Barca VS Mallorca
Football for 2009 gets under way at the Camp Nou and Barça want to start this year as they ended the last, with three more points. Mallorca will be hoping to cause the first surprise after the Christmas break (20.00, live on TV3 and La Sexta).
The run of four games against the league’s top clubs is now in the past and in January Barcelona will face some less glamorous sides, but that does mean they can afford to relax. This season’s results speak for themselves. Barça dropped their last points against Getafe at the Camp Nou in game twelve (1-1). Racing and Numancia have also avoided defeat to the Catalans.
Chance to widen the gap
The first month of the year offers new opportunities to increase Barça’s lead on the chasing pack, some of whom still have to meet each other. Valencia v Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid v Villarreal this week and Valencia v Villarreal next week will all see some of the top teams drop points somewhere.
A special game
Meanwhile, FC Barcelona will be looking to get the full three points at home to Mallorca. It will be a special game, coming as it does so close to King’s Day and after more than ten days without football. The Christmas break has allowed players like Alves and Messi to travel home, and they only returned on Friday, although some of the players that were given extended holidays returned earlier than scheduled, as was the case with Eto’o, Keita and Cáceres. All of these, along with the rest of the squad, are available to manager Josep Guardiola. The only doubt is Piqué, who was still suffering from the flu on Friday evening.
Iniesta is back
One man expected back after being sidelined for two months with an injury is Andrés Iniesta. He has missed ten games, and has said this week that he is hungry to get back onto the pitch. The supporters are also eager to see him in action again, and his return would be a further guarantee that 2009 will continue as 2008 ended, with Barcelona on winning form.
El Barça comença l'any com el va acabar: amb una remuntada i una victòria. Els gols, a càrrec d'Aduriz, en el minut 15, d'Henry, en el 30, i d'Iniesta, en el 75.
El Barça jugarà amb Valdés, Víctor Sánchez, Márquez, Puyol, Abidal, Touré Yaya, Xavi, Gudjohnsen, Henry, Hleb i Eto'o.
A la banqueta hi són Pinto (ps), Sylvinho, Alves, Busquets, Keita, Iniesta i Bojan.
El Fútbol Club Barcelona (Futbol Club Barcelona en catalán y como nombre oficial) es una entidad deportiva de la ciudad de Barcelona, (España). Fue fundado como club de fútbol el 29 de noviembre de 1899 por doce jóvenes futbolistas aficionados, liderados por el suizo Hans Gamper. El FC Barcelona es conocido popularmente como Barça (abreviación de la pronunciación de «Barcelona» en catalán central) y sus seguidores como «culés» (pronunciación del catalán culers).
Una de las principales características del FC Barcelona es su carácter polideportivo. Además de su sección principal, la de fútbol, el club cuenta con otras cuatro secciones profesionales: las de baloncesto, balonmano, hockey sobre patines y fútbol sala. Entre las cinco secciones profesionales, el FC Barcelona suma 27 Copas de Europa.
