Załuska - Penalty Save

Minimum defeat, maximum reward (1-0)

A Cléber goal in the 50th minute meant Barça went down in Krakow. But the result was of no major concern, with the four goals from the first leg meaning Barça’s fifth consecutive participation in the CL group stages was never really in doubt.

The Henryk Reyman witnessed Barça steadily improve as the night went on. It was an evenly matched affair until the 50th minute, with Barça struggling to break down their opponent. The rhythm of the game changed when Wisla went ahead thanks to a break from a corner, a wake-up call for the visitors, who played impressively from then until the final whistle, but despite a number of great chances, failed to make any of them count.

But the 1-0 is enough to secure Barcelona’s passage into the next round, the Champions League group stage, and for the fifth year in a row. Being entered into Thursday’s draw was the prime objective of the preseason for Guardiola’s side and the 4-1 aggregate scoreline is testimony of job very well done.

Even first half

There was little to pick between the sides early on. Both sides sought to control the centre of the park and made very few incursions upon their opposing goals. The first big moment didn’t come until the 20th minute when a Lobodzinski lob failed to surprise Valdés. There were very few further talking points in the half other than a Brozek strike on 35 minutes that did little to trouble the Barça stopper either.

Polish goal

The second half got off to a similar start, with goalscoring chances conspicuous by their absence. But then a 50th minute strike from Zienczuk was turned behind for a corner by Valdés, which duly led to the only goal of the night, scored from a diving header by Cléber.

Barça get better

The goal brought Barça to life, and the football from that moment on was considerably more dynamic. Gudjohnsen and Hleb came on for Xavi and Iniesta, and that opened things up a bit more in attack, and it was Eto'o who came closest with a couple of chances that were saved by Pawelek.

No reward

Gerard Piqué was the star of the last half hour. The Catalan had three great chances inside the area but the crossbar, the goalkeeper and the turf, which prevented him from shooting as he would have liked, meant the score remained the same. Touré Yaya and Bojan, a late replacement for Eto’o, also found themselves in excellent positions inside the rival six yard box, but it just was not Barça’s day in front of goal.

It was the first defeat of the FC Barcelona era under Guardiola, but it was nothing to worry about even in the slightest because the lead brought into the game from the first leg meant that the all-important place in the group stage of the Champions League was never really in doubt.

We would also like to show you a beautiful save by Zaluska (polish goalkeeper) in the game :

Motherwell FC 1-1 Dundee United

FC Barcelona Won with Wisla 4-0. 

Goals: Samuel Eto'o (17, 83), Xavi (24), Thierry Henry (50)

Barcelona: Victor Valdes - Daniel Alves (77. Pique), Carles Puyol, Rafael Marquez, Eric Abidal - Seydou Keita, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Pedro (65. Yaya Toure) - Samuel Eto'o, Thierry Henry (84. Alaksandr Hleb).

Wisła Kraków: Mariusz Pawełek - Marcin Baszczyński, Cleber, Junior Diaz, Piotr Brożek - Wojciech Łobodziński (84. Patryk Małecki), Radosław Sobolewski, Mauro Cantoro, Tomas Jirsak (46. Marek Zieńczuk), Rafał Boguski (68. Andrzej Niedzielan) - Paweł Brożek.

Here is a link to the video with HIGHLIGHTS!!! 

http://www.youtube.com/v/rXEDF3EoZn4&hl 

Wednesday August 6th, 2008 at 20:45 (Warsaw Time) 

Wisla Lost the First leg 1-2 in the Away Game.

What score do you think it'll be now?

xKorus16x: 1:0 for Wisla Krakow 

Legia Warszawa won with FK Homel 4-1. Easy victory and two goals by Iwanski and Szalachowski.

First Game was 0-0.

Lech Poznan won with Chazar Lenkoran also 4-1. With Goals from Stilica and Reiss. Also two beautiful goals from Murawski and Injac

First Game was 1-0 For Lech, goal scored by Lewandowski.

Drawing is August 1st. 

Even though winning 1-0 half time Wisla Lost with Beitar 1-2.

In the 26th minute a Mistake by Kale, and Brozek Scored a Goal!

Result didn't change until the 60th minute where Wisla had a Corner. A cross in was made and Sobolewski went down in Beitar's Goalie box. A quick counter attack and a nice goal scored by Baruchian. Pawelek with no chances.

Wisla had a lot of chances to get the lead after but in the 79th minute Baruchian sprinted in Wisla's Goalie Box and scored shooting low and far post. Amistake by Cantoro costed Wisla the game.

Five minutes before the end of the game Zienczuk commits a stupid foul and get a yellow card and finally a red one.

Rematch Next Week!