Match review: Atletico de Madrid 1 - 2 FC Barcelona - Cliché title alert...WEEEE ARE THE CHAMPIOOONS!

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Probably one of the strangest matches of the season. Ten men and three injuries later (or "discomforts"/"precautions", who can be sure?), Barça manage to stumble home and add three more points to their overall total. But most importantly - the league is ours! Barça didn't win the league as a result of yesterday's match (RM's draw against Espanyol on Saturday did that) so it was rather anticlimactic, but still! Champions!

La Liga Preview: Atletico de Madrid v FC Barcelona. Can We Or Can We Not?

Wake up! Wake up, I say! La Liga is not won yet. 'But Ade,' you say, 'maybe Espanyol will take points from Real Madrid tonight and..." And I can't hear you over how loud I'm scoffing. Even if Espanyol managed to score a manita over RM tonight, they would proceed to score six own goals in injury time, just to spite us. No, we can't rely on our perico neighbours for an easy way to La Liga. We'll have to do it the hard way.
ETA: they did! Espanyol held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw! BARÇA ARE 2012/2013 LIGA CHAMPIONS!!!
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And you can trust it's going to be difficult. Playing Atleti is always difficult for Barça. Even when Atleti have not had their best season in years and Barça aren't hobbling to the season's finish line, they always manage to put Barça through the grinder.

Of Transfers, Form And Key Learnings

This is a very disconcerting decision. Should this be a brimming, positive piece on how the team is so close to winning its fourth Liga title in five years? Or do we throw in sufficient despair & doom predictions owing to the scoreline-that-must-not-be-mentioned vs Bayern Munich in Champions League semis? Judging by the transfer rumors swirling around that has us selling the entire team and retiring La Masia based on a result, we're guessing most of the press is veering towards the latter approach. Considering we'd resolved to do away with inspirational quotes on how it's not about getting knocked down but picking yourself up yada yada, there's not many options left. Sorry.

La Liga Review: FC Barcelona 4, Real Betis 2. A Messi In Shining Armour

Three points and the 2012/2013 Liga title is so close I can smell it! Those are the nice things we should focus on, because if we focus on the actual football played by our lovely team, well, then things get depressing.
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Tito chose Pinto, Alves, Piqué, Adriano, Jordi Alba, Song, Xavi, Iniesta, Alexis, Villa and Tello. With VV and Pedro unavailable due to "discomfort" and a stomach bug respectively, and Messi and Busquets just coming back from injury, that was as close to our best XI as we could get... and isn't that an awful thought? Anyway, a must-win match is apparently no place for people like Thiago, Bartra or Montoya. Because, why give chances to the youngsters, huh? Especially after they have already proven themselves in difficult circumstances. Nah, better to keep testing the (very suspect) durability of Xavi's tendons and how much Adriano can fail at being a centre-back before he breaks.

Match preview: FC Barcelona v Real Betis - Let's do this, Leeeeeroy Jenkins!

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"Leroy Jenkins", I hear you say. "What does this have to do with Barça? Looks like the folks at Barca the Offside have well and truly lost it."
Well, if you've never heard of Leeroy Jenkins before, here's the video, watch it! And once you have, you'll understand why it relates to Barça - I hope. My point is, we've suffered a huge defeat (thanks, Bayern!) and now is the time for our players to throw caution to the wind, get back out there and GO FOR IT!
Except, you know, Barça's version of throwing caution to the wind is allowing JDS on the pitch for a few minutes. But, umm, that's something?

Champions League Semifinals: FC Barcelona 0, Bayern Munich 3 (0-7 aggr) - Defeat and Disaster!

"Dissolution and Despair!" said the Pins and Needles. "Defeat and Disaster!". Is this a quote from Edward Gorey's Inanimate Tragedy or the after-match comments from Barça fans? It's all doom, doom, doomity-doom as far as the eye can see...
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It's an awful result, I'm not going to argue that. I expected something better; maybe not a miraculous comeback, but certainly a more equilibrated result, a goal or two for the home side, maybe even a win to soothe the sting of the first leg. That 7-0 aggregate scoreline it's going to haunt our dreams for a long time to come. But is it the end of the world? Is the sign to toss out our coach, half the squad, and the philosophy that's brought us to the point where reaching the Champions League semifinals is disappointing?

Champions League, FC Barcelona Vs FC Bayern: When you put titles aside, and play for your pride

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Thrown to the lions' den at the Coliseum to entertain the crowd. With audience hailing the melodrama of the unfortunates, screaming their terror and trying to roll themselves in their arms seeking survival for another minute, hoping for a miracle to come true and for their prayers to wake up the universal clemency to show its life-saver mercy. But in vain.

Athletic Bilbao 2 – 2 FC Barcelona: Close, But No Cigar

Playing in their 33rd league game of the season, Barca looked to move past their disastrous outing in Munich when taking the pitch at the historic San Mames stadium for the last time. While Leo came close to sealing the victory for the Blaugrana, the hosts managed to equalize in the dying minutes of the game sending both teams out with a point a piece.
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Match Highlights
With the return leg against Bayern looming, Tito rested Iniesta and Messi, who is still not fully fit, but otherwise went with a strong starting side playing VV in net; Dani and Jordi on either side of Pique and Abi in the back, then Song filling in for the injured Busi alongside Xavi and Thiago in midfield, while Pedro, Alexis, and Cesc, deputizing for Messi, started up front. Pinto, Bartra, Adriano, Villa and Tello kept Messi and Iniesta company on the bench. On the other end, Athletic started Iraizoz; Iraola, Ekiza, SanJose, Aurtenetxe; Gurpegi, Herrera, De Marcos; Susaeta, Aduriz and Muniain.

The end of an era by winning the league - Athletic Bilbao VS Barcelona Match Preview

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Before I start, if you are here expecting to see some sort of champions league we are sorry for ourselves story or some angry rant about the end of Barcelona's era as a football power in the universe, please look away now.
However, if you're interested in reading how Barcelona can win their 4th league title in 5 years, by all means please come in.