This is the story of Terry Venables’ first season at Barcelona and his attempt to bring La Liga title to the Catalonians for the first time in 11 years.
We pick the story up at the beginning of November 1984. Barcelona are unbeaten at the top of the table – you can read part one here.
November
Still unbeaten in the league and with a clear lead at the top there were, however, concerns over Archibald. He scored in the opening game but hadn’t found the net since. Valencia were the visitors at the beginning of the month in a first v second crunch game.
Spanish international, Enrique Saura gave Valencia the lead after 20 minutes. Any concern amongst the locals regarding their new signing was a little dispensed when Archibald equalised before the break.
They’d avoided defeat but one win in their last five was a little frustrating. They were still three points clear at the top but Real Madrid were now up to third after a Jorge Valdano hat-trick saw them beat Espanyol.
Midweek saw Copa del Rey action for the first time in the season. They made the short trip across Catalonia to Segunda B side Lleida
Managed by Mané the club was on the verge of one of their greatest periods in their history.
Venables rested five, including Schuster and Archibald. Amador was back in goal for only the second time having seen four go past him against Metz. It only took five minutes before he was beaten in this one too. Four minutes into the second half they were 0-2 down. Esteban Vigo scored his first of the season but the recovery never happened. Serna scored his second of the game and Lleida pulled off a famous 3-1 win.
The only consolation for Barca was this was the first of two legs, but they had given themselves some work to do in the return leg.
Archibald was again on target on the trip to Malaga in the league. They won 2-1.
Valencia were held at home, Atlético and Sevilla also played out a draw and so Barcelona were now four points clear and still unbeaten.
Two home matches followed with wins over Hercules and Real Valladolid. Archibald scored twice against Valladolid to give him four in four, as he now seemed to settle into his new surroundings.
They were now five clear at the top with Real Madrid in second. Valencia and Atlético a point back.
Lleida arrived for the second leg of their Copa del Rey clash. Carrasco scored early then Archibald hit the target again. Carrasco scored his second as half-time approached with Schuster converting a penalty to give the home side a 4-0 lead at the break, and ahead on aggregate.
Schuster scored again in the second period as Barcelona’s 6-0 win saw them cruise into the next round.
November ended with the club, and supporters really in their stride and yet to experience defeat in the league.
December
December was going to be an important month for Venables and his charges. Of the six La Liga matches, two were against sides in the top six, including El Clásico just before the New Year.
Their first game of the month was away to Real Sporting, or Sporting Gijon as they’re sometimes referred. They’d been a bit of a surprise this season. They won the Segunda División in 1976-77 and followed it up with two top-three finishes three years later. They’d only won four matches thus far but were proving a tough team to beat.
They had Spanish legend Quini, winner of seven Pichichi Trophy awards and up until the summer a Barcelona player. 54 goals in 100 matches had endeared him to the Barca supporters. But now he was influencing Sporting.
Barcelona were fast out of the traps and in front after just five minutes. Sporting defender, Cundi put through his own net. 20 minutes later the man tasked with replacing Quini’s goals, Archibald, scored again. He’d now scored in four of their last five La Liga matches.
As half-time approached the home side scored twice in a minute. Argentinian Enzo Fererro and, perhaps inevitably, Quini found the net as the game was back level again.
It ended in a 2-2 draw. Any concerns Barca may have had about losing their advantage at the top of the table were dispelled when they learned eight of the nine results were all draws.
A week later they had a test when Sevilla were the visitors. They were sixth, seven points behind the leaders. Elsewhere Real Madrid were at Atlético in a fourth v second match.
Carrasco’s seventh of the season, third in the league, separated the two sides at the break. Sevilla levelled through Ruda, but Barcelona really turned on the style in the last half an hour. Archibald was again on the scoresheet. His seventh La Liga goal, and six in his last six, put the home side back in front. Schuster rounded off the scoring and made sure of the points.
Valdano’s late goal won it for Real Madrid against Atlético and so Barca were still five clear at the top with Real two clear of Valencia in third.
In the week they saw off Murcia in the Copa del Rey with ease. Archibald scored yet again and this game also saw the first of the season for Pichi Alonso. He’d been bought back in 1982 from Zaragoza but had found his opportunities reduced due to the form of Archibald.
15 games into the league season and they were still unbeaten. Next up was a trip to the champions.
Athletic Bilbao had won the last two La Liga titles. They were now just one behind Barcelona in the all-time list. But this season had been frustrating. They’d gone out of the European Cup to Dinamo Bucharest in the First Round. They’d drawn their last five before this match and were down in ninth.
Managed by Javier Clemente, they still possessed a formidable side with Andoni Zubizarreta in goal, José Gallego in midfield, Julio Salinas in attack and at the back, the Butcher of Bilbao, Andoni Goikoetxea.
22-year-old Salinas, yet to come to the attention of the national side, scored the goal which ended Barca’s unbeaten run. It came in the 72nd minute and was the first real blow to Venables’ title hopes.
Valdano was again the only goalscorer as Real Madrid beat Valencia and Barca’s lead was down to three points. Real Betis and Real Sociedad were a further three points behind.
A couple of days before Christmas, they returned to winning ways when Racing Santander visited. Victor scored his third league goal of the season, all of them at the Nou Camp. They held the lead all the way to virtually the end when they were awarded a penalty. As ever, Schuster made no mistake and a 2-0 win was very welcome.
It was especially important when they discovered Real Madrid had been held at lowly Hércules, after twice being behind. Real Betis and Real Sociedad both lost at home so the battle behind Madrid was changing all the time. Barca’s lead was back up to four points.
1984 ended with the mouth-watering prospect of El Clásico part two. Venables had picked Real’s pocket on the opening day of the season. Surely it couldn’t happen again.
It was one of the most anticipated clashes for a while. Real went into the game unbeaten in six but unless Barca was about to suffer a huge loss in form, they needed to win this to keep in touch.
The game was goalless until midway through the first half. Right-back Gerardo picked the ball up just inside his own half but was given far too much space in which to bring the ball forward. When he was finally challenged, he passed it out to the right where Victor stood. Victor floated it into the area where Gerardo had continued his run. The ball dropped between Carrasco and Archibald but it was Gerardo who was the unlikely scorer as he got his head to it first.
It was his first goal of the season and a perfect time to get it.
Five minutes it was back to all-square. Gallego floated over a free-kick from the right. The ball was flicked on and at the back post was Manolo Sanchis completely unmarked. The 19-year-old was making his debut and met it on the half-volley to bring Real back level.
Five minutes after the equaliser things got worse for the home side. Victor Muñoz jumped into a tackle on Sanchis and was given a yellow card. It was a ridiculous challenge. Sanchis was on the halfway line, on the right touchline going nowhere. Victor was already on a yellow so received his marching orders. Quite an eventful debut for Sanchis. It was him who was fouled for the free-kick he equalised from and now had been involved in the sending off too.
Could this be Real’s big chance?
Eight minutes into the second half, Esteban took a corner from the right. Big central defender, Migueli got up and powered a header which bounced down and into the roof of the net. Barca were back in front.
The 10 men of Barca had a couple of decent shouts for penalties turned down. But then with 10 minutes to go, Esteban went down the left, cut inside, beat one man, beat two and then from around the penalty spot he drove a fierce right-foot shot past Miguel Angel into the net. It was a great goal and Barca then led 3-1.
The Malaga-born midfielder was in his eighth season at the Nou Camp. Venables didn’t really give him a run in the first team until the Valladolid game towards the end of November. But he was the toast of the city after that goal.
Right on the final whistle, Butragueno volleyed in a goal but it was no more than a consolation for a Madrid side which was well beaten.
Two games for Venables against Real Madrid, and two wins. The lead was six points at the top. They were eight points clear of third place and the locals could enjoy their New Year celebrations daring to believe the league title could be theirs.
It was a bad defeat for Real, especially when they played almost an hour with a man advantage.
It could be a tough second half of the season for them.
