FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona

For us goalkeepers, it means being more alert throughout the entire match. It's a risky strategy, we have to acknowledge that. But if it's done well and you work hard, it pays off. You force the opposition to play and think faster. If they play with less space, you force them to make more mistakes, and your team has more possession. But you have to train it well because it all comes down to centimeters,

The Camp Nou works are progressing at a very good pace. If there are no surprises, the third tiers will be operational at the start of next season, just like the VIP boxes, which are of great importance in refinancing the stadium. We'll play in the Camp Nou as soon as possible. The stadium is ready to play with a 27,000 capacity. Hansi Flick had chills when he entered the new Camp Nou. The players were freaking out too.

As such, journalist Albert Fernandez of GOL reports that Barcelona are closely monitoring 17-year-old Argentine striker Thomas de Martis. The centre-forward plies his trade for Lanus in Argentina and is currently a part of the Albiceleste national team at the U-17 World Cup underway in Qatar. De Martis has made two senior appearances for Lanus, while playing 19 games for their reserve team, in which he has scored two goals.

I began my coaching career at Barça with high expectations for both the players and the club. The club was coming from a period where there weren't many demands. But my mistake was maintaining those high standards for only one year, from when I arrived until we won La Liga, the Super Cup... Later on, I was able to be self-critical and I said to myself, 'Damn, what happened to me?'

A few weeks into the 2025/26 season, FC Barcelona midfield ace Gavi was dealt a significant blow as he suffered a knee injury. The Catalans and the player opted for conservative treatment initially, but with his condition not improving, the La Masia graduate underwent arthroscopic surgery. However, during the procedure, it was learned that the condition of Gavi's knee was worse than feared, and as a result, he would be sidelined for a lengthy period.

One such player who lined up for Celta Vigo on the night but has a history at Barcelona was Oscar Mingueza, the young, who was seemingly a mainstay under Ronald Koeman but was offloaded after Xavi Hernandez took over. Since his move to Galicia, Mingueza has developed tremendously and has made himself a mainstay at right-back - so much so that he has generated serious attention on the transfer market front.

The 26-year-old Barcelona defender, along with Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga, did not work with the other 22 members of the squad called up by Deschamps. Instead, after signing autographs for the many supporters who attended the open session, Kounde and Camavinga left their teammates to complete individual running exercises with France's fitness coach, Cyril Moine. For now, the participation of the Barcelona defender and the Real Madrid midfielder in Thursday's match at the Parc des Princes does not appear to be in doubt.

Leading up to the game, though, Chelsea have been dealt a fresh injury blow as midfielder Romeo Lavia will be unavailable due to injury, reports Mundo Deportivo. The Belgian midfielder sustained a quadriceps injury that will keep him sidelined for approximately one month. Lavia suffered the injury last Wednesday during Chelsea's European fixture against Qarabag in Azerbaijan, which ended in a 2-2 draw. He was forced off in the eighth minute and replaced by Moises Caicedo.

"I really like the Spanish league, our league. I like the big teams, Barça and Madrid, they are top teams and I would love to play for one of them one day, it would be a dream come true. But for now, my dream is to play for Depor."

Say what you like about Hansi Flick, but the first-team head coach isn't for turning. Win, lose or draw, he clearly won't have his Barça side playing any other way than with the high-risk, high-reward high line. As we saw again at Celta, when it doesn't work and the Blaugranes are so easily exposed, it looks amateurish. However, in the second half, there was a clear indication of how well it can contain opposition teams when used correctly.

Etta Eyong has become a man in demand in European football after his explosive performances in La Liga this year, first with Villarreal and now with Levante, whom he joined in the summer. FC Barcelona, for one, have been admirers of the Cameroonian international for a while now. Having explored a move for the 22-year-old in the summer, the Blaugrana have identified him as a possible candidate to replace Robert Lewandowski in 2026.

Just six minutes into the game, a shot from Fermin struck the Celta Vigo defender and went out for a corner. And Alberola Rojas received a warning from the VAR room in Las Rozas: "Javi, it's Valen. Look, I recommend a review so you can assess a potential handball penalty. I'm going to start with the point of impact and then give you the details," the VAR official said.