Listen Up Arsenal - Here Are The Teams That Have Stopped Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona At The Camp Nou

2008–2009

Barcelona 1-1 Racing Santander

(September 13, La Liga)

Barcelona's disappointment at suffering a defeat to Numancia on the opening day of the season continued against Racing as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home. Guardiola's team struggled in attack and failed to make their dominance count, needing a 71st minute penalty from Lionel Messi to break the deadlock. However, six minutes later Jonathan restored parity for the visitors.

Barcelona 1-1 Basel

(November 4, Champions League)

Messi, Xavi, Samuel Eto'o, Yaya Toure and Dani Alves all were left out of the starting line-up, and subsequently Barcelona struggled upfront and lacked the cutting edge, with Thierry Henry missing a number of good chances. Messi scored on 62 minutes and Pique then rattled the crossbar with a close-range header, but with eight minutes remaining Basel's perseverance paid off when Eren Derdiyok equalised.

Barcelona 1-1 Getafe

(November 23, La Liga)

Guardiola rested a number of first team players including Messi, and this allowed Getafe to conjure up a minor upset at the Camp Nou. Gerard Pique's mistake in defence allowed Manu to give the visitors the lead on 19 minutes, and even though Keita restored parity, the equaliser came only in the 71st minute. Barca dominated the proceedings but Bojan Krkic missed a series of chances, Samuel Eto'o hit the crossbar and Roberto Abbondanzieri made a number of saves for the Azulones.

Barcelona 2-3 Shakhtar Donetsk

(December 9, Champions League)

This was the final match in the group stage of the Champions League and Arsenal could be helped if they make this defeat their template for victory. Guardiola rested a number of his regulars and fielded the likes of veteran Sylvinho as well as youngsters Víctor Vazquez and Bojan Krkic. They were easily brushed aside by the Ukranians, but Barca had already booked their place in the knockout stages.

Barcelona 1-2 Espanyol

(February 21, La Liga)

Barcelona were at a disadvantage in this derby encounter from the 38th minute onward after Seydou Keita was sent off. Two Ivan de la Pena goals in the space of four minutes early in the second half put the Blaugrana further on the back foot, and once again Barca's defence floundered.

Barcelona 0-0 Chelsea

(April 28, Champions League)

Then-Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink pledged to employ attacking tactics but the Blues started defending in numbers right from the start. The Premier League side allowed the Blaugrana to maintain possession but packed bodies in and around their penalty area, making it extremely tough for Guardiola's team to find space to weave their magic. However, a misplaced back pass by Rafael Marquez almost helped Didier Drogba score in the 38th minute. In the return leg in this semi-final tie, though, Barcelona breached Chelsea's thanks to an Andres Iniesta strike to progress to the final on away goals' rule.

Barcelona 3-3 Villarreal

(May 10, La Liga)

Barcelona were cruising to the victory and to the Spanish Primera Division title but after Eric Abidal was sent off on 77 minutes, the Blaugrana allowed a two-goal advantage to slip. Matias Fernandez's penalty and an injury time goal from Joseba Llorente saw Villarreal earn a memorable and entertaining 3-3 draw. 

Barcelona 0-1 Osasuna

(May 23, La Liga)

It would be wrong to read too much into this game given that Barcelona had already secured their league title by the time they faced the relegation-threatened Pamplona side, who secured a famous 1-0 win in Catalunya.

2009–2010

Barcelona 1-2 Rubin Kazan

(October 20, Champions League)

Rubin Kazan have been Barcelona's bogey team (of sorts) in Europe since Guardiola's reign began, and they were the first team in 2009-10 to defeat the all-conquering Catalans at the Camp Nou. It was a masterclass in defensive rigidity from the Tatars, who played on the counter, made their chances count and stifled the then-European champions from playing too much productive passing football.

Barcelona 1-1 Villarreal

(January 2, La Liga)

Barcelona started the game with confidence and took the lead after just seven minutes through Pedro and continued to run the show, but once David Fuster had equalised for Villarreal six minutes into the second-half the Blaugrana started to flounder and lost their fluidity, and in the end were lucky to escape with a point.

Barcelona 1-2 Sevilla

(January 5, Copa del Rey)

Barcelona were without regular centre-backs Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique in their starting line-up and Sevilla, with their style of playing with a certain degree of physical strength and briskness, had Diego Capel, Diego Perotti and to some extent Jesus Navas making use of the extra space afforded by Dani Alves' and Maxwell's adventurous runs. Sevilla would often work closely in the middle and spread the ball wide to stretch Barcelona, and then play with intensity and momentum.

2010–2011

Barcelona 0-2 Hercules

(September 11, La Liga)

Hercules pulled off the shock of the 2010-11 Spanish Primera Division season in week 2 as Nelson Valdez struck twice to inflict a rare defeat upon Barca at the Camp Nou. Other than this being a case of one of those romantic upsets - a footballing version of David slaying Goliath - this match saw Hercules take their chances, punish the Spanish champions for not exploiting theirs and expose the truth that without their regulars the Blaugrana are not formidable.

Barcelona 1-1 Mallorca

(October 3, La Liga)

Xavi was injured and David Villa suspended, and Barcelona struggled to break down an organised Mallorca side for whom Emilio Nsue cancelled out Messi's 21st minute lead just before half time. Bojan hit the visitors' post but it didn't hide that the Blaugrana struggled and were depending on Messi more than they should have been.

Barcelona 0-0 Athletic Bilbao

(December 21, Copa Del Rey)

Joaquin Caparros's Athletic Bilbao were resolute in defence, playing with a back-four shielded by a five-man midfield, and the Basque giants produced a brilliant performance to hold Barca to a goalless draw in the first-leg of this round-of-16 tie. Athletic's discipline restricted Barca from playing their passing football and frustrated the Spanish champions.