Barcelona Demolished in Bavaria

The game is on for the best European club of 2013 and there are only four teams left to fight for that glory and honor to hold the Champions League trophy comes 25 May at Wembley Stadium. And right now, Bayern Munich is facing Barca (Europe’s best club in recent years) at the Allianz Arena in the first leg of the semi-finals. Barcelona’s demolition of Milan at Nou Camp in the round of 16 is still fresh from everyone’s memory and was considered as one of the greatest comeback after being two goals down in the first leg.

As I am reading the live comments of Bayern Munich and Barca’s match, I never expect Barcelona to be dominated at their own game although we have seen the best team in Europe already but this time it is in Germany. Bayern has already been crowned Bundesliga champions and also already in the finals of the German Cup and it seems that they are not finished yet and they want to become the first Bundesliga team to win a treble. At the moment, they are on course of achieving such fate.

I have said that because Bayern just finished dismantling favorites Barca with a stunning 4-0 win and it was Barcelona’s worst defeat in the Champions League. Although they previously came back from a 0-2 loss at San Siro but history is not on their side as no teams who lost four goals in the first leg still gone to the next round. With that alone, it looks like it’s impossible for the Catalan superstars to overturn the huge deficit at Camp Nou on the first of May yet it is also very interesting to know if they can recover from a four-goal defeat.

I doubt it and probably will surely not.

NB: Image from wikipedia.

A Crucial Match for Barca

I was talking in my previous post about the crucial eight days that will define Real’sseason and perhaps Jose Mourinho’s fate as Real Madrid’s manager. A lot of rumors coming out and of all sorts there is that have something to do with the erratic games of Los Blancos in the past six months. They either draw or win in big games but were the exact opposite against mid-table and struggling teams, in general.

Real is highly spirited after thrashing Sevilla (4-1) at the Bernabeu on 9 February but can only manage to a 1-1 draw with Manchester United in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the same pitch four days later. Then they barely managed a 2-0 win against Rayo Vallecano on 17 February and almost lost to bottom club Deportivo six days later as Mourinho rested several key players in preparation for another “El Clasico” matchup in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semis at Camp Nou.

While Barca just came from a stunning 0-2 loss at San Siro in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie against AC Milan. Milan, on the other hand, was able to find ways on how to tame Barca’s highly structured tactical framework of attacking and created an almost impenetrable defense. More so that Milan hasn’t conceded an away goal and today’s “El Clasico” will be a crucial match for Barcelona if they want to progress in the Champions League quarterfinals.

NB: Image from wikipedia.

Guardiola Calls it a Day

Pep Guardiola calls it a day, raised the white flag and leaves Barca at the end of the season. The decision was made final during Barcelona’s press conference and appointed Guardiola’s assistant Tito Vilanova as his replacement. I think Barca players didn’t expect him to quit and would most likely to continue coaching them in the next season or so. But with Pep not renewing his contract before this stage of the season, it probably is a sign that he is ready to walk away from Barcelona.

There are so many speculations regarding his future after steering Barca to thirteen (13) titles since he started managing in 2008. With the La Liga is far beyond their reach, they might be able to add one more when they face Athletic Bilbao in the finals of Copa de Rey next month. Although there are still four games remaining before the season concludes and statistically it is not impossible to still grab the driver seat from arch rivals Real Madrid yet many believe that the El Clasico loss was the turning point.

Nobody really knows what’s inside the mind of Pep and that if he really wanted to call it a day. Did he plan it out? Like a long way back when Barca is still trailing Madrid with a massive ten points? Did he saw it coming? Or was it because of the aftermath of El Clasico and Champions League semi-final defeats? No one knows, only Pep Guardiola knows.

NB: Image from wikimedia commons.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

This is my entry to Techie She Lucky Blogger Weekly Giveaways Week 17. This week’s prize is $10 paypal credits from Mys of Written by Mys.

As I dig into my files to clean up the clutter, while at the same time tired of  what to write for today, I saw this photo up of the Blaugrana (FC Barcelona) that I have uploaded from the web a long time ago. I am not sure either when did this happen but one thing that I am certain of is that this is one of Barca's game against the Rossoneri (AC Milan). I forgot the site where I got this and my apology to the owner yet I am not trying to use the photo for any benefit in my part.

There’s something in the picture that is not ordinary at all and shouldn’t be part of. That’s what catches my attention the first time I saw it and it never stops to amuse me every time I look at it. It is just so funny seeing one thing that isn’t suppose to be there though I’m sure that this wasn’t expected to happen.

Can you spot what does not belong or shouldn’t be in the picture at all? There isn’t any trick in the picture and hasn’t pass through photoshop or any kind of editing software.

Anyhow, if you aren’t able to spot the unusual thing, then look at the right end of the photo. The funny looking guy on a white jersey with a yellow boot. Does he look familiar to you? He’s not supposed to be there since he is from the opposing team. Yet he purposely placed himself in that area to jokingly be with his former teammates. He used to be a Barca player from 2003-2008 and I think he just missed this people since he is already playing in Italy. This match must be one of their Champions League games considering that Barca is from Spain and AC Milan is in Italy.

Oh, by the way, that player is Ronaldinho the funniest guy in football with so much skill that when he juggle a football it seems relatively so easy to him to do that and not to mention the so many fancy tricks he have done on the pitch.

NB: image is not mine.