Some facts: FC Barcelona - According to the UEFA, tonight's match will be Barca's 100th in the Champions League. Of the previous 99 matches, Barca have won 52, drawn 24 and lost 23. As for goals, Barca have scored 188 and conceded 120. - Barca are unbeaten in the Champions League this season, having won twice against Werder Bremen and Udinese, and drawn 0-0 away to Panathinaikos. - Ronaldinho is top scorer in this season's Champions League. The Brazilian has scored four goals, one against Werder Bremen and a hat trick against Udinese. - Gabriel Garcia is in the squad for a Champions League match for the first time this season having recently returned from the injury he suffered at the end of August. - Five members of the Barca squad have yet to make their Champions League debut this season: Gabri, Sylvinho, Maxi, Jorquera and Damià. Damià is still sidelined by injury while Maxi has not been included on the squad sheet for tonight's match. - Five players have played the full ninety minutes in the three matches so far: Valdés, Gio, Puyol, Deco and Ronaldinho. Of the five, Deco is certain to miss tonight's match due to injury. - Deco and Ronaldinho have scored all of Barca's goals so far in the competition. Panathinaikos - Panathinaikos have recorded every result possible: they lost away to Udinese, beat Werder Bremen at home and drew, also at home, against Barca. They have four points, the same as Udinese. - Panathinaikos go into the game on the back of a 1-0 win against PAOK in the Greek league. They are currently fourth, five points off the leader. - Six members of the Greek squad have yet to play in the Champions League this season: goalkeepers Michael Shimirras and Pierre Ebede, midfielders Sdrjan Andric, Georgios Theodonidis and Vladimir Gadjev, and striker Emmanuel Olisabede, who will also be missing tonight due to injury. - Three players have a 100% record so far: Mario Galinovic, defender Masief Morris and midfielder Mikael Nilsson. Ezequiel González and Evangelos Mantzios, both of whom scored against Werder Bremen, are the club's only goal scorers in the Champions League this season. Mantzios is their highest scorer in the Greek league. - Their most experienced player in the Champions league, Ioannis Goumas, with 37 matches behind him, is unavailable because of injury. - The Greeks have played 57 matches in the Champions League, winning 20, drawing 14 and losing 23. They've scored 62 goals and conceded 69. Márquez in squad: Giuly and Maxi rested Rafa Márquez is back in the squad to face Panathinaikos after missing the last game for personal reasons, whilst Maxi and Giuly are both rested and Gabri is called up. With Deco and Belletti already out injured, Rijkaard has also decided to do without Giuly and Maxi for the game, though Gabri gets his first European call up of the season. Giuly also missed Greek trip Ludovic Giuly, who also missed the game in Greece a fortnight ago with a muscle strain and the match against Udinese, played the full 90 minutes last Sunday and has been a regular in Rijkaard's plans this season and has figured in all of the La Liga games so far. Full squad for Panathinaikos game: Valdés Motta Márquez Puyol Xavi Larsson Eto'o Ronaldinho Gio Ezquerro Edmílson Sylvinho Van Bommel Gabri Oleguer Iniesta Jorquera Messi
Barca is coming to this match with high morale, so that should help them get a pretty comfortable win. I'm hoping for a 3-0 Barca win.
ESPN Deportes will have the game. Wed Nov 02 11:30AM Pacific Wed Nov 02 12:30PM Mountain Wed Nov 02 01:30PM Central Wed Nov 02 02:30PM Eastern Length: 2 hr 15 min LIVE ESPN Deportes UEFA Champions League Barcelona (Spain) vs Panathinaikos (Greece)
i will go with the same score line as you buddy and i do agree that there is high morale among the team. it`s great that Gabri is in the side and Marquez is also back. But then guily is out and Maxi, i wonder is this due to injury or some thing else because guily wasn`t injured in the Sociedad match. What is the situation with Maxi also? I want Rafa to partner Puyol in central defence and even have Gabri at full back although Oleguer has been playing well there. The veteran Flavio Conceicao former RM will command thier midfield, Mikael Nilsson is another decent player while upfront Sandor Torghelle and Ezequiel González should not be much of the threat if we cut off thier midfield supply lines.
It looks like we should get thru this one easy...the team is comming in with a good mentality, plus Rafa is back...i hope u guys can keep me posted on the score...im stuck here at work !!!
May be we should rest Puyol for this one and have Rafa in the central defence. Using Gio is good as it rests Slyvinho otherwise it`s a good line up
1' Van Bommel (Barcelona) scores! Mark van Bommel scores with the first attack of the game. He latches on to a ball oveer the top of the visiting defence and with the Mario Galinovic advancing, he lobbed the ball over his head and into the empty net.
From UEFA.com 1' Van Bommel (Barcelona) scores! Mark van Bommel scores with the first attack of the game. He latches on to a ball over the top of the visiting defence and with the Mario Galinovic advancing, he lobs the ball over his head and into the empty net. Not even a minute gone!
i know that Gilberto silva has the fastest CL goal scored. Will this one by MVB be the fastest ever. Good start.
From UEFA.com 14' Eto'o (Barcelona) scores! Samuel Eto`o makes it two with an icnredible header from a cross from the left. Even Galinovic had no chance. The visitor's marking was extremely slack.