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Match

Marcador del partit

Date: Tuesday, 15 Jan
Competition: ???label.competicio2???
Stadium: Camp Nou, Barcelona

Resultat:

FC Barcelona: 0
Sevilla CF: 0

Match report

Match Report
Pre-Match

Match Report

Barça too solid for defending champions (0-0)

Roger Bogunyà

FC Barcelona have made it into the last eight of the Copa del Rey after holding Sevilla to a 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou and progressing by virtue of the away goals rule. It was a tense match that remained up in the air until the last minute.

Barça knew that after drawing 1-1 in the first leg, they did not even have to score to assure themselves a place in the quarter finals, and the side with best defensive record in the league held on steadily in an expertly played performance that spelt the end of the road for Sevilla's cup challenge.

Sevilla also took a defensive approach to the game, even though they were obliged to score if they were to go on in this competition. The Andalusians rarely put their full intentions into playing attacking football, and whenever they did, they came stuck against a rock solid Barcelona defence. This was a game in which there may have been plenty of nerves and tension, but there were precious few goalscoring chances.

Inaccuracy reigns

Iniesta was back in the starting line up and led many of the early attacks. He missed a shot after 4 minutes and narrowly failed to convert an impressive individual move on the quarter hour. Both sides were more intent on defending that attacking and the game descended into what was hardly the most thrilling of spectacles to watch, with both sides generally floundering hopelessly whenever they pressed forwards.

Henry and Gudjohnsen try their luck

The best Barça chance of the half came on the half hour when a counter attack involving Giovani and Henry led to the Frenchman missing by inches, while Gudjohnsen also had a bash from the edge of the area after 34 minutes. But Sevilla, despite eventually being able to field Luis Fabiano, only threatened Valdés from dead ball situations. The tension was there, but neither side was producing the kind of football we are used to seeing of them.

Visitors lack punch

Things failed to improve after the break, but you still got the feeling that something was about to happen. But it never really did. Barça did improve somewhat, and enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession, but failed to create any danger of consequence up front. Meanwhile, Sevilla seemed to content to shut up shot, which was extraordinary considering the fact that unless they scored they stood no hope of making the last eight.

Deco returns

In the 68th minute, Rijkaard sent on Deco, back from injury. He and Bojan, who had come on a few minutes earlier for Gudjohnsen, did add a fresh touch to the Barça midfield, but the greater mobility failed to improve the lack of drama in attack.

Moments of uncertainty

Time ticked by and Sevilla started realising they were going to have pull something out of the bag. Alves struck the ball onto the Barça bar with eight minutes on the clock, and Navas saw his 85th minute goal rightly disallowed for offside. Frustration was setting in, with the Barça players unhappy with the way every refereeing decision seemed to be going against them.

In injury time, both Bojan and Iniesta could have finally opened the scoring, but De Sanctis was on hand on both occasions. In the end, time was called on what had been a battle of the defences, with Henry’s away goal eventually delivering the goods and seeing Barcelona into the next round of the cup.

Preview

2-1 in the league

Barça and Sevilla have already met this season at the Camp Nou on September 22, the game that marked the stadium’s 50th anniversary. Rijkaard’s side won 2-1 with two goals from Messi, while Kanouté replied for the visitors.

High voltage cup tie

Jordi Clos

Barça play this evening (21.00, Barça TV, PPV and Ràdio Barça) for a place in the quarter finals of the Copa de Rey against defending champions Sevilla. With Deco fit, they need to make the best of a 1-1 draw in the first leg.

The most mouth watering tie of the last 16 in the Copa del Rey takes place this evening. The side who have won the Cup on most occasions, Barça, take on current holders Sevilla. After the 1-1 draw in the first leg last week in the Sánchez Pizjuán there is still everything to play for in tonight’s game with both sides welcoming players back as well as having several important names missing.

Deco is back

Barça learned last night that Deco is back after missing three games with an abductor injury, but Ronaldinho, Messi, Edmílson, Oleguer and Jorquera are all still in the treatment room, while Samuel Eto’o has now joined the Cameroon side in Ghana, as has the club’s other African Cup of Nations representative Touré Yaya, of the Ivory Coast. Sevilla are also affected as Kanoute, Keita and Koné are all involved and will therefore not be at the Camp Nou.

On the right path

Despite losing Eto’o, who has scored five goals in four league games, Barça have looked good on their trips to Palma and Seville and at home to Murcia. The best news is that Thierry Henry has found some excellent form after returning from injury and was the star performer in the 4-0 win at the weekend. Milito, Abidal and Iniesta were all played off the bench by Rijkaard on Saturday, but may be back for a tough game like this.

Sevilla still alive on 3 fronts

Sevilla seemed lacking at the weekend against Athletic Club Bilbao, and unlike Barcelona seem to be struggling to compete in three competitions, the league, cup and Champions League. Manolo Jiménez’ side suffered from absent players and the sending off of Escudé, who is suspended for the Camp Nou return. The league’s top scorer, Luis Fabiano, is also a doubt after catching flu, and the Andalusians have only brought 17 players to Barcelona. Sevilla will miss their target man, but following the 1-1 at the Sánchez Pizjuán, they will have to score at least once tonight.