Football

27.12.2009 12:43

The stats of the best team in the world

Anna Segura

Over the 65 games they played during 2009 Barca became the best team in the world, winning six titles, something no other team has ever achieved. Barca’s superiority during 2009 has been unquestionable.

Josep Guardiola’s team began 2009 with a 3-1 win over Mallorca to confirm their top spot in La Liga, which they went on to win in May. They finished it with the win over Estudiantes to bring home the club’s first ever World Club Cup and round off an astonishing year of success.

July 2008 – the beginning

When Josep Guardiola took over in July 2008, most observers expected an interim season as the team settled in with the new boss, but it was to be the most successful campaign in the club’s history and the last six months of 2008 laid the foundations for the celebrations that were to follow in 2009. Even so, not many could have imagined at the end of 2008 just what a fantastic year lay ahead.

65 games

Barca played 65 official games over 2009 -38 in La Liga, 9 in the Spanish Cup, 13 in the Champions League, 2 in the Supercopa de España, 1 in the European Super Cup and 2 in the World Club Cup.

Barca also finished the 2008/09 season as the Spanish team with most games under their belts -62 – ten more than their nearest rivals Valencia and Seville, but the physical effort never seemed to take its toll on the team who showed remarkable consistency throughout.

Six defeats

One of the most impressive stats is that Barca have lost just 6 games since the start of the 2008/09 season, five of them in the 2008/09 La Liga campaign and two of those after the team had already been proclaimed champions. Another defeat was in the dead rubber against Shaktar in the 2008/09 Champions Group stage, whilst the other defeats came in their opening 2008/09 league game against Numancia and against Espanyol in the Nou Camp and Atletico Madrid.

Goals galore

Another characteristic of the year has been the team’s scoring, notching up 165 goals at an average of 2.54 per game. In 16 of the 65 games, Barca scored three or more goals, with the most memorable surely the 2-6 win at the Bernabeu.

Messi the golden goal getter

The whole team has played their part, but Leo Messi stands apart. The Argentinean bagged 42 goals, scoring in every final but the European Super Cup, ands crowned a great year by picking up the European and World Player of the Year awards.