FC Barcelona News: on 11 January 2023; Barca squad arrived in the Saudi Arabia, Arsenal want Eric Garcias

 

"No more defending this bomb" - fans are fed up with Barcelona star despite victory to secure Supercopa de Espana final berth



Barcelona fans were left disappointed by Ferran Torres' performance in the team's win on penalties against Real Betis in the Supercopa de Espana semi-final on Thursday (12 January).

Xavi's side took the lead in the 40th minute through Robert Lewandowski, before Nabil Fekir equalized for Betis 13 minutes from time. Anu Fati restored the Blaugrana's advantage in the third minute of extra time. Lorenzo Jesus Moron Garcia, however, equalized in the 110th minute. Betis midfielder Andreas Guardado was sent off in the 118th minute before even going for a penalty.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen refused to remove Juanmi and William Carvalho from the spot. Robert Lewandowski, Frank Casey, Anu Fati and Pedri scored for the Blaugrana to seal their place in Sunday's (15 January) final against Real Madrid.

However, fans on Twitter were less enthused by the performance of Torres, who replaced Dembele in the 63rd minute. He explained that the former Manchester City and Valencia star was strolling around the pitch as if he was playing from the start.

Others pointed to his lack of positional awareness, as the player kept finding himself in offside positions and missing passes on several occasions. This did not sit well with the fans, who pointed out that while the player had come to the club with a lot of promise, he did not perform on the pitch.

Since arriving at Barcelona in January 2022, Torres has scored 12 goals and provided nine assists in 47 games across competitions.

He has made 21 appearances for Xavi this season, scoring five goals and one assist while starting only nine. Torres was signed on the recommendation of Xavi, but it's fair to say he didn't live up to expectations. The 22-year-old will need a dramatic transformation to prove his worth.


Barca Riyad - is at FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona is now in Riyadh. The Blaugrana squad arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday evening local time where they will face Real Betis in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup on Thursday.

FC Barcelona squad for Saudi Arabia - FC Barcelona
The Spanish Super Cup is upon us and FC Barcelona are one of four teams that are on their way to Riyadh in search of the first major silverware of the season.

Real Betis vs FC Barcelona - When and where to watch FC Barcelona
First chance for silverware for the season: the Spanish Super Cup. The Blaugranes will face Real Betis in the semi-finals in Saudi Arabia on Thursday for the right to meet Valencia or Real Madrid in Sunday's final.

Newcastle in talks with Dortmund's Mokoko - sport
Newcastle have approached Youssoufa Moukoko to begin talks over his transfer at the end of the season when his Borussia Dortmund deal expires.

Youssoufa Moukoko could sign at Dortmund with a reduced release clause - Sport
Youssoufa Moukoko's future is at stake. The player has a huge offer from Newcastle while SPORT1 say he could renew a deal with Borussia Dortmund. The 18-year-old striker is getting plenty of playing time and is progressing with the German side. They say he is keen to join Barca if they decide to leave for free at the end of the season.

From Memphis to Atlético Madrid? Not before January 29 - Sports
Atletico Madrid want Memphis Depay to fill the spot left by Joao Felix. The Colchoneros feel they can get the Dutchman and are working on a deal. They are in talks with Catalan.

Memphis Depay wants Atletico Madrid on loan from Barcelona - sport
There is a stir over the future of Memphis Depay. The Barcelona forward is an option for Atletico Madrid to replace Joao Felix, who is moving to Chelsea on loan, according to Cadena SER.

Barcelona asked to pay Matheus Fernandes 7.7 million euros - sport
Barcelona will have to pay Matheus Fernandes €7.7 million for unfair dismissal, according to Cadena SER. The Brazilian player was sacked by email in 2021 - his contract was cancelled.

Barcelona know they can get their money back for Rafinha if need be - Sport
Rafinha was the biggest investment made last summer in terms of transfer fee, and the club have confidence in him as a Brazilian international who has made appearances in the Premier League. This was not an experiment and the sports staff were fully on board. However it turns out that Rafinha is not the undisputed starter at Barca.

Mikel Arteta wants to bring Eric Garcia to Arsenal - Sport
Eric Garcia's lack of minutes at Barcelona has opened up speculation about a possible departure to England with Arsenal interested. His coach Mikel Arteta would like to bring Garcia back to the Premier League on loan or permanently.