Sergio Agüero has scored four goals in the 11 games he has played against FC Barcelona

It is three years since the Argentinian last played Barça

FC Barcelona have won 7 of the 11 games in which he has featured

The eleven games

2006/07
FCB 1-1 ATM (LEAGUE)
ATM 0-6 FCB (LEAGUE)

2007/08FCB 3-0 ATM (LEAGUE)
ATM 4-2 FCB (LEAGUE)

2008/09FCB 6-1 ATM (LEAGUE)
FCB 2-1 ATM (CUP)
ATM 4-3 FCB (LEAGUE)

2009/10FCB 5-2 ATM (LEAGUE)
ATM 2-1 FCB (LEAGUE)

2010/11ATM 1-2 FCB (LEAGUE)
FCB 3-0 ATM (LEAGUE)

Sergio Agüero is no stranger to playing FC Barcelona. Although he missed the Champions League game at the Etihad Stadium through injury, the City striker played eleven league and cup games, and started nine, against the Catalans while he was at Atlético Madrid. Three years later, and Wednesday brings him another chance to test himself against the best team in the world.

Positive balance for Barça

In those eleven games, Agüero was only on the winning side on three occasions. The other games saw Barça beat Atlético seven times, and there was one draw, with an overall goal record of 34 for Barça and 16 for Atlético. Agüero scored exactly a quarter of his team’s goals (4), all in the league.

The Argentinian played a particularly decisive role in two of those games. In 2006/07, he scored his side’s only goal in a game that ended all square. And in 2008/09, his second goal of the night was the one that sealed a famous 4-3 win for the mattress-makers with just three minutes left to play. Agüero’s other goal came in Atlético’s best result against FCB with him in the side, a 4-2 win in the 2007/08 season, his goal, the fourth, coming when the three points were already as good as secured.

Camp Nou, hostile territory

Agüero has played six games at the Camp Nou and not won once. The best he managed with Atlético was a 1-1 draw in 2006/07, the night of what, until now, is the only goal he has ever scored in the FC Barcelona stadium.

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When and where to watch the Champions League match between FC Barcelona and @MCFC

Don’t know where to watch Wednesday’s big game? We have you covered!

Wednesday night’s game at the Camp Nou is one of the biggest games of the season, and here’s a guide to TV channels showing the game around the world. If the game isn’t being shown in your country or region, remember that you can listen to live commentary in English on Radio Barça and the international web sites.

In the United Kingdom, the game gets under way at 7.45 PM GMT, but viewers in the Americas will be watching it in the middle of the afternoon, while fans in Asia and Oceania will either be staying up very late on Tuesday, or getting up very early on Wednesday. But it’s worth making sacrifices for a game as good as this one.

If the game isn’t being shown in your country or region, remember that you can listen to live commentary in English on Radio Barça, and there will be constant updates here at www.fcbarcelona.com, on Twitter (@fcbarcelona) and on all of the club’s usual social networks.

To help you find the game, here’s a list of kick off times in different countries and the channels that are showing the match.

Brazil – 4:45 PM (Brasilia)
ESPN Brazil, ESPN Brazil (SKY), ESPN Latin America
FC Barcelona: @fcbarcelona_br and www.fcbarcelona.pt

South America – Buenos Aires 4:45 PM / Santiago Chile 3:45 PM / México D.F. 1:45 PM
ESPN Latin America – Caracol Colombia, ESPN Latin America – Mega Chile, Fox Sports Latin America, Ratensa Nicaragua, Paravision Paraguay, Repretel Costa Rica, Meridiano TV
FC Barcelona: @fcbarcelona_es and www.fcbarcelona.es

China – 3:45 AM (Thursday morning) (CST)
CCTV Sports China, QQ China, Sina.com, Elta TV Taiwan
FC Barcelona: Tencent Weibo and www.fcbarcelona.cn

France – 8:45 PM (CET)
beIN Sports France
FC Barcelona: @fcbarcelona_fra and www.fcbarcelona.fr

India – 1:15 AM (Thursday morning) (IST)
TEN Sports LIVE

Indonesia – 02:45 AM (Thursday morning) (WIB)
SCTV
FC Barcelona: @fcbarcelona_id and www.fcbarcelona.co.id

Japan – 04:45 AM (Thursday morning) (JST)
Sky Perfect Japan
FC Barcelona: @fcbarcelona_jap and www.fcbarcelona.jp

Russia – 11:45 PM (MSK)
NTV Russia

Spain – 08:45 PM (CET)
Canal+
FC Barcelona:  @fcbarcelona_cat and @fcbarcelona_es

UAE – 11:45 PM (GST)
BeIN Sports
FC Barcelona: @fcbarcelona_ara and www.fcbarab.com

USA – 2:45 PM (EST)
Fox Sports

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Andrés Iniesta reveals the secrets of Nike's new #Magista boots

“Magista boots are like wearing gloves on your feet and you play more accurately”, said the FC Barcelona midfielder at the city’s new DHUB centre

Nike has launched its most innovative football boot design yet, Magista, at a presentation held in the new Disseny Hub Barcelona centre and attended by FC Barcelona star Andrés Iniesta.

The midfielder revealed the secrets of the new boots, which he says are “very innovative and totally fit around the foot” thanks to a technology called Flyknit. “The shape of the boot is totally different and makes your ankle much more comfortable” he added. The most remarkable outer feature is the extended collar that enables a much closer fit around the player’s foot. “The Magista’s mid-cut Dynamic Fit collar is not just a visually compelling innovation, it’s designed to create heightened feel for the ball and enhance the player’s touch”, says Phil McCartney, vice-president of Sport Performance Footwear.

An extension of the player

Born from four years of R&D in the Nike Sport Research Lab and with feedback from some of the world’s best attacking playmakers, including Barcelona’s Andrés Iniesta and German forward Mario Gotze, the Magista boot is finally a reality. “We’ve designed a shoe that feels like an extension of the player’s body. This isn’t a boot that just goes on your foot, it’s a boot that works with your foot”, said McCartney.

Eliminating distractions

Meanwhile, Denis Dekovic, Nike Footwear Design Director, explained that “Magista boots eliminate distractions. When Iniesta is on the pitch his movements are dynamic and he needs to think about who he has to pass the ball to. His boots shouldn’t distract him from that”.

Andrés Iniesta hopes that his new Magista boots will “help to achieve everything … both for my club and for the national team. Let’s hope I can celebrate a lot of conquests with these boots. And with the Champions League, Liga, Spanish Cup and the World Cup in Brazil all on the horizon, there are plenty of chances for Iniesta to get some conquering done in the near future.”

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Centre back @MarcBartra91 has spoken of his sadness that @Carles5Puyol is soon to leave FC Barcelona

The centre back is sorry that Puyol is leaving after he has learned so much from his team-mate and captain

He announced that he is signing a new contract that will keep him at FC Barcelona until 2017

Marc Bartra is the latest of many players to pay tribute to Carles Puyol, who announced on Tuesday that he’s leaving FC Barcelona at the end of the season. “It’s sad news for us all” he said at a press conference on Thursday. “For the team because we’ve lost our leader, he’s a captain from head to toes. And personally because he gave me so much advice and helped me progress in the game.”[[CITA_1]]But he likes to see the positive side of things, commenting that “we haven’t taken in the idea that he won’t be with us next season. But there are still three months left and we have to be optimistic and learn as much as we can from him in that time”.

Bartra says that Puyol has played a key role in his own growth as a player. “He helps me a lot on the field” he said. “After every move he gives me advice and after every game and every training session too. He has done a primordial job not just for me, but the whole team”.

Asked whether Puyol’s departure might open up more chances for himself as a centre back, Bartra spoke prudently. “I’d rather think about that at the end of the season” he insisted. “We still have four centre backs at the moment. If somebody new comes, I’ll learn from him, while I have to keep proving that I can play at centre back here.” Bartra explained how he knows that at Barça the demands are very different than they might be in other places.[[CITA_2]]Asked about the time he is getting this season, he said that “I am very aware of my position, that this is FC Barcelona and hardly anybody can say they have an undisputed place in the first eleven. I have gone through everything this season. There were times when I hardly played at all and others when I played loads of games in a row … The manager has played it so that none of the 20 players in the squad ever know if we’ll be playing or watching from the stands. He’s dealt with things very well and every week you are left guessing as to whether you’ll get to start”.

Bartra also revealed that he’ll be a signing a new contract with the club next week. On January 15 it was already announced that it had been agreed that he will be staying on until at least June 30, 2017.

There are still three months left and we have to learn as much as we can from him in that time

If a new centre back comes, I’ll learn from him, while I have to keep proving that I can play at centre back here

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Other than Alves and Neymar, who are not due back until Friday, all of the internationals joined training today

Today’s training session included all but two of the players that played international matches on Wednesday

Alves and Neymar are not due back until Friday morning’s training session

After training all week with just a handful of players, with most of the squad away playing international friendlies on Wednesday, things were almost back to normal for Thursday evening’s session. Spanish internationals Valdés, Alba, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc and Pedro were all back, as were ArgentiniansMascherano and Messi, Chilean Alexis Sánchez and Cameroonian Song, who worked out in isolation. All of the internationals focused on recovery exercises.

Brazilians Alves and Neymar are not due back until Friday’s morning session at 11.00 AM CET in the Ciutat Esportiva.

The first team were joined today by Barça B’s Denis Suárez, Patric and Bañuz, while Pinto and Piquécontinued doing their own specific recovery work. Dos Santos and Cuenca, who have more long-term injuries, continued with their treatment programmes.

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Gerardo Martino has said that “it's been a short week, but there can be no excuses against Valladolid”

There hasn’t been much time to prepare for the game against a Valladolid side that the FC Barcelona manager knows are strong at home

He described Puyol as ‘irreplaceable’ but admits that his team is going to need to find a new centre back

In his Friday lunchtime press conference, Barça manager Gerardo Martino admitted that he always feels worried before a match, whatever the circumstances. And Saturday’s trip to Valladolid is clearly no exception. “I’m worried because of who the opposition are” he confessed. “They are struggling against relegation and have only won four home games, but then again, they have only lost two. They’re strong at home”.

Alba’s absence

He is also troubled by the fact that “it has been a very short week. Most of the players didn’t get back until Thursday and some not until Friday. We have only been able to speak on the day before the game, but those are no more than excuses. We have to focus, play well and win.”

He was asked why he has left Jordi Alba out of the squad, and in response explained that “Alba was feeling a bit of pain before the Almeria game. I didn’t think he looked ready and left him on the bench. But he played 90 very good minutes for Spain. However, we have four games ahead of us in just two weeks and I don’t want to overwork him. That would be a bit imprudent”.[[CITA_1]]He was also asked about Alves and Neymar, who only got back on Friday after a long trip to South Africa with the Brazilian national team. “Alves played 33 minutes and Neymar the full 90” said Martino. “I wanted to speak to them and find how what condition they have come back in.”

Replacing the irreplaceable

Martino also spoke about Carles Puyol’s announcement that he is leaving FC Barcelona at the end of the season, saying that “he is the kind of player a club very rarely comes across. Footballers like these are irreplaceable, although I am probably the least qualified person to be able to speak about him,” referring to the short time that he and the player have known each other. The manager did admit, however, that “the club now needs to go out and look for a new centre back”.[[CITA_2]]Another issue he was quizzed on was Leo Messi’s vomiting in some recent games, to which the coach responded that “it’s not a normal situation, but there’s no cause for alarm. He’s been seeing specialists although no solution has been found yet.” In whatever case, Martino doesn’t think the circumstances are likely to have any effect on Messi’s ability to perform at his best.

Most of the players didn’t get back until Thursday and some not until Friday

We have four games ahead of us in just two weeks and I don’t want to overwork Jordi Alba

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Ronaldo vs Messi :)

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