Barcelona gave a true demonstraton of their skillful passing proficiency to defeat a plucky Malaga, with Messi instrumental in all three goals, supported by Iniesta, Cesc and Busquets.
Read our blow by blow report on this game below. Feel free to join the lively debate with your friends, by tweeting, messaging and retweeting. Or, post your comments below in our comment box.
Live Streaming Report: Malaga CF 1 FC Barcelona 3
Rosaleda Stadium, Malaga, 2100 Sunday 13th January 2013. By guest reporter/blogger: James Bogie.
Pre-match comments and forecast, by our expert
A test of Malaga’s mettle against the runaway leaders of La Liga first division. Any hopes Real Madrid may have of catching the azulgranas may rest on the shoulders of Pelligrini’s side to peg back a point or three at La Rosaleda tonight. Malaga are keen to maintain their UEFA place by finishing in the top 4 this season, but do not harbour genuine hopes of catching Barcelona for the title unfortunately. Barcelona are masters at coming away from these matches with resounding victories however. David Villa looked sharp againts Cordoba in the Copa del Rey in midweek (unlike Alexis Sanchez) and is my tip to return to the starting line-up: he looks fully recovered now and has already scored 10 goals in only 11 matches. Malaga will need to grab a goal or two in the first half, it is hard to see Barcelona failing to score a few, I think they will prove just too strong for Pelligrini’s team.
Minute by Minute report: Malaga 1 Barcelona 3
So will enjoy my last night on Costa del Sol. All the best, twitterlings…James
I have been invited to dinner with cocktails later tonight in a Malaga restaurant, with VIP nightcub entry.
Thanks to all who retweeted and sent messages during the match.
For tickets for all Spanish Liga matches including #elclasicotickets check http://www.spanishkicks.com
A fantastic match, dominated by Barcelona. I hope you have enjoyed this Spanish Kicks twitcast.
FULL TIME: Malaga 1 – Barcelona 3. Barcelona 18 points clear of Real Madrid.
Sanchez receives a great ball from Thiago, rounds the keeper, but misses. It’s full time
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89′ Malaga 1 – Barcelona 3.
He’ll drive back to Marbella tonight a slightly happer man..
GOAL MALAGA. Buonante scores a quality curling free kick from just outside the box. Manny Pelligrini jumpos up on the bench
82′ Meanwhile a series of Iniesta back-heelers leaves everyone bewildered. Including Iniesta.
Vilanova takes the record for best ever start to a season in Spain-
Malaga 0 Barcelona 3, a lovely combination of Thiago and Messi. Thiago strokes it past Caballero—-
GOAL BARCELONA Thiago
Barca moving towards the Malaga goal at will..a third looks likely
77′ Sanchez comes on for Pedro
Tweeting out to Jimmy Henderson’s stag do in Barcelona tonight, they are on a bar crawl down las Ramblas
75′ Mazy dribble by Iniesta leaves Messi a half chance it’s a corner
Malaga have not created one clear chance on Barcelona’s goal
Bad corner, Malaga have the ball. This will be Malaga’s fist home defeat of the season
72` Corner to Barca. Cesc is off Thiago comes on.
Yellow card for Busquets, but that’s hardly news
with Messi well placed at the post
FCB still moving forward, Dani Alves hits his trademark long cross, straight over the by line
Barcelona are now bearing down on Malaga`s goal with regularity
No doubt checking out De Gea’s performance as he may take over from Victor Valdez next season if Barcelona sign him
I was in a bar full of blaugranas after lunch watching the Man Utd Liverpool match
Malaga is a great city, a spunky place, the Malgueños never let you down, the fans are marvellous
Near thing from Messi looking for his third hat trick on the trot against Malaga in La Liga
the more they push up looking for an equaliser the more Barca have space to run into
Malaga are caught in the Barcelona trap.
An exhibition now from Barça in La Rosaleda, enjoying the night, Malaga need some inspiration
Barca are stroking it around, with silky skills by Busquets.
It appears Barcelona will move 18 points head of Real Madrid. a record goal tally by any Spanish team at the half-way point
Malaga 0 – Barcelona 2
49′ GOAL – Messi splits the Malaga defence with a trademark curling pass and Cesc lofts it over Caballero
That was not a good decision by the Basque referee and the Barca fans are booing
Back heel from Busquets puts Iniesta through, but Pedro is offside
Second half begins, with no changes to the first half line-ups
And we all wish the kiwis a successful Brazil campaign
Strange to think that only one of those three still play football in international representative terms
Scotland were also in the same group
New Zealand and the soviet union provided some thrilling football during that qualifying stage
This stadium was the historic site of much drama during the Spanish World Cup in 1982
The Malaga fans next to me seem philosophical, perhaps lost, as I have been, in 1982. #barcaleaguechampions
Tweet-greetings to Alison and Natalia offering pole dancing for groups in Barcelona…Pique might be up for it
I loved their accents – Ayrshire mainly – and the fast that many have caps for Scotland
I spent yesterday chatting with some of the regulars of the bars along the coast, fascinating raconteurs some of them
they really get it down their necks along the coast here in Costa del Sol
As well as fried anchovies and Cruzcampo, the locals here love their drinks
HALF TIME: Malaga 0 – Barcelona 1
The Malaga fans are still chanting to my left, but resigned to their boquerones sandwich at half time one down
41′ another good build up by Malaga, Valdez gathers a weak shot from Isco
and scored hatricks in both league matches against Malaga
last year The Flea he was not even content with a couple of Number 2’s
unfortunatley Messsi will be only too keen to visit the Gents tonight ..
He currently leads the Liga in the Zamora Prize – the Spanish golden glove (fewest goals conceded by any keeper in a season),
Malaga’s keeper is Argentinian Willy Caballero. a true Gentleman.
The Malaga fans would like to believe their side can come back into this…
Possible handball by Pique from an Eliseu cross on the left…then Malaga get close with a header from Saviola
To their credit, Malaga look lean and hungry. Having not been paid for a few months..
34′ Malaga look dangerous in Barcelona’s box, but Pique gets the ball away showing typical possession skills
Both matches last year ended 4-1 to Barcelona, and Messi scored hat-tricks in both….
32′ Possession stats so far: Barcelona 67%, Malaga 33%
Barca are still running the match, Malaga’s danger men are being deprived of the ball
Reminiscent of the Hansen- Miller blunder here in 1982, same part of the pitch
Iniesta collected the ball from a blunder by two Malaga defenders, just inside the Malaga half
Iniesta get the ball throuh to Messi who sells Callero a dummy and slots it in
27`GOL by Messi 0 – 1 after a mistake by the Malaga defence
Iniesta connects with a cross from Cesc on the left, but hits it straight to teh mALAGA GOALKEEPER
Barsa on the attack, Fabregas tries to place a curler past Caballero, which ends narrowly over the top
27′ An intense match. Ref Delgado Ferreiro has to take a firm grip
Hello to Barney in Sheffield, he bought football tickets for a stag do in madrid last may. #spanishfootballtickets #elclasicotickets
Alves has gone down with an ankle knock
So he has clearly spotted a chink in their armour…
Pelligrini was quoted in the papers this mornings saying “Barcelona will probably lose one day this season…
17′ Barsa are in control of the match. looking for the way through the Malaga defence
v The quaffers of hangover-inducing sweet wine…
It’s the pork sausage butifarra consumers from semi-autonomous Catalonia
Someone has texted me to ask about shark fishing on the Algarve, we’ll talk about that later. Danny Alves has the ball
Barsa are kicking towards Torremolinos.
12′ Good run down the left by Eliseu, Malaga wil try to use pace to beat Barcelona
Barcelona in control of the ball, and buiding up from the left with Iniesta
The Malga fans are still jumping up and down
Which is mopped up by Weligton
9′ Iniesta floats it across to the back post and Malaga concede a corner
Barcelona on the attck
Caballero foiled Messi, his fellow Argentine
Near thing for Messi right inside Malaga box, it’s a corner
4′ Barcelona in control of the ball
A sprightly opening from Malaga, Joaquin taking it to them
Kick Off: Malaga 0 Barcelona 0
Ted Bundy ?
Does Mou have a dog ? What will it be called ?
His dog is called “Messi” apparently
For me Golden Boy Isco is the man to watch for Malaga
The game is about to begin, Malaga to kick off
If Adriano and Mascherano was playing for Barcelona, the Joaquin-Isco-Saviola combo might wreak havoc. But they arent.
linking with Saviola
Up front Eliseu on the left, Isco, and Joaquin, a man for the big occasion.
two men playing in front of their backs: Oturra and Ignacio Camacho,
Here’s the rest of the Malaga team
one of the few words not misspelt on this Twitcast
There must be a question mark over the pace and cohesion of Weligton. “Weligton” is not a spelling mistake.,
Laga Team: Caballero, Monteal, Wellington, Demichelis and Sergio Sanches at the back.
The teams are on the pitch
Pelligrono has named the folowing line up;
there it is now
Forgot the hashtag: #whichEnglishclubwillGuardiolasignfor
Tito is just back from a 2-hour coffee with Pep G in a 5th Avenue hotel- Let’s hope he keeps schtum about which English club will Guardiola sign for
With Cesc, Busquets, Xavi Iniesta, Pedro and Messi in midfield and attack. That must be their strongest line
Tito Vilanova has chosen Valdes, Alba, Puyol, Pique, Alves at the back
Here are the teams
A mean cheese soufflée and fillet steak, he has tweeted to wish Malaga all the best.
We’ve receied a message from Robbie, a well known Aussie restaurateur in The Estepona area “The Yellow Book”
but Ibra proved just a few weeks ago in front of 40,000 swedes that he can take it from behind…
insinuating some something homoerotic between Pique and Ibrahimovitch..That photo 2 years go…
That was when the Barca contingent appeared to realise they may have been taunting Pique…
then “Boys Boys Boys” (Sabrina) then “So Macho” (no idea who sang that)
under the din from the Barsa away support I hear India by Psychedelic Furs,
Both sets of supporters chanted “Mou Mou. Stay stay!” before the match, but the PA people started playing music.
Barcelona’s colourful travelling supporting is banked away to my left, non-stop chanting since the gates opened (and before)
a lovely temperature for football
This is James Bogie at the Rosaleda Stadium Malaga, I’ll be tweeting as it happens comments on this match, which begins at 2100
Sunday: Malaga v Barcelona Tweetcast
Villa is out as he appears to have injury problems, Vilanova will be back on the bench.
Saturday: Many of the Catalan fans were completely ratassed, I think they are heading for the Chinese in Fuengirola, then Borsellino Palace, Torremolinos
Both teams are resting, having a quiet meal tonight but you can feel the atmosphere building around the city…it is going to be exciting
I’d like to thank SpanishKicks for getting me mine, and bringing me here to commentweet – pity the hotel is not very good though
The game is a sell-out and Barcelona fans are trying to buy tickets
There is a large contingent of Barcelona away supporters already camped on the centre of malaga: a real Fiesta Blaugrana!
Malaga take on Barcelona tomorrow night (Sunday) at 2100 Cet. You can follow our live streaming commentary here on twitter.
Follow @SpanishKicks
That should be a brilliant match, I hope Malaga win. I tried find tickets for the game wish I had bought tickets with Spanish kicks. Anyway I see you have ticketa for el clasico as well so will be intouch, thanks!
I used to love the Torremolinos nightlife, has a brilliant stag do there once. Could get a seat at the arosaleda so am watching with the missus in Marbella bar. Should be a great gama and come on malaga!!!
Hi Stuart, Thanks for posting and am glad you will be following our tweets and watching in your favourite boozer! Drop the team here a line at SK if you need tickets for future Spanish matches involving Barcelona away or home. Same goes for Real Madrid. The Man U game at Bernabeu looks like “un classico”…so to speak, Cheers,