FC Barcelona News: 15 January 2018; Barcelona Survive Real Sociedad Scare to Remain Unbeaten

MATCH REPORT: Real Sociedad v FC Barcelona: Thrilling comeback win (2-4) | FC Barcelona
Ernesto Valverde’s team go nine points clear of Atlético in the La Liga standings with a hard-fought comeback win against Real Sociedad at the blaugranas’ bogey ground of Anoeta. The 4-2 victory was the perfect start to a run of three away games for Valverde’s men as the team dug deep to turn the game around from two goals down.

Messi’s goal from every angle | FC Barcelona
Lionel Messi stunned the supporters inside Anoeta on Sunday night. The No.10 scored late on from more than 30 yards, ensuring all three points for FC Barcelona in a 2-4 victory. The free-kick was his 29th goal of this season and of those, 20 have been in the League, a competition in which Messi now has 366 goals in 401 games.

HIGHLIGHTS: Real Sociedad v FC Barcelona | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona’s winless run in La Liga at Anoeta is over. Sunday’s 4-2 victory took the form of a spectacular comeback after Willian José and then Juanmi had given the home side a 2-0 lead.

Ernesto Valverde reveals Barcelona relief after ending Anoeta ‘curse’ | ESPN
However, with Barca’s win at La Real marking the halfway point in the campaign, Valverde believes it’s still too early to say the title race is run. ”There’s distance [between Barca and the rest],” Valverde said in his postgame news conference. “We’ve only dropped six points in the first half of the season -- the numbers are good.

Alba: Teamwork the key for Barca | Football Espana
Jordi Alba has praised Barcelona’s team work and believes that, rather than individual displays, is behind their success this season. The Blaugrana’s 4-2 victory at Real Sociedad on Sunday night re-established their nine-point lead at the top of the table, with Real Madrid now 19 points off the pace.

Third best record ever at half way point in La Liga | FC Barcelona
51 points is Barça’s total for the 2017/18 league season so far and that figure is yet another landmark in the Club’s history. The comeback win in Anoeta on Sunday evening brought the blaugranes league campaign to the half way point and the total of 51 points is the third best in the history of La Liga.

Barça the only unbeaten side in Europe’s top leagues | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona have ended the first half of the league season with a nine point lead over second placed Atlético Madrid, recording in the process the third best first half in the league’s history. Furthermore, Barça are now the only side in the five main European leagues (La Liga, Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1) who remain unbeaten.

Rivals Watch: Atlético wins, Espanyol draws, Real Madrid loses | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona’s closest rival for the domestic crown this season, Atlético Madrid, fared well on Saturday, winning its game by the minimum and allowing it to keep pace with this season’s runaway leaders, who remained nine points clear in the La Liga standings after beating Real Sociedad, 4–2, on Sunday night.

Source: Bostjan Cernensek http://bit.ly/2DhpdBG