Pedro, Iniesta, Thiago (2), Xavi, Tello (2) and Cuenca (2), racked up nine goals – five before the break- as Barça charged into the last 16 of the Spanish Cup in the last game of 2011 at the Camp Nou tonight

FC Barcelona secured their place in the next round of the Spanish Cup with a tremendous 9-0 rout of Hospitalet, with Pedro opening the scoring on 10 minutes and  Iniesta, Thiago (2), Xavi, Tello (2) and Cuenca getting the rest. The victory, added to the 0-1 win at Hospitalet was only overshadowed by an injury to Iniesta, who will now be out for the next 15 days.

Guardiola’s team go into the next round, alongside Valencia, Mallorca, Espanyol, Seville, Madrid, Malaga, Llevant, Osasuna, Real Sociedad, Racing, Athletic Club, Albacete, Alcorcón, Mirandés and Cordoba.

Stunning start

Guardiola fielded 10 home grown players, only Pinto had not come up through the academy system, and the team showed how serious they were about the game from the off, going 3-0 up within the first 22 minutes: the first was a Pedro penalty, the next an Iniesta effort after Xavi had brilliantly put Cesc through and the third a lovely goal from Thiago after he won back a ball in midfield and shimmied through the visitors” defence.

Five in the first half

By half time it was five, but also by then Iniesta had had to call for a substitution after he’d knocked into the Hospitalet keeper and tests later revealed he’d be out for up to 15 days. He was replaced by Sergi Roberto, who came close to making it four almost immediately, but in the end it was Xavi who did just that, rounding off a lovely reverse pass from Cesc. And that was that for the Catalan midfielder who soon after his goal was replaced by Tello, who then went on to make it five, charging through from the midfield just a couple of minutes after coming on.

Cuenca claims the sixth

The 56.480 fans who had turned up at the Camp Nou were no doubt wondering just how many goals their team were going to end up putting past Hospitalet and soon after the break, Cuenca made it a half dozen, finishing off some great work from Tello out on the left. Curiously enough the Barça attack was made up of three conventional wingers now -Tello, Pedro and Cuenca.

Thiago, Tello and Cuenca make it nine

However, the team weren’t prepared to settle for six! Thiago was brought down by Viale and again handed penalty taking duties to Pedro , whilst Tello scored his second soon after to make it 8-0. Could Barça now beat their 8-0 win over Osasuna? Well yes, of course -  Cuenca got his second latching on to yet another great ball form Cesc and the players wrapped up a great night and an even greater 2011 with a stunning nine goal haul – here’s to a Happy New Year!

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The midfielder tore the biceps femoris in his left leg and will be sidelined for 15 daysAndrés Iniesta will out of action for 15 days after sustaining a muscle injury during the game against Hospitalet. Barça’s number 8 has a slight tear in the middle third of the biceps femoris in his left thigh according to FC Barcelona’s Medical Services.
The midfielder was injured after a collision with the keeper Craviotto on the 27th minute of the match. Guardiolawas forced to bring in Sergi Roberto to replace Iniesta. Iniesta will be absent for the last-16 away game of theKing’s Cup and the Liga match, scheduled for January 7th or 8th, against Espanyol.

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RESULT:

FC Barcelona: 9

CE L’Hospitalet: 0

GOALSCORERS:

FC Barcelona: Pedro (12′, pen.), Iniesta (19′), Thiago (23′), Xavi (36′), Tello (43′), Cuenca (49′), Thiago (55′), Tello (64′), Cuenca (81′)

CE L’Hospitalet: (none)

LINEUPS:

FC Barcelona: Pinto, Puyol, Piqué, Fontàs, Busquets, Xavi, Thiago, Iniesta, Fábregas, Pedro, and Cuenca

CE L’Hospitalet: Craviotto, Hammouch, L. Viale, Castano, Moussa, Pitu, Rubén García, Corominas, Ángel Sánchez, Aday, and Prats

SUBSTITUTES:

FC Barcelona: Valdés, Muniesa, Dos Santos, Sergi Roberto, and Tello

CE L’Hospitalet: Manel, Moragón, Pedraza, J. Viale, and Haro

SUBSTITUTIONS:

FC Barcelona: Sergi Roberto on for Iniesta (31′), Tello on for Xavi (39′), Dos Santos on for Busquets (57′)

CE L’Hospitalet: Pedraza on for Prats (46′), Haro on for Moussa (54′), Manel on for Pitu (65′)

CAUTIONS:

FC Barcelona: Puyol (66′)

CE L’Hospitalet: L. Viale (54′)

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ANAJAS, Brazil –  A baby boy with two perfectly formed heads was born in Brazil this week, the country’s media reported.

The 10.1-pound baby was delivered by emergency C-section early Monday in Anajas, in the northeastern Para State.

“And for us, it was a great surprise to find out that the child was in really good health.”

- Claudionor Assis de Vasconcelos, director of Hospital Municipal de Anajas

The baby’s 23-year-old Brazilian mother was admitted to the Hospital Municipal de Anajas in severe pain, Diario do Para reported.

She did not have any ultrasound exams during her pregnancy and was made aware of the baby’s condition only a few moments before the birth.

The infant shares one heart and one set of vital organs, but both heads have started nursing normally, doctors told the media.

Joseph Brazil, the obstetrician responsible for the delivery, said the child has “an amazing appetite.”

“Despite all the problems we have as a small interior hospital we managed to save both mother and baby, which was our aim,” the hospital’s director, Claudionor Assis de Vasconcelos, told reporters.

“And for us, it was a great surprise to find out that the child was in really good health,” she added.

The baby’s mother, who has other children, has bonded well with her newborn and wanted to take the child home straightaway, she added.

However, the mother and baby were taken Wednesday by air ambulance to the city of Belem so doctors could carry out further tests.

Neila Dahas, obstetrician and gynecologist at the Santa Casa de Misericordia Hospital, said the baby was born with two heads as a result of “a delay in the division of the egg.”

“I want her [the mother] to understand that she does not have a monstrous son, a son with two heads, but she has two sons.”

The mother named them Emanoel and Jesus.

Dahas said that it “would be absolutely impossible” to separate the two heads as their body shares a liver, heart, lungs and pelvis.

This is the second case of a two-headed baby being born in northeastern Brazil this year.

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Carles Puyol, Gerard Piqué, Cesc Fabregas, and Andreu Fontàs, visited David Villa in hospital and brought him a very special gift: The World Club Championship Trophy, won in Japan

On Wednesday morning there was yet another example of the camaraderie amongst Barça’s first team players. Captain Carles Puyol, Gerard Piqué, Cesc Fabregas, and Andreu Fontàs went to the hospital to visit David Villa, and didn’t do so with their hands empty. The players took with them the trophy they came home with, as winners of the recent World Club Championship, held in Japan. It was just one more detail to help Villa, who was injured in the semifinal match against Al-Sadd, feel part of the triumph. Thus, Villa had got to hold the only trophy that was left for him to win.

We should recall that in the last couple of days a lot of David Villa’s teammates, and coaching staff, have been to the hospital to encourage him and wish him a speedy recovery.

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