Michal Kadlec (52 mins)
Alexis Sanchez (41 mins)
Alexis Sanchez (55 mins)
Lionel Messi (88 mins)
UEFA Champions League Round of 16 First Leg
, Feb 14, 2012
Ground: BayArena
, Kickoff: 19:45 , Att 30,000
Team news
Ballack out for Leverkusen Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Michael Ballack has been deprived of a possible start in their Champions League tie with Barcelona due to an injury picked up in training.
The former Germany captain has sat on the bench for Leverkusen's last three Bundesliga matches, but the 35-year-old was expected to be called upon due to his vast European experience.
Instead, he faces even more time on the sidelines, depriving Leverkusen of an influential figure at the BayArena where their chances are already regarded as being low.
"They are not a bad side," said Leverkusen's director of sport Rudi Voller with a smile.
"We have been looking forward to this game for weeks, for the fans and for our young players who will play against the best side in the world.
"This is definitely a dream." After losing for the sixth time in the league at the weekend, Voller is hoping his side can use tomorrow's game as a learning exercise.
"Of course we will try to cause Barca problems," he is quoted as saying by Die Welt newspaper.
"Usually, when you watch them, you say to yourself `my word, they play good football'.
"It is great for the players to experience in the flesh how they do it and why they are so good." Bayer coach Robin Dutt is not being so pessimistic, though, and feels his side have a chance against the Catalans.
"Nobody has ever believed in us in the Champions League," he said. "We went behind twice - to Valencia and to Chelsea - and in the end, the winners were Bayer Leverkusen." Osasuna gave Leverkusen a good example of Barca's fallibility at the weekend with a win which, combined with Real Madrid's victory over Levante last night, leaves Pep Guardiola's side 10 points adrift at the top of the Primera Division.
A successful defence of their league title therefore looks unlikely, which is why they will now focus on becoming the first club ever to defend a Champions League crown.
"The league is very difficult now, but we are not going to stop competing and we will keep up the pressure," said their director of sport Andoni Zubizarreta to reporters at Barcelona airport today.
"If anything happens to Madrid, then we have got to be there to take advantage, but if they carry on playing the way with such consistency then they will win the league.
"Obviously it is not in our hands, nor does it depend on the game at the Nou Camp.
"We are a club set up to compete in every competition and when you are not able to do that, then it does leave a bitter aftertaste.
"But we are able to regroup and start afresh." Barca have taken 22 players with them to Germany, where they are set to face freezing temperatures tomorrow night.
"I don't think it will be much colder than it was in Pamplona, but if it is, then we will just have to adapt," added Zubizarreta, who will not accept the weather as an excuse for an eventual disappointment.
Sergio Busquets' name features on the squad list, although he is unlikely to play.
In addition to being without Ballack, Leverkusen are also unable to count on the injured Sidney Sam.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Barcelona
Last modified 22:02 14/02/12
Barcelona take control of tie Barcelona put one foot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 3-1 victory over a Bayer Leverkusen side who might wonder what would have been had they attacked from the start.
After the German hosts sat deep to frustrate Barca in the first half, Alexis Sanchez's first Champions League goal, scored in the 41st minute, separated the teams at the break.
But Leverkusen came out with a much more positive outlook after the break, levelling through Michal Kadlec and then having several chances before Sanchez's second and a late Lionel Messi strike gave Barca victory.
Leverkusen, hit heavily by injury, set up to defend against a Barcelona side that was missing Xavi Hernandez.
The result was a fairly drab opening, with a Dani Alves free-kick, sent comfortably over the bar, the sum total of the chances in the opening quarter of an hour.
Daniel Schwaab made a fine intervention to prevent Messi nipping in for an easy close-range chance, before Adriano curled a shot well wide from the left channel with openings hard to come by.
Andre Schurrle fluffed Leverkusen's only half-chance of the first 45 minutes, totally miskicking when the ball sat up invitingly on the edge of the area.
Messi was doing his best to wriggle through the Leverkusen defence, but could not get enough power on a shot through Schwaab's legs from a difficult angle.
But the Argentinian was the provider for the opening goal, flicking a pass over the defence that had Alexis and Cesc Fabregas scampering after it.
Alexis won the debate between the two and slipped it through the legs of Bernd Leno and into the bottom corner.
With their containment strategy undone, Leverkusen looked much more positive to start the second half, with Manuel Friedrich having an early chance when Puyol's header fell for him at the far post, but he could not stretch far enough to turn it goalwards.
They were level in the 52nd minute as Vedran Corluka was allowed the time to cross from a tight position, standing the ball up for Kadlec to head in.
But parity lasted only four minutes before Alexis got his second, latching on to a wonderful threaded ball from Fabregas to round the goalkeeper and finish.
Moments later, a defensive mix-up gave Renato Augusto another chance for the hosts, but his shot was straight at Victor Valdes.
They had another chance to level in the 64th minute when Gonzalo Castro raced onto the ball and powered a low shot at goal, but Valdes used fingertips to push it onto the post.
Messi was the next to find the woodwork, racing in from the right wing and then dinking a shot over the onrushing Leno from a tight angle, only to see it come back off the upright.
Leverkusen introduced Stefan Kiessling from the bench and he almost had an immediate impact, stooping to head Castro's curling cross goalwards and forcing Valdes into a good save on the line.
Leno was then called on to make a fine save and deny Alexis a hat-trick as he sent a diving header goalwards.
| Player rating out of ten | Player name | Substitution | Did they score? | Player's disciplinary record | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Bernd Leno | ||||
| 14 | Vedran Corluka(sub 90) |
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| 2 | Daniel Schwaab |
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| 5 | Manuel Friedrich | ||||
| 24 | Michal Kadlec |
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| 3 | Stefan Reinartz | ||||
| 6 | Simon Rolfes(sub 76) |
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| 8 | Lars Bender | ||||
| 27 | Gonzalo Castro |
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| 9 | Andre Schurrle(sub 89) |
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| 10 | Soares Renato Augusto | ||||
| Substitutes | |||||
| 22 | David Yelldell | ||||
| 4 | Bastian Oczipka | ||||
| 11 | Stefan Kiessling(sub 76) |
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| 17 | Michael Ortega | ||||
| 20 | Danny Da Costa(sub 90) |
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| 21 | Omar Toprak | ||||
| 38 | Karim Bellarabi(sub 89) |
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| Player rating out of ten | Player name | Did they score? | Player's disciplinary record | Substitution | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victor Valdes | ||||
| 2 | da Silva Dani Alves | ||||
| 14 | Javier Mascherano | ||||
| 5 | Carles Puyol | ||||
| 22 | Eric Abidal | ||||
| 4 | Francesc Fabregas | ||||
| 16 | Sergio Busquets | ||||
| 8 | Andres Iniesta(sub 59) |
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| 9 | Alexis Sanchez(sub 84) |
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| 10 | Lionel Messi |
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| 21 | Claro Adriano(sub 68) |
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| Substitutes | |||||
| 13 | Jose Pinto | ||||
| 11 | Alcantara Thiago(sub 59) |
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| 17 | Rodriguez Pedro(sub 68) |
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| 28 | Dos Santos Jonathan | ||||
| 30 | Sergi Roberto | ||||
| 32 | Marc Bartra | ||||
| 39 | Isaac Cuenca(sub 84) |
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| Team | Bayer Leverkusen | Barcelona |
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