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Barcelona puts on another goal-scoring clinic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Getty Images)

Are you getting tired of Barcelona highlights yet?

Chances are that you aren't, well, unless you're a Real Madrid fan.

FC Barcelona did it again on Tuesday, pouring on the style in a 4-1 victory against Racing Santander. Lionel Messi scored a pair of goals while Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his own and set up another.

Real Madrid will have a chance to try and match its arch-rival today when it faces Villarreal (2pm, GolTV, 8pm on Tape Delay).

If you didn't see Barcelona's latest virtuoso performance, here are the highlights:

What did you think of this latest performance? Anxious to see what Real Madrid will do today to try and top it? Do you ever get tired of watching Barcelona play?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. When Zlatan says he has knee problems that is code language. It means he is going to be out all night with as many hookers as he can find. this guy has fined more times for brothel all nighters than any other player.

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  2. I felt that Iniesta was one of the top players in the world- 4 years ago. Can you imagine that Iniesta and Xavi were on the bench watching Ronaldinho and thinking “we are better than him”. They were right. Ronaldinho couldnt be their shoe-shine boy. I saw Deco play live and few weeks ago. I couldnt imagine this team with Deco.

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  3. And xavi sometimes appears barely human. He seemingly always sees the perfect pass and then executes it flawlessly. Not to go over the top, but it’s like god went into the matrix and de-programed human error (except for when M. Bradley and R. Clark man marked him in the confederations cup!)

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  4. It’s too difficult to try and see them lose this season. There is a good chance they won’t. Barca and Chelsea to duke it out in the final.

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  5. RK –

    Best not to read Marca for Barca news.

    @Pico — do not agree with your assessment of Maxwell, but we shall see. Thanks for the article though.

    @cjbrown

    Not only did Marquez get ‘megged, he also cleared the ball to the other team before getting megged. Definitely one of the highlights for me. 😉

    One other note, even though I had to stitch together multiple shows to record it, what a nice treat to enjoy after work. Barca in HD… lovely!

    Maybe I will have to plan a trip in May, it’s been a while since I’ve celebrated at Canaletas… but you always go back!

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  6. Reid,

    The issue of fans jumping on the Barcelona bandwagon is not an American only phenomenon. In my last trip through South America I was amazed how many kids wear their colors. My own 7-year old daughter wears her #10 jersey proudly as soon as it is washed and dry. By the way, I have been a fan of the team since the teams of Cruyff in the 1970’s.

    What we are seeing now is the results of a football philosophy instituted by Johann himself and now part of every kid that comes through the Barça system.

    The scary part is that the team will play much better when Yaya Toure is back in the middle, Maxwell replaces Abidal, and of course Iniesta starts again. Here is a good article that touches on that incredible midfield…

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/8052705.stm

    Cheers

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  7. they play an incredibly artful attacking soccer that is unmatched in quality. have over 60% (72% the other day) is not unusual for them and gives them the advantage just about anywhere..
    however isn’t anyone worried about their unenthusiastic approach on defense. look at how much space they give Serano on his goal! and even though it was a great shot how little Valdes had to do to stop it.. is it just because they had a 4 goal lead? i am a bit worried about the defending when Barça starts facing Real and Champions League opponents.

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  8. jp and david, remember that Barca really started playing like this when Cryuff the Dutch Master was the coach. Guardiola and other players in the youth academy grew up in that system. Today’s Barca shows the fruit of those labors.

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  9. wow, Messi…

    Went back and counted, there was a 2:30 stretch in the first half where Barcelona put together 47 passes in a row without losing possession or the ball going out…unbelievable.

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  10. jp i think you are forgetting about the golden years of ajax (1995-96) they are a mirror image of this barcelona side. The one thing that separates barca from other great passing sides is there patience.

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  11. Wonderful to see the rebirth of the beautiful game by the feet of Barcelona players. I haven’t seen such a display of control, movement and poise since the catastrophic Brazil loss to Italy in the 1982 Worl Cup in Spain.

    That loss marked a shift in world football to a more direct (IMHO uglier) but supposedly more effective style of play. Ironically, a team from Spain brings back hope for the lovers of the beautiful game.

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  12. This is how good Barca is: I don’t think a team of NFL quarterbacks throwing a football around a soccer pitch could maintain possession and create the kind of chances Barca does with a soccer ball and their feet. Watching Barca is better than watching a team of Hall of Fame point guards because there is more physical space to be creative. Its almost like watching the Harlem Globetrotters, except that Barca is playing in one of top two leagues in the world. Watching a Barca game is like watching an entire baseball game made up of the best double plays you’ve ever seen, or a hockey game where one team is always on a power play. That the outcome is rarely in doubt doesn’t matter — its like watching a great action movie where you know the hero is going to win the end and the excitement is to see how he gets there and in the explosions along the way. Its two uninterrupted 45ish minute sessions of world class entertainment.

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  13. I hear what you guys are saying about respecting building from within (as an ex yankees fan, torre was the last straw), but the feeling i’ve been getting lately is that barca is the new arsenal (flavor of the month)as far as new american fans are concerned. It just seems barca fans are coming out of the woodwork now.

    And this is not coming from a RM supporter…. I hate barca and RM equally.

    On the other hand maybe i’m being a hardheaded d-bag

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  14. Seriously, they are amazing, and Messi is just too good. It’s really unfair. You can just see the looks on the other teams’ faces, it’s just like, “Seriously, how can we defend against this?” United is my team, but I didn’t mind losing to them in the finals when they are that good. I think they will kill Real Madrid with Real’s defense, but I definitely see Mardid scoring a few goals too, but Messi will take a dump on that defense…

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  15. Xavi is… well, I don’t have words for how amazing his passing skills are. I mean, Messi is simply magic (jack), but watching the way Xavi just picks out a player and then gives him the ball no matter the angle, distance, whatever, is just “majesterial” to me.

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  16. Reid: I can appreciate the Pats and Barca, who build from within and make shrewd roster choices. But I can’t cheer for the Yankees or RM, who try to buy their championships.

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  17. I dunno Reid. It’s pretty hard to root against Messi and co. And the only time I rooted against MJ and the bulls was when they were up against the knicks. The incredible creativity on offense, the ESP like alchemy of the passing game, the insane vision.. hard to resist.

    The Pats, though, completely different story.

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  18. The Boycott is now, just as with the Bulls in the 90’s the Patriots this decade. At what point is it still fun when you know the outcome of the match before you watch it.

    I’ll be pulling for the underdogs and not following the sheep

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  19. People have to remember that another great goal scorer, Henry, essentially needed a year to get up to speed in the Barca system. With Ibra scoring a goal a game, the sky is the limit (except that Messi is closer to 2 a game so far). I will never tire of watching this “football from the gods” as Ray Hudson would say.

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  20. Not yet tired. I Iove their movement off the ball on attack, not the mad MLS/ EPL dashes down field, but constant movement into space 15 to 20 meters apart. Their players always seemed to not only find an open mate but also the one who’ll have the most time on the ball.

    One commentator here said, they are playing a different game than everyone else, so true.

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  21. ETJ: and it showed. I watched the 2nd half, and Barca just did what they wanted with the ball. It was like a game of keepaway.

    The Return of Pelligrini is live at 2 pm est on GolTV today.

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  22. Many people dont realize how phenomenal Zlatan is. I have all the worlds great players live. I put Zlatan up there with Zidane. He is tremendous touch, passing acuity, shooting, limitless creativity. It is virtually impossible to take the ball from him one vs one. eto is nowhere near the soccer player that Zlatan is. Barca really stole him from Inter.

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  23. does anybody know if they truly credited the opening goal to Ibra? Looks like an own goal to me. He still celebrated it as if he headed it home, a la Luis Hernandez.

    (SBI-He was credited with the goal in ESPN’s box score. Haven’t seen it called an own goal anywhere. I suppose it can be argued that it goes in without the keeper’s head anyway.)

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  24. barca is the best, but I enjoyed the racing goal, especially bc he nutmegged rafa marquez. I wonder how that jackass has been able to stay there so many years, and how his far more talented teammates tolerate him.

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