Barça know no limits (5-0)

Barça know no limits (5-0)
Barça have broken the record for the most points in the first half of a league season by beating Deportivo. Messi, Henry (2) and Eto’o (2) scored the goals in a veritable Barça festival.

Over the first half of the season, Barça have been a goalscoring machine that has racked up an unprecedented number of points. The final victim was Deportivo, who might have been having a decent season so far, but were powerless to avoid 5-0 humiliation at the Camp Nou. The game was as good as over in the first half, when the leaders stormed into a 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Messi, Henry and Eto’o. The second half was a more sedate affair, yet the French and Cameroonian strikers both managed to add a second goal to their tallies.

Leaders flying away with it

Barça were almost frighteningly dominant. Two minutes had barely passed by and Thierry Henry had already had two chances to beat Aranzubia. Deportivo looked well placed on the pitch and threatened down the left, but Barça were as inspired as ever and held onto the lion’s share of the possession, and soon started finding ways of breaking through the opposition’s lines and creating chance after chance.

Messi and Henry, lethal

It was only a matter of time before the deadlock would be broken. In the 15th minute, Eto’o fired a warning when he narrowly failed to convert following an impressive individual run. Soon after, Messi provided one of those moments the Camp Nou will be cherishing for a long time. Xavi collected the ball in midfield and threaded it on to the Argentinian, and Messi made mincemeat of the special tight marking job Lotina had organised for him as his penetrating run led to him beating Aranzubia with an exquisite finish (min 21). Depor had hardly had time to react before an Alves cross was brilliantly headed home by Henry (min 27).

Eto’o gets his reward

Up until now, Guardiola’s side had produced some of their finest football of the season. And with the comfort of two goals behind them, the confidence started oozing and the brilliance started flowing, with Depor stuck for any kind of a response. Eto’o (min 31), Henry (min 33), Messi (min 34), Keita (min 36) and Eto’o again (min 40) could all have easily made it three. And the Cameroonian finally got his reward in the 41st minute when he latched onto a deflection off the visiting keeper to make it 3-0 at half time.

Breathing space

Following the break, Barça eased things off. Much of the blame for the drop in pace was due to Deportivo, who refused to let their heads drop despite the adverse result. Nevertheless, Messi began yet another onslaught on the Depor goal in the 52nd minute, but this time Aranzubia got it right. When Iniesta came on, the home side gained the freshness they had lost, and it was the sub who next came close to scoring, that effort also being finely dealt with by the Galician stopper (min 71).

Hungry to the end

But the game wasn’t over yet. In the 82nd minute, Barça teamed up to produce another of those moments for the highlights reel, Henry completing the move to make it 4-0. Shortly after that, Puyol joined in with one attacking move and was brought down in the area by Depor keeper Aranzubia, who was sent off while the referee had little option but to indicate the spot. The league’s top scorer Eto’o had no trouble converting the fifth past makeshift keeper Juan Rodríguez. Not only had Barça obtained a record for points in the first leg of the league programme, but they had done so with a spectacular win against one the competition’s most highly rated sides. The game ended with the Camp Nou crowd singing euphorically, and they had every right to feel so pleased.

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