at the other end the referee would have given the spot-kick.
“It is difficult to give a penalty in the 80thminute, it is even more so against a club like Barcelona. In the other area it would have been a penalty. It could have led to a different ending,” he said.
As it was referee Bjorn Kuipers was only to further anger the Portuguese by sending off Rolando for a second bookable offence before Fabregas took centre stage with his first goal for Barca in a competitive fixture. Messi was again key with a wonderful chipped pass for the former Arsenal captain to burst onto before controlling instantly on his chest and firing into the roof of the net. It was goal of extraordinary quality performed at lightening speed and another one in the eye (thankfully not Tito Villanova’s this time) to those who doubted Fabregas’ integration into this side.
Guarin rounded off his and Porto’s frustrated evening with a wild lunge on Javier Mascherano which brought a deserved straight red card and left Barca free to party once more.
Barca have now won 12 of the 15 competitions available since Guardiola took over. The man who once described Barcelona’s points total in the league as ”fucking barbaric” settled for describing the record as “an exaggeration” and “unthinkable”, to their opponents however they barbary continues.
Tags: Barcelona, Fabregas, Messi, Pep Guardiola
