2012–13 FC Barcelona Season
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The 2012–13 season was
Futbol Club Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Founded ...
's 113th in existence and the club's 82nd consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish football. The season marked the managerial debut of Tito Vilanova, who served as
Pep Guardiola Josep "Pep" Guardiola Sala (; born 18 January 1971) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of club Manchester City. He is considered one of the greatest managers of all time and holds the ...
's longtime assistant. Vilanova assumed management of the club after Guardiola, who had managed Barcelona for the prior four seasons, declined to renew his contract. Barcelona finished first in
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Banco Santander, Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaL ...
but lost in the semi-finals of both the
Copa del Rey The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout footb ...
and the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
. The club also set a record (later equaled by
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
) by scoring in all 38 La Liga matches in the season.


Season overview


May/June

On 29 May, Barcelona announced their first pre-season match to be against
Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V. (), commonly known as Hamburger SV () or Hamburg (), is a German sports club based in Hamburg, with its largest branch being its football section. Though the current HSV was founded in June 1919 from a merger of three ...
in occasion of the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
outfit's 125th anniversary celebration. It will be Tito Vilanova's first match in charge of the first team. The second match will be on 28 July in
Tangier Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the capi ...
,
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...
, versus an all-star starting XI from the
Moroccan Football League The Moroccan Football League Association was a confederation of football compétitions, under the aegis of the ''North African Football Union''. Since Morocco's independence in 1956, this confederation has ended, giving way to the Royal Morocca ...
at the
Stade de Tanger Ibn Batouta Stadium ( Berber: ⴰⵏⵏⴰⵔ ⵏ ⵉⴱⵏ ⴱⴰⵜⵓⵜⴰ, ar, ملعب ابن بطوطة) is a multi-use stadium in Tangier, Morocco. It is used mostly for football matches and big events such as ceremonies or concerts. T ...
. This will be their first appearance in Morocco in 38 years. On 1 June, Barcelona announced Brazilian defender Henrique will not return to team after both agreed to terminate the player's contract on 30 June. Henrique did not make an appearance with the first team and was on-loan in 2008–09 with German club
Bayer Leverkusen Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, also known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen (), Bayer Leverkusen, or simply Leverkusen, is a professional football club based in Leverkusen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Bundesliga, t ...
, 2009–10, and
2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
with
Racing de Santander Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. (), also known as Racing de Santander () or simply Racing, is a football club based in Santander, Cantabria, Spain, that currently competes in Segunda División, the second tier of the Spanish league sys ...
and in 2011–12, with Brazilian club
Palmeiras Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (), commonly known as Palmeiras, is a Brazilian professional football club based in the city of São Paulo, in the district of Perdizes. Palmeiras is one of the most popular clubs in South America, with around ...
. On 28 June, Barcelona and
Valencia CF Valencia Club de Fútbol (, ca-valencia, València Club de Futbol ), commonly referred to as Valencia CF (or simply Valencia) is a professional football club based in Valencia, Spain, that currently plays in La Liga, the top flight of the Spa ...
reached an agreement on the transfer of left back
Jordi Alba Jordi Alba Ramos (born 21 March 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. He is often regarded as one of the best left-backs of his generation. Alba started his ...
for €14 million. The player joined the team after
UEFA Euro 2012 The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
and signed a five-year deal.


July

On 7 July, Barcelona announced that
Seydou Keita Seydou Keïta (; anglicised to Keita; born 16 January 1980) is a Malian former footballer. A versatile midfielder, he operated as both a central or defensive midfielder. Keita most notably played for Lens (five seasons) and Barcelona (four), ...
would not renew his contract for the upcoming season. The
Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Ma ...
midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
leaves after four years and 14 titles accumulated while at Barça. On 10 July, the
Royal Spanish Football Federation The Royal Spanish Football Federation ( es, Real Federación Española de Fútbol; RFEF) is the governing body of football in Spain. It is based in La Ciudad del Fútbol of Las Rozas, a municipality near Madrid. It was founded on 14 October 19 ...
released the fixture list for the 2012–13 season, with Barcelona opening the season at
Camp Nou Camp Nou (, meaning ''new field'', often referred to in English as the Nou Camp), officially branded as Spotify Camp Nou for sponsorship and financial reasons, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Spain. It has been the home stadium of FC Bar ...
against
Real Sociedad Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D., more commonly referred to as Real Sociedad (; ''Royal Society''), La Real in Spanish, Erreala in Basque, is a Spanish professional sports club in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 Septemb ...
. President
Ángel María Villar Ángel María Villar Llona (born 21 January 1950) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. After having represented Athletic Bilbao during a full decade (appearing in 361 official matches and scoring 11 goals), ...
also confirmed that both Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova and
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
manager
José Mourinho José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix GOIH (; born 26 January 1963), is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of Italian Serie A club Roma. Once dubbed "The Special One" by the Britis ...
will not have to serve their suspensions in the
2012 Supercopa de España The 2012 Supercopa de España was a two-legged Spanish football match-up that took place on 23 and 29 August 2012 between the champions of 2011–12 La Liga, Real Madrid, and the winner of the 2011–12 Copa del Rey, Barcelona. Barcelona and Real ...
for their altercation in last year's edition. Barça's Board Secretary Toni Freixa stated at a press conference that an "aggression can never go unpunished" and "we understand that an aggression on a coach deserves punishment. This measure doesn't make the aggressor innocent but it allows them to believe that they can keep on being aggressive without consequences. It's a bad example for Spanish football that this aggression hasn't been punished." On 13 July, Barcelona announced that the pre-season match on 28 July would be played against
Raja Casablanca Raja Club Athletic ( ar, نادي الرجاء الرياضي, Nādī ar-Rajāʾ ar-Riyāḍī, zgh, ⴰⵙⵔⵉⵔ ⵏ ⵕⴰⵊⴰ ⴰⵎⴰⵏⵓⵏ), commonly referred to as Raja CA, Raja Casablanca or simply RCA is a professional footb ...
instead of Moroccan All-Star XI as previously announced. On 24 July, Barcelona opened their pre-season with a 2–1 victory over Hamburg at the
Imtech Arena Volksparkstadion () is a football stadium in Hamburg, Germany, and is the home of Hamburger SV. History HSV actually have nothing to do with the origins of the stadium, even though they own the current arena. Before the club moved to the cur ...
. Goals scored by
Dani Alves Daniel Alves da Silva (born 6 May 1983), known simply as Dani Alves (), is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Liga MX club UNAM and the Brazil national team. Widely considered one of the greatest full-backs of ...
and
Gerard Deulofeu Gerard Deulofeu Lázaro (; born 13 March 1994) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Serie A club Udinese. Mainly a forward, he can also play as a winger on both flanks. He started his career with Barcelona, first appearing with ...
to set off a victorious debut for Vilanova. Defender
Marc Muniesa Marc Muniesa Martínez (born 27 March 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Al-Arabi. Mainly a central defender, he can also play as a left back. Muniesa began his career with Barcelona, making his debut at the end of the ...
left the match with a torn ACL in his right knee in the 52nd minute that could possibly see him miss the rest of the season. The next day, Barcelona doctors confirmed that Muniesa will miss up to six months due to the injury picked up the day before. On 27 July, Barcelona informed the
Catalan Football Federation The Catalan Football Federation ( ca, Federació Catalana de Futbol, es, Federación Catalana de Fútbol; FCF) is the football association responsible for administering football in Catalonia. It was formed on 11 November 1900 as the Football Ass ...
that
Barcelona B Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, instead of the first team, will dispute the Supercopa de Catalunya against
Espanyol Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona (; "Royal Spanish Sports Club of Barcelona"), commonly known as Espanyol, is a professional sports club based in Barcelona, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top tier of the Spanish football league sy ...
set for 31 July at the Olímpic Lluís Companys. On 28 July, Barcelona defeated Raja Casablanca 8–0 in Tangier with
Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
supplying a hat-trick while
Alexis Sánchez Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez (; born 19 December 1988), also known mononymously as Alexis, is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Marseille and the Chile national team. He is often lauded as the g ...
added another two goals while Dani Alves,
Sergi Gómez Sergi Gómez Solà (born 28 March 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for RCD Espanyol as a central defender. Club career Barcelona Born in Arenys de Mar, Barcelona, Catalonia, Gómez arrived in FC Barcelona's youth academy at ...
, and Deulofeu scored one each. On 30 July, Barcelona announced they accepted the rescheduled date of the Supercopa de Catalunya after the Catalan Football Association proposed the match to be played on 26 September 2012. They also stated that they would play the strongest team possible as chosen by the manager.


August

On 4 August, Barcelona defeated
Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
4–1 in penalty shoot-out after a 2–2 draw in regular time for the Trophée de Paris in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. Rafinha and Lionel Messi scored the two goals which was kicked off by
Eric Abidal Eric Sylvain Abidal (; born 11 September 1979) is a French former professional footballer who played as a left-back or centre-back. In his career, he played mainly for Lyon and Barcelona, winning 18 trophies with both teams combined, including t ...
, who took the ceremonial kick off. On 8 August, Barcelona defeated Manchester United 2–0 in a best-of-three penalty shoot-out after a 0–0 draw after regular time.
Víctor Valdés Víctor Valdés Arribas (; born 14 January 1982) is a Spanish football coach and former professional player, who played as a goalkeeper. Valdés was considered fiercely competitive and demanding, demonstrating great mental strength and concen ...
saved a
Wayne Rooney Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985) is an English professional football manager and former player, who is the manager of Major League Soccer club D.C. United in the United States. He spent much of his playing career as a forward while ...
penalty in the first half of stoppage time, while Jordi Alba made his debut for Barcelona in the second half of the match. On 11 August, Barcelona defeated
Dinamo București A dynamo is a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator. Dynamo or Dinamo may also refer to: Places * Dinamo (Moscow Metro), a station of the Moscow Metro, Moscow, Russia * Dinamo (Yekaterinburg Metro), a station of the Yekaterin ...
2–0 with goals by Lionel Messi and
Ibrahim Afellay Ibrahim Afellay (born 2 April 1986) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or winger. He played youth football at Elinkwijk before joining the PSV Eindhoven youth academy at age 10. After debuting in 20 ...
. The two long-time injured Barça players,
David Villa David Villa Sánchez (; born 3 December 1981) is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a striker. Villa is regarded by pundits as one of the best forwards of his generation, and one of the best Spanish strikers of all time. ...
( fractured
tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...
) and
Andreu Fontàs Andreu Fontàs Prat (; born 14 November 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City. Club career Early years Born in Banyoles, Girona, Catalonia, Fontàs was a product ...
(torn ACL), made their returns. On 18 August, Barcelona and
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
club Arsenal reached an agreement on the transfer of
Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
midfielder
Alex Song Alexandre Dimitri Song Billong (born 9 September 1987), better known as Alex Song, is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays for Djiboutian side Arta/Solar7 as a central or defensive midfielder. He can also play as a central defender. ...
for €19 million. The player signed a five-year deal with an €80 million release clause. On 19 August, Barcelona started their 2012–13 La Liga season with 5–1 home win over Real Sociedad with two goals by Lionel Messi and one each by Carles Puyol,
Pedro Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for '' Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter. The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, mean ...
and David Villa. It also marked a successful debut for Tito Vilanova's first league match as manager. On 20 August, Barcelona suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of
Sampdoria Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, ...
for the
Joan Gamper Trophy The Joan Gamper Trophy ( ca, Trofeu Joan Gamper) or Joan Gamper Cup is an annual association football exhibition match held in August, before the start of Barcelona's La Liga season, where top division clubs from Europe compete against them. The c ...
by a score of 1–0.
Sergi Roberto Sergi Roberto Carnicer (, born 7 February 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. Mainly a central midfielder, he can also operate as a defensive midfielder, full-back or w ...
was named the best player of the match. On 23 August, Barcelona defeated Real Madrid in the first leg of the Supercopa de España, 3–2, with goals by Pedro, Lionel Messi and Xavi. It was Vilanova's first game and win in a Clásico as manager. Messi's 14th Clásico goal allowed him to equal César Rodríguez's record for Barcelona and marked the first time a player scored in four consecutive Spanish Super Cup matches. On 26 August, Barcelona came back from a 1–0 half-time deficit to defeat
CA Osasuna Club Atlético Osasuna (, ''Osasuna Athletic Club''), or simply Osasuna, is a Spanish professional football club in Pamplona, Navarre. Founded on 24 October 1920, the club currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at the 23,576-capacity El Sa ...
in El Sadar with a 2–1 victory behind two goals from Lionel Messi in the last 15 minutes of the match. Carles Puyol finished with a broken cheekbone after a collision with Osasuna's
forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...
Roland Lamah Roland Conde Lamah (born 31 December 1987) is a footballer who plays as a left winger for USL Championship side Memphis 901. Born in the Ivory Coast, Lamah represents Belgium internationally. Club career Early years / Osasuna Born in Abidjan, ...
towards the end of the match, that also saw manager Vilanova ejected for the first time by referee Muñiz Fernández for excessive argument over a play the Barça manager deemed a foul not called in favour of his team. On 29 August, the RFEF Competition Committee suspended manager Tito Vilanova after he was ejected in the Osasuna match for what the referee deemed as "angrily protesting a play of the match, after he had been warned by the assistant referee." Barça are set to appeal the suspension. Later that day, Barça were defeated in the second leg of the Supercopa de España 2–1 at the Santiago Bernabéu and lost the tie on away goals. Real Madrid jumped out to a 2–0 lead within the first 20 minutes and the comeback was made even tougher for Barça after the sending off of
Adriano Adriano or Adrião is the form of the Latin given name ''Hadrianus'' commonly used in the Italian language; the form Adrian is used in the English language. Notable people with the name include: * Adriano Banchieri, Italian composer, music theori ...
in the 28th minute. Lionel Messi scored his sixth goal of the season off a free-kick and has scored in all four competitive matches to start the season for Barcelona. Alex Song made his debut for Barcelona with a perfect passing statistic. On 30 August,
UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
conducted the group stage draw for the
2012–13 UEFA Champions League The 2012–13 UEFA Champions League was the 58th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 21st season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League. The final was p ...
in
Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
. Barcelona were drawn into Group G along with
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
club Benfica,
Spartak Moscow Spartak Moscow may refer to the following teams based or formerly based in Moscow, Russia: * FC Spartak Moscow, an association football club * HC Spartak Moscow, a professional ice hockey team * Spartak GM Moscow, a semi-professional rugby club * WB ...
from
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, and Scottish champions
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
. Barcelona
midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
Andrés Iniesta Andrés Iniesta Luján (; born 11 May 1984) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder and is the captain of J1 League club Vissel Kobe. Considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time, Iniesta has spent most of his ...
received the 2011–12 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, beating out teammate Lionel Messi and Real Madrid
forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...
Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest p ...
for the prize. On 31 August, Barcelona and
Schalke 04 Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., commonly known as FC Schalke 04 (), Schalke 04 (), or abbreviated as S04 (), is a professional German football and multi-sports club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine ...
agreed on a loan of Ibrahim Afellay to the German club until 30 June 2013.


September

On 2 September, Barcelona defeated Valencia 1–0 at the Camp Nou to start the league season unbeaten before the FIFA international break. Adriano scored the lone goal in the 23rd minute. On 12 September, Barcelona announced that midfielder Andrés Iniesta would be out 10–15 days with a pulled abductor in his right leg which he picked up during the
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
match the day before. On 15 September, Barcelona defeated
Getafe CF Getafe Club de Fútbol (), or simply Getafe, is a professional football club based in Getafe, a city in the Community of Madrid. The team competes in La Liga, the highest tier of the Spanish football system. The club's home stadium (owned and op ...
with a scoreline of 4–1 at the
Coliseum Alfonso Pérez Estadio Coliseum Alfonso Pérez () is a municipally-owned football stadium in Getafe, Spain. It is the home ground of Getafe CF. Stadium The stadium was built in 1998 and currently, after several extensions, it has a capacity of 17,393 people, ...
. Lionel Messi started his first match in over a year on the bench but came-on in the 59th minute to score two goals. David Villa added another one as he recovers to full match fitness from his fractured leg from December 2011. Not all was celebrations for Barça, however, as their captain, Carles Puyol, suffered a strained to the
posterior cruciate ligament The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is a ligament in each knee of humans and various other animals. It works as a counterpart to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial cond ...
in his left leg in the 53rd minute. The player is expected to miss four-to-six weeks due to the knee injury. On 19 September, Barcelona made their Champions League debut for the season with a 3–2 home victory over Spartak Moscow.
Cristian Tello Cristian Tello Herrera (; born 11 August 1991) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger for Saudi Professional League club Al Fateh. He spent his youth at Espanyol and Barcelona, playing for both clubs' reserves be ...
contributed the opening goal and Lionel Messi the two winning goals, while Dani Alves scored an own goal for the visitors. Early in the first half, Barça's CB
Gerard Piqué Gerard Piqué Bernabeu (, ; born 2 February 1987) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is considered one of the best defenders of his generation. Initially a highly promising student at La Masia, Piqué ...
suffered a
sprain A sprain, also known as a torn ligament, is an acute soft tissue injury of the ligaments within a joint, often caused by a sudden movement abruptly forcing the joint to exceed its functional range of motion. Ligaments are tough, inelastic fibers ...
ed left foot and will be out for two to three weeks. On 22 September, Barcelona defeated
Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
at home 2–0 behind a goal from Xavi late in the 87th minute and an own goal in stoppage time to seal the victory. On 28 September, Lionel Messi won his third consecutive
Onze d'Or The ''Onze d'Or'' (alternative name: ''Onze Mondial'' European Footballer of the Year) is an association football award given by French magazine '' Onze Mondial'' since 1976. The award honors the best player in Europe, with any player in a European ...
presented by the French magazine ''
Onze Mondial ''Onze Mondial'' is a French language quarterly football magazine published in Paris, France. History and profile The magazine was established with name ''Onze'' in 1976. In 1989 the magazine merged with another sports magazine, ''Mondial'', and ...
''. With 47.45% of the votes, Messi beat out Cristiano Ronaldo and
Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish profess ...
forward
Radamel Falcao Radamel Falcao García Zárate (born 10 February 1986) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Rayo Vallecano and often captains the Colombia national team. Nicknamed "''El Tigre''" (Spanish for ''The Tige ...
for the trophy. On 29 September, Barcelona came from two goals down to claim a 3–2 victory over
Sevilla Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Gua ...
at the
Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium The Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium ( es, Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán; ) is a football stadium in Seville, Spain. It is the home stadium of Sevilla Fútbol Club, and is named after the club's former president, Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán (1 ...
. After Sevilla took a 2–0 lead, two goals by
Cesc Fàbregas Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas Soler (; ; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Italian Serie B club Como. Fàbregas came through ''La Masia'', Barcelona's youth academy, leaving at 16 when h ...
and one by substitute David Villa in injury time kept Barça on their perfect start to the league season. In the same match,
Thiago Thiago is the Portuguese equivalent of the names Jacob and James. It is the archaic spelling of the name Tiago, presently mostly used in Brazil; in Portugal, the modern spelling largely prevails. * Thiago (footballer, born September 1988), full ...
picked up a knee injury that will sideline him for up to eight weeks.


October

On 2 October, Barcelona defeated Benfica at the
Estádio da Luz The Estádio da Luz (), officially named Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Lisbon, Portugal. It is used mostly for association football matches, hosting the home games of Portuguese club S.L. Benfica, its ...
with 2–0 scoreline to stay unbeaten at the top of the group. Alexis Sánchez and Cesc Fàbregas contributed the winning goals, while
Sergio Busquets Sergio Busquets Burgos (, ; born 16 July 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for La Liga club Barcelona, where he is captain. He is considered to be a deep-lying playmaker capable of directing gameplay ...
was sent off in the 89th minute. Late in the second half of the game, Carles Puyol suffered yet another injury when he landed awkwardly and dislocated his left elbow. He is expected to be out for eight weeks. On 7 October, Barcelona drew their first game of the season with a 2–2 at home against Real Madrid. Both goals came from Lionel Messi, bringing him just one goal short of the all time Clásico scoring record of 18 goals by
Alfredo Di Stéfano Alfredo (, ) is a cognate of the Anglo-Saxon name Alfred and a common Italian, Galician, Portuguese and Spanish language personal name. People with the given name include: *Alfredo (born 1946), Brazilian footballer born as Alfredo Mostarda Filho ...
. Early in the match, Dani Alves picked up a hamstring injury in his left leg and will be out for three weeks. On 15 October, Barcelona announced defender Andreu Fontàs would be loan out to
Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...
until the end of the season. On 20 October, Barcelona took a wild match in
A Coruña A Coruña (; es, La Coruña ; historical English: Corunna or The Groyne) is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. A Coruña is the most populated city in Galicia and the second most populated municipality in the autonomous community and s ...
, beating
Deportivo de La Coruña Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña (), commonly known as Deportivo La Coruña (), Deportivo or simply Dépor, is a professional association football, football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Spain. They currently p ...
5–4 at the
Estadio Riazor Estadio Municipal de Riazor (), also known as Estadio ABANCA-RIAZOR for sponsorship reasons, is an all-seater stadium in A Coruña, Spain. The stadium is the home of Deportivo de La Coruña, and accommodates a total of 32,660 spectators, making ...
. A hat-trick by Lionel Messi gave the visitors all the hard earned three points in where they raced out to a three-goal lead within the first 20 minutes of the match. On 23 October, Barcelona defeated Celtic 2–1 at home. A goal by Andrés Iniesta at the end of the first half and a Jordi Alba goal in the closing seconds helped Barcelona to take away the win in Xavi's 150th international game with Barcelona. On 27 October, Barcelona defeated
Rayo Vallecano Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D. (), often abbreviated to Rayo (Spanish for "thunderbolt"), is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Vallecas. Rayo was founded on 29 May 1924, and currently compete in La Lig ...
with a dominating scoreline of 5–0 in
Vallecas Vallecas was a municipality of Spain that disappeared as such in 1950, when its annexation to the Municipality of Madrid was effectuated. Nowadays it is a large neighborhood of Madrid composed of two districts: Puente de Vallecas (population ...
. Leo Messi scored a brace, while David Villa, Xavi and Cesc Fàbregas contributed with a goal each. This win equalled Barcelona's best start in the La Liga. On 30 October, Barcelona started their
Copa del Rey The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout footbal ...
defence with a victory in
Vitoria-Gasteiz es, vitoriano, vitoriana, , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Spanish, Basque , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
over Alavés in the first leg with a 3–0 win. Goals from David Villa, Andrés Iniesta and Cesc Fàbregas gave Barça the victory.


November

On 3 November, Barcelona defeated
Celta de Vigo Real Club Celta de Vigo (; ), commonly known as Celta de Vigo or simply Celta, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, that competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football. Nicknamed ''Os Celestes'' (The Sky Blues ...
3–1 at home. With goals by Adriano, David Villa and Jordi Alba, Barça confirmed their best start in La Liga in club history. Adriano had to leave the game early with a muscle tear in his right thigh and will be out of action for three weeks. The win opened a three-point gap at the top of the league over
Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish profess ...
. On 7 November, Barcelona suffered their first Champions League loss of the season with a 2–1 loss in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
against Celtic. The lone goal by Lionel Messi came in the closing minutes of the game. This loss marked Barça's first away defeat in the Champions League Group Stage since 2006. On 11 November, Barcelona defeated Mallorca 4–2 at the
Iberostar Iberostar Group is a global tourism company and hotel group. The company has four areas of business: the hotel division, the core business of the company; the holiday club, called The Club; the inbound tourism and travel brands Almundo.com, Wo ...
. Goals by Xavi, Cristian Tello and a brace by Lionel Messi helped equalizing the best ever La Liga start after the first 11 games of the season, previously archived by Real Madrid 1968–69 and 1991–92. With 76 goals to his name in 2012, Messi also overtook
Pelé Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; born 23 October 1940), known as Pelé (), is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and labelled "the greatest" by FIFA, ...
's record of 75 goals in a single calendar year from 1958 and is only nine goals from drawing with the all-time record from 1972 by
Gerd Müller Gerhard "Gerd" Müller (; 3 November 1945 – 15 August 2021) was a German professional footballer. A striker renowned for his clinical finishing, especially in and around the six-yard box, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalsco ...
. On 16 November, Barcelona announced that
Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. ( ar, القطرية, ''al-Qaṭariya''), operating as Qatar Airways, is the state-owned flag carrier airline of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, the airline operates a hub-and-spoke netw ...
will be the new
shirt sponsor In association football, kit (also referred to as a strip or uniform) is the standard equipment and attire worn by players. The sport's rules specify the minimum kit which a player must use, and also prohibit the use of anything that is dangerou ...
starting the 2013–14 season, marking the first official
commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
sponsor on the Barcelona shirt in team's history. President
Sandro Rosell Alexandre "Sandro" Rosell Feliu (; born 6 March 1964) is a Spanish businessman. He earned an MBA degree from ESADE. Rosell ran as senior adviser of Joan Laporta during the 2003 FC Barcelona elections and was the vice-president of sports until Jun ...
stated "(Qatar Airways) an ambitious brand with global aspirations, always committed to achieving the utmost excellence in its field. These are objectives with which FC Barcelona fully identifies." On 17 November, Barcelona defeated
Zaragoza Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...
with 3–1 at home with another brace by Lionel Messi and
Alex Song Alexandre Dimitri Song Billong (born 9 September 1987), better known as Alex Song, is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays for Djiboutian side Arta/Solar7 as a central or defensive midfielder. He can also play as a central defender. ...
's first goal for Barça. On 18 November, Marc Bartra pulled the adductor in his right leg during a training session and will be sidelined for 15–20 days. On 20 November, Barcelona defeated Spartak Moscow at the
Luzhniki Stadium Luzhniki Stadium ( rus, стадион «Лужники», p=stədʲɪˈon lʊʐnʲɪˈkʲi, ''Stadion Luzhniki'') is the national stadium of Russia, located in its capital city, Moscow. The full name of the stadium is Grand Sports Arena of the ...
3–0. One goal by Dani Alves and two by Lionel Messi helped Barça to qualify for the
knockout phase A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
of the Champions League with one game left to play. On 25 November, Barcelona defeated Levante in the Ciutat de València 4–0. A brace by Lionel Messi and one goal each by Cesc Fàbregas and Andrés Iniesta, the latter also contributing three assists, as well as a penalty save by
Víctor Valdés Víctor Valdés Arribas (; born 14 January 1982) is a Spanish football coach and former professional player, who played as a goalkeeper. Valdés was considered fiercely competitive and demanding, demonstrating great mental strength and concen ...
kept Barça on top of La Liga. For over 60 minutes Barcelona played with only
La Masia La Masia de Can Planes, usually shortened to La Masia (; en, "The Farmhouse"), is a term used for FC Barcelona's youth academy. The academy includes more than 300 young players. It has been an instrumental factor in Barcelona's European success ...
graduates, after Dani Alves came off injured after 13 minutes. On 28 November, Barcelona defeated Alavés with 3–1 at home. One goal by Adriano and two by David Villa helped Barça to advance to the
Round of 16 A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
of the Copa del Rey, where they will face Córdoba. With the brace, David Villa passed the 300 career goals mark to 301 goals as a professional, including club and country, Spain. On 29 November,
FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
announced the three finalists for the
2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or The 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala was the third year for FIFA's awards for the top football players and coaches of the year. The awards were given out in Zürich on 7 January 2013, with Lionel Messi winning a record fourth consecutive Ballon d'Or. T ...
to be presented on 7 January 2013: Lionel Messi and Andrés Iniesta from Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. This marks the third season in a row that at least two finalist are from Barcelona and the six year in a row that Messi makes the final three.


December

On 1 December, Barcelona defeated
Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club ( eu, Bilboko Athletic Kluba; es, Athletic Club de Bilbao), commonly known as Athletic Bilbao or just Athletic, is a professional Association football, football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Basque Country (autonomous com ...
5–1 at home with two goals by Lionel Messi and one each by Gerard Piqué, Adriano, and Cesc Fàbregas. With this win Barça set up the best ever start of any team in La Liga. Messi's two goals made him equalize with César Rodríguez as Barcelona's top scorers in La Liga with 190 goals. On 5 December, Barcelona played their first goalless game of the season, drawing 0–0 against Benfica at home. Shortly after coming on, Lionel Messi had to be carried off on a stretcher after twisting his knee. It was later revealed that Messi picked up a contusion on the outside of his left knee. On 9 December, Barcelona defeated
Real Betis Real Betis Balompié, known as Real Betis () or just Betis, is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1907, it plays in La Liga. It holds home games at the Estadio Benito Vill ...
in the Benito Villamarín 2–1. With two more goals by Lionel Messi, Barça continued their undefeated run in away games to start La Liga season to eight matches. Those goals also sent Messi's tally to 86 in 2012, overtaking
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
striker
Gerd Müller Gerhard "Gerd" Müller (; 3 November 1945 – 15 August 2021) was a German professional footballer. A striker renowned for his clinical finishing, especially in and around the six-yard box, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalsco ...
's record of 85 goals in a calendar year in 1972. Early in the game, Cesc Fàbregas was subbed off with a torn
biceps femoris The biceps femoris () is a muscle of the thigh located to the posterior, or back. As its name implies, it has two parts, one of which (the long head) forms part of the hamstrings muscle group. Structure It has two heads of origin: *the ''long h ...
in his left thigh and will be sidelined for three-to-four weeks. On 12 December, Barcelona defeated Córdoba at the Nuevo Arcángel 2–0. Both goals were scored by Lionel Messi in his first Copa del Rey game of the season. On 16 December, Barcelona defeated
Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish profess ...
at home 4–1. Two goals by Lionel Messi and one each by Adriano and
Sergio Busquets Sergio Busquets Burgos (, ; born 16 July 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for La Liga club Barcelona, where he is captain. He is considered to be a deep-lying playmaker capable of directing gameplay ...
. This victory helped Barça to draw nine points clear at the top of the table, and Messi's goals brought his record up to 90 for the year. On 17 December, Cristian Tello extended his contract with Barcelona until 30 June 2016, with a set buyout clause of €10 million. On 18 December, Barcelona announced the renewal of contracts with Carles Puyol and Xavi until 2016 and Lionel Messi until 2018. On 19 December, Barcelona's Medical Services announced that manager Tito Vilanova was to undergo surgery on the following day after a routine check-up revealed that he suffered a
parotid The parotid gland is a major salivary gland in many animals. In humans, the two parotid glands are present on either side of the mouth and in front of both ears. They are the largest of the salivary glands. Each parotid is wrapped around the ma ...
ailment relapse, which he was operated on a year previous. During the recovery time, assistant coach
Jordi Roura Jordi Roura Solà (born 10 September 1967) is a Spanish former Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. Playing career Born in Llagostera, Province of Girona, Girona, Catalonia, Roura arrived at FC Barcelona's La Masia in th ...
will lead Barça. On 20 December,
UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
conducted the
Round of 16 A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
draw for the
2012–13 UEFA Champions League The 2012–13 UEFA Champions League was the 58th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 21st season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League. The final was p ...
in
Nyon Nyon (; outdated German language, German: or ; outdated Italian language, Italian: , ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in Nyon District in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located some 25 kilomet ...
. Barcelona were drawn to face
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
club
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, who they last faced in the previous season's
quarter-finals A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
. On 22 December, Barcelona won their last match of the year at the
José Zorrilla José Zorrilla y Moral () was a Spanish poet and dramatist, who became National Laureate. Biography Zorrilla was born in Valladolid to a magistrate in whom Ferdinand VII placed special confidence. He was educated by the Jesuits at the Real Se ...
against
Real Valladolid Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D., or simply Real Valladolid () or Valladolid, is a professional football club based in Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain that competes in La Liga, the top tier of the Spanish league system. The club colo ...
with a score of 3–1. Goals by Xavi, Lionel Messi and Cristian Tello helped to keep the nine point lead on top of the table intact. On 23 December, Barcelona announced that backup goalkeeper
José Manuel Pinto José Manuel Pinto Colorado (born 8 November 1975) is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. After making a name for himself at Celta, with which he made his La Liga debut, he signed for Barcelona in 2008, going o ...
came to an agreement with the club to extend his contract for another year until 30 June 2014.


January

On 6 January, Barcelona won their first match of the year at home, against Espanyol 4–0. Two goals by Pedro and one each by Xavi and Lionel Messi were scored in the first 30 minutes of the game. On 7 January, Lionel Messi was announced the
2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or The 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala was the third year for FIFA's awards for the top football players and coaches of the year. The awards were given out in Zürich on 7 January 2013, with Lionel Messi winning a record fourth consecutive Ballon d'Or. T ...
winner in
Zürich Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
. With 41.60% of the votes, Messi became the first player to win the award on four occasions, surpassing
Johan Cruyff Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (, internationally known as Johan Cruyff; 25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016) was a Dutch professional football player and manager. As a player, he won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974. Cruyff was a ...
,
Michel Platini Michel François Platini (born 21 June 1955) is a French football administrator and former player and manager. Regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Platini won the Ballon d'Or three times in a row, in 1983, 1984 and 1985, ...
and
Marco van Basten Marcel "Marco" van Basten (; born 31 October 1964) is a Dutch football manager and retired professional player, who played for Ajax and AC Milan, as well as the Netherlands national team, as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pl ...
, all with three. The win also gave Barcelona its tenth winner, the most all time of any European club. Barcelona also celebrated five players in the 2012 FIFA FIFPro World XI, as Messi was joined by teammates Gerard Piqué, Dani Alves, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi as the world's best for 2012. On 10 January, Barcelona beat Córdoba in the return leg of the Copa del Rey at home by 5–0, with one goal scored by Thiago and two each by David Villa and Alexis Sánchez. With an aggregate score of 7–0, Barça went through to the
quarter-finals A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
, where they will face
Málaga Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most pop ...
. Early in the second half of the game,
Sergi Roberto Sergi Roberto Carnicer (, born 7 February 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. Mainly a central midfielder, he can also operate as a defensive midfielder, full-back or w ...
was subbed off with a tear in his left
hamstring In human anatomy, a hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). The hamstrings are susceptible to injury. In quadrupeds, ...
and will be out of action for four weeks. On 13 January, Barcelona beat Málaga at the
La Rosaleda Stadium Estadio La Rosaleda (; literally The Rose Garden) is a football stadium in the city of Málaga, in Andalucia, southern Spain. It is the home stadium of Málaga CF in Segunda División and was previously that of the Club Deportivo Málaga, of wh ...
3–1, with goals by Lionel Messi, Cesc Fàbregas and Thiago. With this win, Barça ended the first round of the season with a record-breaking 55 out of a possible 57 points. On 16 January, Barcelona drew 2–2 against Málaga at home in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. Goals by Lionel Messi and Carles Puyol were scored within one minute of each other. On 18 January, Barcelona announced that goalkeeper Víctor Valdés will not be extending his contract any further after his current contract expires on 30 June 2014. On 19 January, Barcelona lost their first league game away against
Real Sociedad Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D., more commonly referred to as Real Sociedad (; ''Royal Society''), La Real in Spanish, Erreala in Basque, is a Spanish professional sports club in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 Septemb ...
at the
Anoeta Stadium Anoeta Stadium ( es, Estadio de Anoeta), currently known as the Reale Arena for sponsorship purposes, is a football stadium in San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain that was inaugurated in 1993. The stadium lies at the Anoeta Sports Complex, ...
, 3–2. After leading by two goals from Messi and Pedro, Gerard Piqué was sent off with a second yellow and Sociedad turned the game around and scored the winning goal in the dying minutes. On 24 January, Barcelona defeated Málaga in the La Rosaleda 4–2, with goals by Pedro, Piqué, Iniesta and Messi. With an aggregate score of 6–4, Barça went through to the Copa del Rey semi-finals, where they will face Real Madrid. On 27 January, Barcelona defeated Osasuna at home 5–1 with four goals by Messi and one from Pedro. With those goals, Messi broke the 200-goal barrier in La Liga, becoming the youngest player to archive that feat at just 25 years and 217 days of age. On 30 January, Barcelona drew 1–1 against Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabéu in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals. The lone Barça goal was scored by Cesc Fàbregas. On 31 January, Barcelona and
Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Greek ...
agreed on the loan of forward Isaac Cuenca to the Dutch club until 30 June 2013. On the same day, Barça announced that defender
Marc Muniesa Marc Muniesa Martínez (born 27 March 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Al-Arabi. Mainly a central defender, he can also play as a left back. Muniesa began his career with Barcelona, making his debut at the end of the ...
will join the
B team B, or b, is the second letter of the Latin-script alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' bee'' (pronounced ), plural ''bees''. It r ...
for the rest of the season after having recovered from a torn ACL.


February

On 3 February, Barcelona drew their second league match of the season and their second season match in a row. A 1–1 draw against Valencia at the
Mestalla Stadium Mestalla Stadium ( es, Estadio de Mestalla , ca-valencia, Estadi de Mestalla ) is a football stadium in Valencia, Spain. The stadium is the home of Valencia Club de Fútbol and has a capacity of 48,600 seats, making it the 8th-largest stadium i ...
saw Messi scoring the only goal through a penalty. Xavi, who was substituted in injury time of the match, was diagnosed the following day with a hamstring injury and will be sidelined for 15 days. Barcelona faced Milan in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 at the
San Siro Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, commonly known as San Siro, is a football stadium in the San Siro district of Milan, Italy, which is the home of A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. It has a seating capacity of 80,018, making it one of the largest stadiums in ...
and lost 2–0, with goals coming from
Kevin-Prince Boateng Kevin-Prince Boateng (; born 6 March 1987), also known as Prince, is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for club Hertha BSC. Born in Germany, he represented the Ghana national team. Coming through the youth system, ...
and
Sulley Muntari Suleyman Ali "Sulley" Muntari (born 27 August 1984) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent most of his career in Italy, playing for clubs such as Udinese, Internazionale, and Milan. During his time wit ...
. On 21 February, Barcelona announced that defender Eric Abidal is fit to play for the first time since receiving a liver transplant in April 2012. On 24 February, Barcelona defeated Sevilla 2–1 at Camp Nou with goals from David Villa and Lionel Messi. On 26 February, Barcelona were defeated by Real Madrid 3–1, 4–2 on aggregate, at the Camp Nou and were knocked out of Copa del Rey contention.


March

On 2 March, Barcelona lost to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu by a score of 2–1. This was Barcelona's second loss against Real Madrid in a week. Four days later, Víctor Valdés was handed a four-match league ban after receiving a double yellow card for verbally abusing a referee following his team's defeat in the ''Clásico'' in the weekend fixture. On 9 March, Barcelona defeated Deportivo de La Coruña 2–0 with goals from Alexis Sánchez and Lionel Messi. On 12 March, Barcelona defeated Milan 4–0, 4–2 on aggregate, and entered the quarter-finals of the Champions League with goals from David Villa, Jordi Alba and a brace from Lionel Messi. On 17 March, Barcelona defeated Rayo Vallecano 3–1 at Camp Nou with Messi scoring two and Villa scoring one goal. On 30 March, Barça drew 2–2 with Celta de Vigo with Messi and Cristian Tello scoring one goal each.


April

On 2 April, Barça drew 2–2 against
Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
in France in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, the goals coming from Messi and Xavi via a penalty. On 10 April, Barça drew 1–1 against PSG at home in the Camp Nou in the Champions League quarter-final second leg. Pedro scored the all-important equaliser, which put Barça through to the semi-finals on the away goals rule. The draw for the semi-finals of the Champions League was held on 12 April, with Barça drawing with
Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...
. On 14 April, Barcelona defeated Zarozoga 3–0 away from home. A 1–0 win over Levante on 20 April means that Barcelona need a maximum of six more points to secure the 2012–13 La Liga title. On 23 April, Barcelona lost to Bayern 4–0 away at the
Allianz Arena Allianz Arena (; known as Fußball Arena München for UEFA competitions) is a football stadium in Munich, Bavaria, Germany with a 70,000 seating capacity for international matches and 75,000 for domestic matches. Widely known for its exterior ...
in
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
, their largest defeat in Europe in 16 years. On 1 May, in the second leg at home, they lost 3–0. With an aggregate score of 7–0, they were knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals.


May

On 5 May, Barcelona defeated Real Betis 4–2 at home with two goals by Lionel Messi and one each by David Villa and Alexis Sánchez with one more win to secure the La Liga title. On 11 May, Barcelona clinched their 22nd La Liga title after Real Madrid's draw against Espanyol at the Cornellà-El Prat. The result gave Barcelona an eight-point lead with two matches remaining, which ensured that they would finish top of the table. Barcelona were at the top of the league table for the entirety of the season, and only lost two matches en route to winning the title. It was the first title for manager Vilanova. On 30 May, French defender Eric Abidal called a press conference to announce his departure from the club after six seasons. Although admitting he wanted to see out his career as a Barça player, the club ultimately decided not to renew his contract.


Players


Squad information


From the youth system


Transfers in

Total spending: €33 million


Transfers out

Total income: €0 Expenditure: €33 million


Club


Current technical staff


Statistics


Player statistics

Note: The Time Played is not updated yet.


Goal scorers

Last updated: 26 May 2013


Disciplinary record

Includes all competitive matches. Players listed below made at least one appearance for Barcelona first squad during the season.


Fair Play award

This award is given annually since 1999 to the team with the best fair play during the season. This ranking takes into account aspects such as cards, suspension of matches, audience behaviour and other penalties. This section not only aims to determine the best fair play, but also serves to break the tie in teams that are tied in all the other rules: points, head-to-head, goal difference and goals scored. Source: La Liga Fair Play Award Standings
Last updated: 9 May 2013


Pre-season and friendlies


Competitions


Overall


Supercopa de España


La Liga


League table


Results summary


Results by round


Matches


Copa del Rey

Kickoff times are in
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Round of 32


Round of 16


Quarter-finals


Semi-finals


UEFA Champions League


Group stage


Knockout phase


=Round of 16

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=Quarter-finals

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=Semi-finals

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Copa Catalunya


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barcelona Season 2012-13 Spanish football clubs 2012–13 season 2012–13 UEFA Champions League participants seasons 2012–13 2012–13 in Catalan football 2012–13