04-Sevilla Home

Another mega-game tonight for lots of reasons.

Firstly, Sevilla are one of the best teams in Spain at the moment and will definitely be contenders for the Championship title, along with ourselves, Madrid and Valencia, so they have to be beaten. They've only played two League games so far (owing to the death of Antonio Puertas) and have won them both. They're on six points whereas we've only got four  after two draws and a win. Sevilla lost 3-0 to Arsenal in the Champions Leagueon Wednesday so will be arriving with a sorely injured pride.

There are other reasons why us culés particularly want to win. Tonight 22nd September 2007 is the fiftieth anniversary of the inauguration of the Camp Nou, so they'll be a lot of festivities and losing on a day such of this is a bit of a damp squib. The club is also going to reveal Norman Foster's project for the new super-duper Camp Nou, which will take ground capacity up from 98,916 to over 110,000. Presumably, it will be sexy and futuristic, designed to make the owners of Wembley and all Madrid fans spit. Looking forward to it.

We're also in the middle of La Mercè so I'm going to have a busy evening. I'm thinking of going to the Correfoc, the fire run, in the city centre at 8.30 pm and I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get to see the game. I might end up watching it at La Bòria, one of my old haunts in the Barri Gòtic, but I'd rather get back to Sant Andreu to watch with my mates. We'll see how it goes. The wife and kids are up in Llançà this weekend so I'm a bit worried about getting embroiled in an all night party and drinking session - I'm too old for it and end up taking three days to recover. I'll let you know how it goes!

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Well, I was very good really and got back to Frankfurt Anabel to watch the game. We won 2-1, which is OK and keeps us up there. There's been a lot of criticism of Ronaldinho, who didn't play because he's injured, this week. So it was particularly pleasing to see Leo Messi dedicate both goals to him. This is what we need - fer pinya. One of the problems of Barça and Spanish football in general is that the press has so much copy to produce that they end up inventing stories. El Mundo Deportivo and Sport have created the 'Ronaldinho crisis' - leave him alone, stop criticising and he'll be back at his best. He's a brilliant player and if we're going to win everything this year we're going to need him in tip top condition.

Real Madrid managed to scramble a lucky draw at Valladolid and Valencia and Vilareal both won so things are looking tight at the top of the table. Madrid 10 points, Valencia and Vilareal both on 9 and Barça on 8. This already looks like it's going to be a highly contested championship, w2hich will probably end up as a head to head between Barça and Madrid. The stuff that dreams are made of. Looking forward to the game against Zaragoza on Wednesday!!