FC Barcelona News: 2 February 2018; Barcelona Earn First Leg Advantage, Samuel Umtiti Renewal in the Works

FC Barcelona 1-0 Valencia: In the driving seat | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona are one step closer to yet another Copa del Rey final after overcoming a tight encounter against Valencia on a cold, damp night. The visitors were here to defend and the chances were few and far between but Luis Suárez, scorer of four goals the last time these two sides met in a cup semi-final at the Camp Nou, eventually tipped the balance in favour of the blaugrana.

Five years unbeaten at Camp Nou in the Copa del Rey | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona have now gone five years wtihout losing at Camp Nou in the Copa del Rey. Since losing 3-1 to Real Madrid in the semi-finals in 2013, the blaugranes have gone five years, 19 victories and a draw, the latter coming last season in the semi-finals against Atlético Madrid (1-1).

Valverde: ‘We won’t be going to Valencia to settle for a draw’ | FC Barcelona
Barça defeated Valencia 1-0 in Thursday’s Copa del Rey semi-final. A win is always a good result, but it’s a narrow margin to be taking to Mestalla next week. Let’s find out what head coach Ernesto Valverde made of it all.

HIGHLIGHTS: FC Barcelona v Valencia | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona are ahead in the Copa del Rey semi-final tie thanks to a goal from Luis Suárez at Camp Nou in the first leg against Valencia. The blaugranes now have the advatnage in the tie with the second leg to come next Thursday in Mestalla.

Barca ‘prioritise’ Umtiti renewal | Football Espana
Barcelona are prioritising the contract renewal of defender Samuel Umtiti and multiplying his €60m release clause, say reports in Spain. The French defender’s current deal runs to June 2021 but his release clause is considered to be extremely low in relation to his importance to the club.

Gerard Piqué’s Top 4 | FC Barcelona
Gerard Piqué has played alongside -and against- some of the best players in football’s recent history. The Barça defender, who recently renewed his contract with the club through to 2022, is hugely popular among fans at the Camp Nou, but who are his favourite players?

La Liga clubs’ winter transfer window spending sees tenfold increase | ESPN
The previous La Liga winter window record was €63m in 2009, when Real Madrid spent €27m to sign Klaas Jan-Huntelaar from Ajax. However, this year Madrid were the only club in the Spanish top flight not to make a move in the winter window.

Barça B shirt numbers for the rest of the season | FC Barcelona
With the January transfer window now firmly closed and the comings and goings in Gerard López’s Barça B squad confirmed, we can now take a look at the shirt numbers for the team for the rest of the season.

Source: barcablaugranes.com