FC Barcelona Prep For Guardiola Return With Eight-Goal Spree

Luis Suarez scored three, and Lionel Messi grabbed a brace as FC Barcelona maintained their two point lead in Spain’s La Liga, with a 8-0 trouncing of home side Cordoba on Saturday. The win equalled FC Barcelona’s highest margin win away from home, and following their midweek six-goal trouncing of Getafe, it was the perfect preparation for Luis Enrique’s team as they prepare to face German champions Bayern Munich in the semifinal of the Champions League on Wednesday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p3HrSIBlks

As on Tuesday, the opponents couldn’t cope with FC Barcelona’s all star attack, although it did take till just before half time before the Cordoba rearguard was finally pierced. Croatian Ivan Rakitic converted a Messi pass to give FC Barcelona the lead, and Suarez made it two in first half stoppage time, finishing off a delightful pass from Andres Iniesta. FC Barcelona kept rolling in the second half once Messi scored within three minutes. Messi, again, Gerard Pique, and Neymar all scored before Suarez completed his hat trick to round off a torrid afternoon for Cordoba. The win temporarily put FC Barcelona five points ahead of Real Madrid, although the Madridistas — who also face a Champions League semi final against Juventus in midweek — subsequently won at Sevilla on Saturday evening to restore the gap to two points with just three rounds to go.

And so, on to Bayern, who are of course coached by former FC Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, who will be facing his old club for the first time since leaving the Nou Camp in 2012. Guardiola, a former FC Barcelona player himself, managed the club from 2008 to 2012, leading FC Barcelona to three La Liga titles and two Champions Cups. Tellingly, FC Barcelona have not reached the Champions League final since 2011 — the last time they lifted the cup under Guardiola, and the fact that it was Bayern Munich that stopped FC Barcelona from reaching the final — embarrassing them 7-0 on aggregate — the last time they reached the last four in 2013, only adds more spice to an already charged affair.

While FC Barcelona go into this match on the back of two highly satisfying results, Guardiola’s Bayern have had a far from perfect build up. They did tie up another Bundesliga title — their 25th — last Sunday, but their treble hopes ended after defeat by Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup on Tuesday, and they also lost to Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga on Saturday, heaping even more pressure on Guardiola — who already has to cope with injuries to regulars like Frank Ribery, Thiago Alcantara, Holger Badstuber, and David Alaba — on his return to FC Barcelona.

That scenario means FC Barcelona will start this semi final clash as favorites. Interestingly, FC Barcelona have never beaten Bayern Munich in European competition without Guardiola on their side, either as a player or manager.

If they are to reach another final, that is a trend they’ll have to reverse.

(Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images Sports)