Author name: gool

Barcelona did no favour to their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League as they played out a 3-3 draw against Inter Milan at Spotify Camp Nou last night.

The result leaves the Catalans teetering on the edges of dropping down to the Europa League for the second season in a row.

Currently third in the table, Barça are three points shy of Inter and will ideally need to win both their remaining games and hope the Italians drop points to stand a chance of going through.

Considering the efforts that had been put into building the team in the summer and the signings that were made, much was expected of the Blaugrana. And while they have delivered in La Liga, their struggles in Europe have continued.

And, according to journalist Joan Vehils, Barcelona president Joan Laporta is ‘furious’ with manager Xavi Hernandez over the situation following the Inter Milan clash.

Barça have collected just one point from their last three Champions League matches and are on the brink of a group stage exit once again. So, it is only natural for the president to be upset about the situation, especially considering the risky strategy that they applied in the summer market.

The update from Joan Vehils further adds that Xavi, in turn, is very angry with some of his players, which again, is very much expected given the performances of late. All in all, the atmosphere is said to be tense and complicated at the moment.

But, it is important for Barcelona to set this aside and focus on the upcoming El Clasico.

The Catalan giants are currently leading the La Liga table and getting the better of arch-rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu over the weekend could be just the kind of boost that Xavi & co. need to get things back on track in Europe as well.

As fans of all clubs keep their fingers crossed that the international break does not bring any key injuries, Barcelona’s prayers were not answered as both Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde were not spared.

The former suffered a thigh injury and underwent injury, leaving his hopes of recovering in time for the Qatar World Cup hanging by a thread.

As for Kounde, while his hamstring injury is not perceived to be as extreme an issue, the Frenchman has already missed two games and could miss a few more before returning to action.

Things have gone from bad to worse for Barcelona, as Andreas Christensen succumbed to an ankle injury in his side’s 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan. With three senior defenders out of contention, an alternative has been suggested.

As per the latest information provided by SPORT, Xavi could consider the youthful defensive pairing of Chadi Riad and Pelayo Fernandez as potential options amidst a defensive crisis.

The duo have been impregnable for the Barça Atletic side, as they are yet to concede a goal in 390 minutes of football together.

With Christensen reported to be potentially out of action for a month, the Catalan side only have Eric Garcia and Gerard Pique as their senior options at centre-back.

The former is enjoying a renaissance this season, starting in eight out of 11 games in all competitions, which proves that he is an established starter in the side.

As for the latter, he has played just two games in La Liga this term, which sums up the extent of the club legend’s role in the team currently.

Keeping said factors in mind, Xavi may need to rely on Riad and Fernandez to step up during desperate times for his side. The duo have been performing well for the reserve team and can provide Xavi with valuable cover in the centre-back department until the injury woes ease up.

Speaking to the media after Manchester City’s thumping 6-3 win over Manchester United in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola hailed hat-trick hero Erling Haaland and compared the Norwegian to another of his former protege Lionel Messi.

Messi was one of the chief driving forces in Guardiola’s all-conquering Barcelona that laid waste to opposition relentlessly. And in Haaland, the Catalan tactician seems to have found another weapon of mass destruction as witnessed by the 22-year-old’s form this season.

Indeed, just 11 matches into his spell at Man City, Haaland has already plundered 17 goals across all competitions, that includes three Premier League hat-tricks, with the one against United on Sunday being the latest and perhaps the sweetest.

After the game, Guardiola was asked if he expected Haaland to score in each game like he once did with Messi during their time at Barcelona.

In response, the Manchester City manager replied (h/t SPORT): “Yes, the difference is that Haaland needs all his teammates, Messi did it alone.”

Guardiola has always maintained that he thinks Messi is the greatest player of all time and once again he has underlined that stance with his latest statements.

Having left Barcelona last year, Messi could return to Spotify Camp Nou next summer when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires. There has been interest from MLS while PSG remain keen on extending his contract.

But, Barça are also working hard behind the scenes to bring their former captain back to the club for one last dance.

As for Haaland, the 22-year-old, who had been linked with Barcelona and Real Madrid, among others, in the summer, is taking the Premier League by storm.

And even though he has joined recently, Manchester City wish to renew his contract at the earliest possible so as to stave off the interest from Real Madrid.

Today, Wednesday, Spanish press reports blew up a surprise about Barcelona’s management receiving a strong shock during its attempts to sign Spanish star Martin Zubimende, Real Sociedad midfielder, one of the most important goals of the Catalan club in the coming period.

According to the newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”, Zubemendi’s contract with Real Sociedad continues until 2025, but there is a desire by the Basque club to extend the contract until 2027.

Therefore, the agreement is very close, between the management of Real Sociedad and the young Spanish midfielder, and it remains only to determine the value of the penalty clause.

Zubimendi, for his part, was keen to ask for a penalty clause of 60 million euros, which is not lifted from that, while his club wants to raise it to 90 million euros.

And it is expected that the penalty clause in Zubemendi’s contract be suspended on the value of his salary in Sociedad, as the player wants to get the highest salary in the white and blue team, especially after the departure of the Swedish Alexander Isaacs for Newcastle United.

And the Swedish international Isaac left Sociedad, in the last hours of the last summer transfer market, after paying the penalty clause in his contract, which amounted to 70 million euros.

The Barcelona administration aims to sign a Real Sociedad midfielder next summer, 2023, after the departure of Sergio Busquets at the end of his contract.

Media reports in Catalonia revealed that Barcelona legend Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain player will leave his current club at the end of the current season, but his return to his former club is in doubt if his former colleague Gerard Pique remains in the team.

Messi left Barcelona in the summer of last year after 17 years in its ranks after the two parties failed to reach an agreement to extend the contract due to the financial fair play restrictions imposed by the Spanish League, which called him to move to Paris Saint-Germain with a contract that expires at the end of the current season.

The news of Messi’s return to Barcelona has erupted since last summer, as club president Joan Laporta publicly stated his desire for Messi to return to his childhood club and retire there, while coach Xavi Hernandez welcomed the return of the greatest player in the history of the Catalan club.

Marca Marpa, a journalist for the Catalan channel “Betifi”, confirmed on the famous “La Portera” program that Messi will not extend his contract with Paris Saint-Germain after its end.

Marba continued: Messi will not continue at the Princes Park after the current season, as he has many options, but his return to Barcelona is not one of them if Gerard Pique continues in the team.

Messi and Pique played together in the “La Masia” academy and the first team from 2008 to 2021, as they were among the elements of the historic Barcelona team that achieved the hexagonal in 2009 in addition to several different championships.

The relationship between the players witnessed a clear tension in Messi’s recent period with the club, as press reports revealed in 2021 that Pique was described as a traitor because he agreed to reduce his salary with Barcelona after his departure, and this proved the farewell dinner that Lionel set up for the rest of his colleagues and Gerrard missed him, while the latter is accused of asking From Laporta Messi’s departure and rebuilding the team again.

Pique is not at his best with Barcelona at the moment, as he is considered the fifth option in the defense line, and President Joan Laporta wants him to leave the club at the end of the season, while the club’s management is considering canceling his contract if he does not play 35% of the matches this season.

After an excellent start to the new season, Barcelona appear to be in a troubled position as they have suffered four strokes due to injury since the start of the international break.

Ronald Araujo suffered a serious injury, as he suffered a blow in the friendly match against Iran. Experts believe that the defender broke his close, which he may see on the sidelines for a long time.

If the adductor muscle malfunctions, the Uruguayan may need to undergo surgery, which could lead to him losing the FIFA World Cup.

Araujo’s absence would be devastating for Barcelona, ​​and even assuming the player simply broke his close, he is still expected to miss a large part of the season.

The defender could miss the entire October schedule, which includes crucial matches against Inter Milan, Villarreal and El Clasico against Real Madrid.

The Uruguay international may also miss matches against Bayern Munich and Valencia, until the November 7 meeting against Almeria UD.

This schedule, as rough as it sounds, is actually quite liberal given his injury. There is a chance that he will come out until the World Cup kicks off, and put his place there with Uruguay under a lot of pressure.

Araujo’s prolonged absence could have a significant impact on Barcelona’s hopes of keeping pace with Real Madrid for the title race, as well as the club’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League knockout rounds.

However, during the start of the season, the Barcelona board of directors prepared for such a disaster and, as such, did an excellent job of adding a great deal of depth to the first team.

With Araujo potentially long to miss, the onus should fall on the likes of Andreas Christensen and Eric Garcia to fill it up. Even Gerard Pique could see more excitement after a slow start to a campaign that saw only one start to the league

Last summer was the most traumatic in Lionel Messi’s career. Although there was no shortage of media speculation and broken relationships in 2020, when he formally requested to leave Barcelona, the manner in which he was left at the altar by Joan Laporta two years later was bound to have a major impact on him.

Changing homes and places becomes a natural part of the career of many footballers, yet it is easy to forget that Barcelona had been his home since the age of 13. Uprooting and coming to terms with that in the space of five days is a tricky mental task for anyone.

Following Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Honduras last night, Messi hinted that it might have impacted his performance. His comments were carried by Sport.

“Last year I had a hard time, I never ended up getting myself together. I knew it was going to be like that, but now I feel different. This year is different, I am more accustomed to the club, to the play, to the dressing room and my colleagues. Now I feel good, I am enjoying it.”

The change Messi refers to has been evident in his performances so far this season. So far he has scored or assisted 14 goals for Paris Saint-Germain in 11 games, looking somewhere close to his scintillating best.