FC Barcelona News: 23 December 2018

Barça 2 – 0 Celta: Holiday Joy | FC Barcelona
Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembélé notched one goal each in the first half as FC Barcelona cruised to a 2–0 victory over Celta Vigo on Saturday night at Camp Nou. The win will keep Barça in first place in La Liga until play resumes after the winter holidays on the first weekend in January.

Andrés Iniesta takes in Barça vs Celta at Camp Nou | FC Barcelona
Former FC Barcelona great Andrés Iniesta was in attendance at Camp Nou on Saturday night and witnessed first hand Barça’s year-ending, 2–0 triumph over Celta Vigo. Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu presented Iniesta with a gold infinity symbol in recognition of his outstanding career. Iniesta gave Bartomeu a Vissel Kobe jersey — his current team — with the number eight.

Dembele continues to shine in front of goal | Marca
With another goal against Celta Vigo on Saturday afternoon, Ousmane Dembele took his tally to 10 goals for 2018/19, with seven of those coming in LaLiga Santander. The Frenchman is already well on his way to making this his best scoring season.

Jordi Alba on contract talks: It’s not enough to say I’m a great player, actions matter | Marca
The subject of Jordi Alba’s contract came up again after Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Celta Vigo, with the full-back calling for words to turn into action. He has a contract until the summer of 2020, but would like to move forward with talks on a new deal.

Valverde reveals how long Messi and Barça players will get off over Christmas | Sport
The Celta victory was Barça’s last match until the New Year and the squad will now have a few days off over the festive period -- which will mean trips to South America for some members.

Umtiti to return on December 30 | FC Barcelona
Samuel Umtiti was evaluated by the Club’s Medical Services staff at the team’s training center this morning due to the discomfort in his left knee. Samuel Umtiti will return on December 30 to continue undergoing conservative treatment on his knee.

Messi is just one goal away from leading the Golden Shoe table | Marca
He won the Golden Shoe last season and Lionel Messi is very much in the race to win the award in the 2018/19 campaign as well. With his goal against Celta Vigo on Saturday evening, the No.10 moved onto 15 league goals for the season and is now just one effort behind top spot.

Report: Real Madrid & Barcelona keep tabs on Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho | Football Espana
Real Madrid and Barcelona are both reportedly keeping tabs on Borussia Dortmund and England sensation Jadon Sancho. According to Marca, Madrid and Barca have both been ‘very attentive’ to Sancho’s development at Dortmund, which is described as ‘frightening’, for the last six months.

Hércules - Barça B: Draw in a difficult stadium (0-0) | FC Barcelona
García Pimienta’s side came away with a well-earned point from the José Rico Pérez, in what was their the last game of 2018. Both teams had chances to win, Roigé going close for the hosts early on, and Wagué unlucky not to put Barça ahead inside the first twenty minutes of the game. Hércules enjoyed more possession but were unable to take advantage of their dominance.

Source: barcablaugranes.com