Thursday, September 29, 2011

Only one more goal to go - Lionel Messi targets last Barcelona record after levelling with the legendary Ladislao Kubala

The Argentine struck twice in the 5-0 Champions League win at BATE Borisov to rack up 194 goals for the Catalan club, making him joint-second on the side's all-time list

Messi, only 24 old year, equalled Kubala's 194 goals for Barca on Wednesday by netting two goals in the 5-0 battering of BATE Borisov, propelling him to joint-second in the list of all-time scorers for the Catalan club.
Messi's 194 goals have come in 280 games, while Kubala achieved the feat in less fixtures, 256, in a 10-year period between 1951 and 1961 before leaving Barca at the age of 34.

Kubala, who passed away in 2002, was born in Hungary but also represented Spain and Czechoslovakia at international level.


     BARCELONA ALL-TIME TOP SCORERS LIST          
1. Cesar Rodriguez (Spain) 1942-55 235 
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) 2004-11 194
2. Ladislao Kubala (Hungary) 1951-61 194
4. Josep Samitier (Spain) 1919-32 178
5. Josep Escola (Spain) 1934-49 167
6. Paulino Alcantara (Philippines) 1912-27 137
7. Angel Arocha (Spain) 1926-33 134
8. Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon) 2004-09 130
9. Rivaldo (Brazil) 1997-02 130
10. Mariano Martin (Spain) 1940-48 124

Messi's mind will already be firmly fixed on that record, and, with another 33 league games to come, plus the Copa del Rey, Club World Cup and possibly another 11 Champions League matches as well, the mark could even be in the Argentine's sights this season.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Inter shocked as Bayern win openers

FC Bayern München and Real Madrid CF opened their UEFA Champions League group stage campaigns with away victories, but 2010 winners FC Internazionale Milano suffered a shock home defeat by Trabzonspor AŞ in the second set of matchday one games.
Undoubtedly the most eye-catching of Wednesday's results came at San Siro. Trabzonspor enjoyed a night to remember on their UEFA Champions League bow as Ondřej Čelůstka struck with 14 minutes remaining to give them a famous win against Inter.
Goals in either half from Toni Kroos and Rafinha gave Bayern, whose Fußball Arena München home hosts this season's final, a solid opening win at Villarreal CF in Group A. However, it was less of a straightforward night for nine-time European champions Madrid, who squeezed past GNK Dinamo Zagreb – back in the group stage after a 12-year absence – 1-0 and had to hold on after Marcelo's second-half red card.
Runners-up last year, Manchester United FC came from behind to earn a point at SL Benfica, Ryan Giggs cancelling out Óscar Cardozo's effort. FC Basel 1893 have the early lead in Group C after they defeated FC Oţelul Galaţi 2-1 in a game which finished with both teams down to ten men. PFC CSKA Moskva came from two goals down to nick a point at LOSC Lille Métropole, while AFC Ajax and Olympique Lyonnais played out a goalless draw.