FC Barcelona News: 31 January 2020

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Five star performance | FC Barcelona
Barça started in fine style at the Camp Nou and they had a reward as early as the fourth minute. A Leo Messi pass set Nelson Semedo free down the right-hand side before the right-back crossed for Antoine Griezmann to slot home. The Frenchman almost had a second before 10 minutes had been played, but after consultation with VAR, the goal was ruled out.

Possible rivals in the Copa quarter-finals | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona will be in the draw for the Copa del Rey quarterfinals (Friday 31, 1.00pm CET) after dismantling Leganés, and their potential rivals are Athletic Club, Valencia, Villarreal, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Granada and Mirandés. The tie will be played next week at the stadium of the team that will be drawn first from the bowl, and will be another one-legged affair.

Messi reaches 500 wins as an FC Barcelona player | FC Barcelona
Leo Messi and records go hand in hand. The Argentine star has now recorded 500 victories as an FC Barcelona player thanks to the 5-0 victory against Leganés in the Copa del Rey at Camp Nou. The Barça number 10 sits at the head of the ranking of wins, ahead of second placed Xavi Hernández (476) and Andrés Iniesta (459).

Antoine Griezmann: “Play as Barça’s No.9? I am here to help the team” | Sport
Antoine Griezmann scored the opening goal as Barcelona beat Leganes 5-0 on Thursday to make the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, with the draw for the last eight taking place on Friday. Griezmann played in a central role with Luis Suarez injured for four months.

Barcelona end search for Luis Suarez replacement after failed Richarlison bid | Sky Sports
Barcelona have attempted to sign a replacement for him this month but have been unable to agree deals for their four main targets - Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan, Valencia’s Rodrigo, Monaco striker Wissam Ben Yedder and Everton forward Richarlison.

Setien backs ‘amazing’ Dembele to make up for Barcelona’s failure to sign a striker | Goal
Setien acknowledged the lack of a new signing leaves Barca’s attack in a precarious position, though Dembele has been eased back into full training since the weekend having been sidelined since November with a thigh injury. The 22-year-old signed from Borussia Dortmund for an initial €105 million (£88m/$116m) in August 2017 but has frequently struggled with injuries.

Barcelona’s Carles Perez joins Roma in deal worth up to €15.5 million | ESPN
Barcelona forward Carles Perez has joined Serie A side Roma in a deal worth an initial €11 million, the two clubs confirmed on Thursday. A further €4.5m is potentially due in performance-related add-ons. Perez has signed a contract with Roma until 2024.

Manchester United want Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic | Football Espana
Manchester United are considering a late bid to land Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic in the January transfer window. Diario Sport cite a report from ESPN that the Red Devils are keen to bolster their midfield further after landing Sporting CP captain Bruno Fernandes this week.

Source: barcablaugranes.com