January 2012 is not just any month for FC Barcelona. They have a bunch of tough games awaiting them, and already, Osasuna are poised to give the giants a dreadful start to the New Year.
The Barcelona vs Osasuna fixture in the Copa del Rey, kicking off on 4 January 2012 at 4pm EST, will be played over two legs. The return leg takes place eight days after; that means only four days after the big Catalan derby in the Spanish La Liga: Espanyol vs Barcelona.
This is a game the defending league champions would not want to lose. With a draw against their rivals certainly not being part of their plans for this month, much effort will be needed to keep Barcelona in La Liga title race.
This goes without saying that they will have to snatch a huge advantage against Osasuna on Wednesday, just so they can have a chance to use minimal energy on January 12 at the Estadio Reyno de Navarra. Three days after their last Copa del Rey match in the Round of 16 this season, Barcelona face Real Betis.
Despite Betis’ unimpressive status, it will still be an important encounter, considering that Pep Guardiola’s aim is to rule the league standings firmly for another season in a row. Los Cules will then be preparing themselves to meet Malaga away from home, while Villarreal will be welcoming them later on.
But most likely, this is not all that is in Barcelona’s schedule for January 2012. The Blaugrana won 9-0 at home over L’Hospitalet in their last match of 2011 in the Copa del Rey. The odds are therefore in their favour ahead of their test in the Round of 16.
As a result - should they defeat Osasuna as expected on aggregate - they will be having two more matches to play this month, against one same opponent in the Spanish Cup. That could be against Malaga; but more interestingly, fans could see another pair of Clasico.
Real Madrid and Malaga have been placed against each other in the Round of 16, and one side among them thus has to participate in the ensuing round. As Real Madrid are anticipated to come out victorious eventually, they could greatly burden their arch-rivals this month, in revenge for the bitter 3-1 loss they suffered on 10 December 2011 at the Bernabeu.
How well can FC Barcelona cope with their tight schedule? Pep Guardiola could chose to rely on endurance, or he could adapt to a rotation policy that will see his top players remain fit enough for any surprise. Either way, only the results will matter in the long run.
This is a game the defending league champions would not want to lose. With a draw against their rivals certainly not being part of their plans for this month, much effort will be needed to keep Barcelona in La Liga title race.
This goes without saying that they will have to snatch a huge advantage against Osasuna on Wednesday, just so they can have a chance to use minimal energy on January 12 at the Estadio Reyno de Navarra. Three days after their last Copa del Rey match in the Round of 16 this season, Barcelona face Real Betis.
Despite Betis’ unimpressive status, it will still be an important encounter, considering that Pep Guardiola’s aim is to rule the league standings firmly for another season in a row. Los Cules will then be preparing themselves to meet Malaga away from home, while Villarreal will be welcoming them later on.
But most likely, this is not all that is in Barcelona’s schedule for January 2012. The Blaugrana won 9-0 at home over L’Hospitalet in their last match of 2011 in the Copa del Rey. The odds are therefore in their favour ahead of their test in the Round of 16.
As a result - should they defeat Osasuna as expected on aggregate - they will be having two more matches to play this month, against one same opponent in the Spanish Cup. That could be against Malaga; but more interestingly, fans could see another pair of Clasico.
Real Madrid and Malaga have been placed against each other in the Round of 16, and one side among them thus has to participate in the ensuing round. As Real Madrid are anticipated to come out victorious eventually, they could greatly burden their arch-rivals this month, in revenge for the bitter 3-1 loss they suffered on 10 December 2011 at the Bernabeu.
How well can FC Barcelona cope with their tight schedule? Pep Guardiola could chose to rely on endurance, or he could adapt to a rotation policy that will see his top players remain fit enough for any surprise. Either way, only the results will matter in the long run.
