BARCA v REAL ZARAGOZA, Sunday, November 12, 2006: Reasons to cheerful

There are not many teams that do pressure quite like FC Barcelona, or have critics with such short memories.
Despite being top of the table and still capable of qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League, the Blaugrana are being attacked for not playing at their best in every game.
Travelling to Mexico and the United States for a pre-season tour may not have been the wisest move, but the players cannot be blamed and some of their gripes about being tired should be believed. It was just under six months ago that virtually the same squad were winning their second consecutive title and lifting the Champions League trophy, before being hailed as the new Dream Team. The injury to Samuel Eto’o has also hit the team hard. Sports Matter has actually seen people claim that their recent results cannot be put down to the Cameroonian international’s absence, mainly because Barca should have a back-up striker capable of filling his shoes. Eto’o is one of the best strikers in the world and it would be very difficult to keep a player of his ilk sitting on the bench at any side, just in case the main man picked up a knock.
Despite the advice from neutrals, few people ever judge a team at the end of a season, mainly because having the money they want to see them
perform on the day they go.
As for Zaragoza, will have three former Barcelona players in their ranks.
Albert Celades was a Camp Nou youth team product and spent four years in the first team, before playing for Celta and Real Madrid, while Gerard Pique is on loan from Manchester United after quitting Barca and Sergio Garcia was off-loaded by the Blaugrana in 2005.
Victor Fernandez’s side are in fourth place and could cause Barca some real problems here.
Who are Real Zaragoza?
The team was formed when local rivals Iberia SC and Real Zaragoza CD decided to merge in 1932.
After making a strong start to life as a united side, the Spanish Civil War put the brakes on any further improvement. In 1957, they moved from their Torrero stadium to la Romareda, where they still reside today.
The 1960’s was a profitable time for the club as they won their first major trophies. They reached the Copa del Rey on four consecutive occasions, winning on their second and fourth appearance in 1964 and 1966. The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was also garnered in 1964.
Arguably the team’s most famous moment came in 1995 when Nayim’s shot from the halfway line saw Zaragoza win the European Cup Winners’ Cup against Arsenal in Paris. After winning the Copa del Rey again in 2001 and 2004, the Arag6nese outfit were beaten in last season’s final by Espanyol. The club has had several famous names grace its colours, with Cafu, Andreas Brehme, Fernando Morientes, Jose Luis Chilavert and Gus Poyet among others, but arguably the most famous name linked with the game against Barca is Frank Rijkaard. The coach that led them to Cup Winners’ Cup victory 11 seasons ago, Victor Fernandez returned to re-take the reins at the club this summer and has overseen a superb start to the campaign as Zaragoza currently occupy a Champions League berth.