Rubin Stuns Barcelona at the Nou Camp

Rubin Kazan celebrate their game-winning goal in Barcelona.

March 1, 2009.

That was the last time Barcelona lost in a match that meant anything: a 4-3 defeat at the Vincente Calderon to an Atlético Madrid team that was amongst Spain’s best at the close of last season.

February 21, 2009.

That is the last time Barcelona lost at the Nou Camp. Hosting Espanyol in a derby last season, Barcelona lost 2-1.

Through La Liga matches, Champions League knock-out stage legs and Copa del Rey ties, Barcelona was unbeaten for over seven months. Along the way, they have played some of the most technically gifted football of their generation.

Today, that technical proficiency saw them out-shoot visiting Rubin Kazan 24-3, with 13 of those 24 shots going on goal. They held just short of 70 percent of the possession and forced 11 corners to Rubin’s one.

There was one problem for Barcelona. Well, two problems.

The first came in the second minute, when a loose ball 28 meters from goal was run onto by Rubin winger Aleksandr Ryanzantsev. Ryanzantsev hit slightly across the ball with his right foot, giving a small rise and bend to the ball that beat a noticeably embarrassed Victor Valdés.

Rubin would take their 1-0 to the first whistle, registering only one more shot in the half. In the second, Barcelona would quickly pull back the goal, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring in the 48th minute.

And still Rubin went without a shot, with limited possession, as Barcelona looked destined for another goal. But then, in the 73rd minute, Rubin would post their final shot of the match, a well-placed Gökdeniz Karadeniz shot that would be the match-winner.

Although both Ibrahimovic and Yaya Touré would hit the crossbar in the second half, Barcelona could not stop Rubin from becoming only the second Russian team to win at the Nou Camp. In the process, Rubin created hope for getting out of Group E. Whereas a loss at Kiev and only one point at home against Inter Milan had them thinking about Europa. Rubin’s unexpected win puts them back in the race for the knock-out stage.

More details to come.