Barcelona Smash Six Past Atlético

CelticKing · Oct 4, 2008

Barcelona Smash Six Past Atlético

It was billed as the battle between Messi and Agüero but it turned out to be a totally one-sided affair as Barcelona ran riot at the Camp Nou, beating their woeful hosts by six goals to one....

A rampant Barcelona simply destroyed Atlético Madrid in the Camp Nou on Saturday night by six goals to one, five of them coming in the first thirty minutes and the sixth in the 70th.

The visitors were truly woeful from start to finish and were the architects of their own downfall for most of the goals as they gave Barcelona all the time in the world to weave their magic.

The Catalan side might not have been particularly impressive so far this season but against Atlético they were at their brilliant best and started the scoring as early as the third minute when Rafael Marquez headed home from a corner.

After that the floodgates opened and Sameul Eto'o stuck home a penalty before Lionel Messi scored a cheeky quickly taken free-kick to send the hosts three goals up after just ten minutes.

Atlético did pull one back thanks to a delightful strike from Maxi Rodr?*guez but they were soon dead and buried as Eto'o grabbed his second and then Eidur Gudjohnsen tapped in after Andrés Iniesta had struck the post with a rasping shot.

The battle between Sergio Agüero and Messi never really materialised and the Atleti player was taken off after just 60 minutes with the game out of sight for Javier Aguirre's side. Messi on the other hand looked threatening at times but never really got fully into his stride, even though he could have easily have scored another two goals had his finishing been better.

Pep Guardiola didn't really display much emotion on the sidelines but he must be thrilled with his sides performance, which was breathtaking at times but was helped hugely by some awful defending from the visitors.

The four at the back looked as though they had never played together as they were caught out of position time and time again and failed to close down enough. Whilst the loss to Sevilla last week was a show of ineptitude in the final third this was purely defensive based and Aguirre will be having nightmares tonight as he relives some of the howlers at the back.

Sensational Start

From the start there were changes a plenty for Barcelona as Guardiola shuffled the side that won in Ukraine in the week, with Daniel Alves, Seydou Keita, Yaya Toure and Thierry Henry all benched for the home side. Atlético on the other hand started with nearly the same team that beat Marseille, with Antonio López and Luis Garc?*a starting ahead of Mariano Pernia and Miguel De Las Cuevas, and the game started at a ferocious pace.

After just three minutes Barcelona took the lead thanks a Rafael Marquez header from a Xavi corner earned by Andres Iniesta. The Mexican was unmarked at the near post and directed his header brilliantly in the far corner to send the Camp Nou into raptures and to give the Catalan side the perfect start to the game. And if that wasn't good enough they then went two goals up just a couple of minutes later thanks to a penalty from Samuel Eto'o.

The striker slotted away after Lionel Messi went to ground easily from a challenge by Tomas Ujfalusi and the referee pointed to the spot with no hesitation. The visitors were simply getting blown away and they looked shell-shocked as Eto'o celebrated with a jubilant home crowd after just five minutes.

Little did he, or the fans know, that just three minutes later they would make it 3-0 thanks to a cheekily taken free-kick by Messi from about 20 yards out. The Argentine won it after a soft decision by the referee and whilst Atlético were busy organising their wall Messi took the free kick and bent it into the far corner with Gregory Coupet standing by the opposite post.

It was a sensational start by Barcelona and even a stunning strike by Maxi Rodr?*guez in the 15th minute didn't dampen the mood in a packed Camp Nou. Sergio Busquets was guilty of giving the ball away twice around the Barcelona area and the second time he was punished for it as Maxi took one touch and bent a wonderful shot past Victor Valdes from about 25 yards out.

The goal gave Atlético hope but yet again poor defending cost them just minutes later as Eto'o grabbed his second goal of the game and Barcelona's fourth, in just the 20 minute. A ball over the top found the striker in between Johnny Heitinga and Tomas Ujfalusi and he simply turned one way then the next and with Coupet on the floor and the defenders confused tapped into the empty net.

Dead And Buried

It was an unbelievable start to the game and Atlético were getting torn to shreds at the back with Ujfalusi and Heitinga looking like they had never even played together before. Samuel Eto cracked another shot just wide and then just as it seemed the game was starting to settle down the hosts grabbed another, thanks again to some woeful defending from Los Rojiblancos. This time it was Eidur Gujohnsen who profitted after Iniesta had drilled a shot low against the post and the Icelandic international was on hand to tap into the empty net.

Whilst the game had been billed about the battle between Kun and Messi it was so far a totally one-sided affair between a team on top of their game and one who looked asleep for the first 30 minutes. At 5-1 the game was already over but Barcelona were in the mood to have more and Gudjohnsen could have another his second when he met a cross from Xavi but he blasted over the bar and into the stands. Atlético could, and probably should, have been reduced to ten men as well, when Antonio López, who had already been booked for protesting about the penalty, was shown another yellow card by the referee, but not a red.

If there was a battle between Agüero and Messi then there was no doubt who was winning it after forty minutes as Barcelona's number ten burst through the Atlético defence which simply stepped away from him and you would have put money on him chipping over Coupet and into the goal but it went wide. Then just seconds later produced a near carbon-copy of the move but this time was stopped well but Heitinga and as looked set to pull the trigger.

Barcelona Break

The first time the crowd were able to catch their breath was as the referee blew his whistle after 46 minutes to signal the end to a completely unbelievable half which Barcelona led by four goals and it could have easily been more. Luckily for Atlético the second-half started at a much more normal pace and then even started to control the game, with Barcelona seemingly quite happy to sit back and relax on their lead.

Despite having the possession though it was Barcelona who created the first chance of the second half when a free-kick was whipped in which was just headed over by Marquez looking for his second goal. With the game at a lull and the scoreline out of reach Aguirre decided to haul off Agüero to spare the striker, who had already picked up a yellow for a tackle on Puyol, any injury or suspension. In his place came Éver Banega and Atlético continued to look bright in midfield but couldn't penetrate Barcelona as the Catalan side did a brilliant job of closing down.

With the game in the bag Barcelona also decided to bring off a star player in Samuel Eto'o and the Cameroonian, who has not always been a fan favourite in the Camp Nou, got a standing ovation for his two goals and brilliant performance. Likewise Lionel Messi got a rapturous applause as he was taken off in the 70th minute by Pep Guardiola, with Thierry Henry and Bojan Krkic coming on to replace the two starters.

Henry looked lively from the moment he stepped onto the pitch and just ten minutes after doing so he scored arguably the best goal of the night as he linked up with Bojan and Xavi to stunning effect. The ex-Arsenal man started the move half way inside the Atlético half, passing to Xavi, who laid the ball off to Bojan, who then tapped it first time into Henry's path on the edge of the box and the striker blasted into the bottom corner. It was a sumptous move and the perfect way to round off a perfect night for Barcelona and personally for Henry, who got a huge ovation from the fans as he celebrated his goal.

The goal was just about the last event of the game as Barcelona decided they were happy with six and Atlético breathed a sigh of relief, with the ball just been passed around in the midfield for the final five minutes as the crowd reflected on what they had seen. With the final whistle came a huge roar from the fans as they celebrated a stunning victory and a huge marker laid down by Guardiola and his side, who had been slick, brilliant and totally deserving of their victory.

Barcelona 6-1 Atlético Madrid

`3 1-0 Marquez
`5 2-0 Eto'o (pen)
`10 3-0 Messi
`15 3-1 Maxi
`17 4-1 Eto'o
`28 5-1 Gudjohnsen
`72 6-1 Henry

Barcelona: Valdes, Puyol, Piqué, Márquez, Abidal, Busquets, Xavi (`73 Keita), Gudjohnsen, Messi (`69 Bojan), Iniesta, Eto'o (`59 Henry)

Atlético Madrid: Coupet, Perea, Ujfalusi, Heitinga, López, Maxi Rodr?*guez (`20 De Las Cuevas), Assuncao, Raúl Garc?*a, Luis Garc?*a (`45 Pernia), Sinama-Pongolle, Agüero (`57 Banega)
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Colonel Ronan · Oct 5, 2008

Wow, that was a resounding win. What you gotta say Bomba & Claud?

Colonel Ronan · Oct 5, 2008

There's my main man, Henry!

Claud · Oct 5, 2008

Main Event said: ↑

Wow, that was a resounding win. What you gotta say Bomba & Claud?
Click to expand...

What can we say? Good win for Barca and anxiously waiting for El Clasico.

CelticKing · Oct 5, 2008

Barca is looking strong now, but Real is still the best team in La Liga.

Colonel Ronan · Oct 5, 2008

Claud said: ↑

What can we say? Good win for Barca and anxiously waiting for El Clasico.
Click to expand...

I just love reading your butchery of Barca.

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Barcelona Smash Six Past Atlético

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Barcelona Smash Six Past Atlético

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