34 years since the last game on New Years Eve

Barça will be back in action on December 31 with the first game back after the World Cup break. And it is no less than a local derby against Espanyol. Games on New Years Eve are not a normal thing in Spanish football, and this is the first time it has happened to Barça in 34 years, not since 1988.

New Years Eve at the Vicente Calderón

On 31 December 1988, Barça won 3-1 away to Atlético Madrid in a league fixture. Johan Cruyff was the manager and the goals were scored by Robert, Lineker and Bakero, after Baltazar had given the home side the lead from the penalty spot. The Spanish Liga introduced a Christmas break from 1991 onwards, although this year football needs to get going again much sooner than usual because of the interruption caused by events in Qatar.

Other examples

Barça has played a total of 12 games on New Years Eve, eight of which were competitive while the other four were friendlies. The first was in 1911 at the old ground in Carrer Indústria, where the guests were French side Stade Etoile Bleu and the Catalans won 5-1.

The four friendlies resulted in two wins, one draw and one defeat. Meanwhile, the eight competitive games produced six wins and two defeats. The last defeat for Barça on New Years Eve was a 2-1 loss to Sevilla at the Sánchez Pizjuán in 1967.

The only time Barça have ever lost a home fixture on December 31 was a friendly played exactly a century earlier than this year's game, when the visitors were Austrian outfit Wiener Amateure.