Henry Confirmed On Barca's Scottish Pre-season

[Jockstar]

Wonder who will win?

Barcelona head coach Frank Rijkaard has confirmed that Thierry Henry will play a part in the club's pre-season matches against Dundee United and Hearts.

Henry came safely through his first squad training session this morning and Rijkaard confirmed: 'He will play some minutes (in Scotland).'

The former Arsenal striker has been sidelined with injury since March but began light training last week and joined up with his new team-mates as their summer breaks came to an end.

Rijkaard described Henry as 'physically fine and free of injury', and the 29-year-old takes his place in a strong Barcelona squad for the trip to Scotland.

Henry, who has penned a four-year deal with Barca, netted 226 goals in 364 appearances for Arsenal to become the club's record goalscorer before leaving the Emirates Stadium for a £16.1million fee.

Barcelona will play Dundee United at Tannadice on Thursday, before facing Hearts in front of a 40,000-plus crowd at Murrayfield two days later.

Ronaldinho, Deco, Samuel Eto'o, Gianluca Zambrotta, Lilian Thuram, Xavi and Eidur Gudjohnsen were also among the players who arrived at the Nou Camp for a 9am start, with Barcelona expected to bring them alongside Henry to Scotland for the high-profile friendlies.

[scousemouse]

Looking at this mate , there is only one winner

<H3 class=entry-header>Is this the best attack ever?</H3>

[Jockstar]

Henry scores on Barca debut at Dundee United

Dundee United 0-1 Barcelona

Thierry Henry scored the winner on his debut as Barcelona beat Dundee United in their friendly at Tannadice.

JeffJMitchell/GettyImages

Thierry Henry scores for Barca

In the final minute of an entertaining encounter, United defender Darren Dods pulled down Giovani, allowing the former Arsenal player, on as a second-half substitute, the opportunity to score from the spot.

United's debutant keeper Grzegorz Szamotulski saved the first effort but Henry followed up to knock the ball into the net.

It could have been different if Barry Robson's 82nd-minute header had not been chalked off for a push on Barca defender Eric Abidal and if Lee Wilkie's last-minute header had not been headed off the line by Julian Belletti, but in the end the classier side won through.

United gave a debut to keeper Szamotulski, the former Sturm Graz player who signed on Wednesday, and he was kept busy in a relatively entertaining first half.

• Ronaldinho thanks Utd fans for 'special' night

The visitors quickly took control of the game and in the 14th minute Ezquerro casually swept a Xavi cross over the bar from eight yards out when more focus might have brought the opener.

Three minutes later, Dundee United midfielder Morgaro Gomis fouled Ronaldinho 25 yards from goal and the Brazilian flashed his right-footed free-kick off the outside of the post.

Despite playing in second gear at times, Barca continued to dictate the tempo and in the 28th minute Ezquerro drew a good save from Szamotulski with a drive from distance.

Samuel Eto'o made a hash of a great chance set up by Iniesta before driving straight at Szamotulski from close range after taking a clever Ronaldinho pass.

In between those two chances Xavi volleyed Ronaldinho's cross past the post from the edge of the box and Ezquerro fired wide with only the United keeper to beat.

Barca made seven changes at the break and just 25 seconds in to his debut, Henry, on for Eto'o, whipped a shot inches past the post from the edge of the box.

United's overly-enthusiastic defender Lee Wilkie was then booked for a foul from behind on Henry to the jeers of the Tannadice crowd.

The Catalan giants appeared to be trying to walk the ball into the net and in another attack that left United threadbare at the back, Henry curled his right-footed shot from just inside the box high and wide.

In the 80th minute Barcelona substitute Bojan went through on goal but hesitated with only Szamotulski to beat, allowing the Tannadice keeper to save at his feet.

In the 82nd minute United skipper Robson headed Steven Robb's cross in off the post but the cheers soon died down when the goal was chalked off for a push on Eric Abidal.

Then came the drama of Henry's debut goal and Wilkie's near miss.

After the match Barca coahc Frank Rijkaard said of Henry: 'We have seen he is an intelligent player and we have seen some good passes.

'We have to take into account he has not played for a long time and it was his decision to go and play. He played well.'

Ronaldinho thanks Utd fans for 'special' night

Barcelona star Ronaldinho praised the Dundee United fans for their support before and during Thursday night's 1-0 friendly win for the Catalan giants at Tannadice.

The Brazilian striker and his team-mates were applauded on to the pitch for their warm up by the 14,000 capacity crowd, who then sat back and enjoyed Ronaldinho's first-half display.

Before he was taken off at half-time, the former Paris St Germain player crashed a 25-yard free-kick off the post - which was the nearest thing to a goal in a nonetheless entertaining first 45 minutes.

A late goal by Thierry Henry on his debut, after his spot-kick had been saved by Dundee United's debutant goalkeeper Grzegorz Szamotulski, gave the visitors their victory.

Ronaldinho said: 'The supporters were great tonight and they made it a really special night for me.

'Dundee United were a very good team, a very strong team - and they worked hard for the whole game.'

Things would have been different if Barry Robson's late headed goal - when the score was 0-0 - had not been disallowed for a push on Barcelona defender Eric Abidal.

In the final seconds as United pushed for an equaliser, defender Lee Wilkie's looping header was cleared off the line by Juliano Belleti.

United manager Craig Levein insists his side were hard done by when they conceded a penalty, after stopper Darren Dods pulled down Giovani inside the box.

The former Hearts boss also believes Robson's goal should have stood.

He said: 'I might have had my blinkers on for 90 minutes - but I thought it was a good goal that we scored and I didn't think it was a penalty either.

'I thought it was a good game but I am disappointed at the result. I would say that to take Barcelona within two minutes is a great sign for us, because they are a team of quality.'

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard admits the home side deserved at least a draw for their spirited performance.

He said: 'It was a shame the public didn't see more goals, and Dundee United deserved a goal for the way they played. It seemed more than a friendly game, because there was lots of aggression and they gave us a very tough match.'

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Ronaldinho double gives Barca win over Hearts

Hearts 1-3 Barcelona

Barcelona wrapped up their well-received visit to Scotland with victory over Hearts in front of a huge crowd at Murrayfield.

The Catalans beat Dundee United 1-0 at Tannadice on Thursday night thanks to a last-gasp goal by debutant Thierry Henry but this was a more comfortable victory for the visitors.

Two first-half goals by Ronaldinho, sandwiched either side of a Juho Makela equaliser, gave a slick-moving Barcelona side an interval lead.

Half-time substitute Giovanni Dos Santos scored the third five minutes into the second half but in truth the result did not reflect the gulf between the two sides.

A remarkable crowd of 57,857 turned up at the home of Scottish rugby to watch this challenge match and unsurprisingly, it was Ronaldinho who caught the eye with his first-half double.

Samuel Eto'o should have opened the scoring in the 16th minute but from only eight yards out, the Cameroonian striker headed Andres Iniesta's mis-hit shot over the bar.

Hearts had FBK Kaunas' Audrius Ksanavicius playing as a trialist but the Lithuanian midfielder failed to impress five minutes later when he conceded a penalty for tripping Italy international defender Gianluca Zambrotta.

Ronaldinho coolly sent Craig Gordon the wrong way but Barca's lead was short-lived.

In the 23rd minute the Gorgie side were level when playmaker Laryea Kingston's free-kick to the back post was headed back across goal by Lee Wallace.

Amid a crowd of players, Makela reacted first to turn and knock the ball into the corner of the net from just six yards.

In the 35th minute Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart put Ksanavicius through on goal with a clever pass at the edge of the box but the Lithuanian failed to connect properly and goalkeeper Victor Valdes saved easily.

Six minutes from the interval Barcelona restored their lead rather easily when Sylvinho's pinpoint cross from wide on the left gave Ronaldinho the easiest of tasks, heading past Gordon.

Both line-ups changed dramatically for the second half, Barca bringing on seven substitutes and Hearts making six changes, all of which served simply to confuse the early play.

Two Barca substitutes, however, combined to give the Catalans their third goal six minutes after the restart, Henry cutting the ball back for Dos Santos to fire into the empty net.

That goal deflated the disjointed Jambos and in the 68th minute they nearly lost a fourth when Henry drove 16-year-old Bojan Krkic's clever reverse pass off the outside of the post.

Krkic came close himself in the 81st minute when he fired over the bar from just inside the box while Henry missed the simplest of headers from Deco's flighted free-kick.

The latter stages of the game provided more evidence of Barca's renowned ability while highlighting to Hearts that they have much to do before their Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League opener against rivals Hibernian at Tynecastle on Monday week.

[dantilley]

Looking at this mate , there is only one winner

<H3 class=entry-header>Is this the best attack ever?</H3>

Man United's attack this season could be better, especially if they get Tevez. It was awesome last season and they've just added 3 more (incl. Tevez) top class players.