CL | 1/8 Finals: FC Barcelona - Chelsea 4-1 agg.

draconifire

NTC with a Positive attitude
Physically our players cannot do it anymore. This is not Barca 2009.

Ya, that probably is the reason. I was kinda excited the first couple of months of Valverde's pressing. It was sublime.
I like how calm/confident we are in defense. Might as well get used to this Barca against strong teams. We are almost like Atletico or the Italian teams, ruthless.
 

jairzinho

Senior Member
As good as we’ve been defensively, we still need some work.

The midfield needs to do a better job of screening the back and picking up the runners. (Kante and Willian last night)

Chelsea players were popping up all over the place but they weren’t clinical when they got their chances.

Also those surging runs from Kante and Willian was a problem. Imagine guys like KDB running through and past the heart of our slow midfield. That needs to be cut out.
 

eaman

Active member
As good as we’ve been defensively, we still need some work.

The midfield needs to do a better job of screening the back and picking up the runners. (Kante and Willian last night)

Chelsea players were popping up all over the place but they weren’t clinical when they got their chances.

Also those surging runs from Kante and Willian was a problem. Imagine guys like KDB running through and past the heart of our slow midfield. That needs to be cut out.

Chelsea didn't really have any clear chances chances last night. They were never one on one with the goalkeeper. I agree willian was getting through the midfield too easy but nothing really in the final third where we defended well. But I do not like the way we played the game in the second half and it's not the Barca way. We were giving away the ball too easily and they were coming at us too much. It's too nerve racking watching that type of game
 

Cebela

New member
Its almost april we are undefeated in CL and La Liga with the weakest team we've had in the last 10 years (coutinho and dembele disnt contribute much so far) and there are still people saying Valverde is clueless. Probably those who predicted we will fight for 4th spot in la liga. No manager could do a better job with this team. Guardiola would be a lot worse because he needs intensity which he could not get from this players. Valverde is a lot better tactician. Our team was in shambles when he came here..we couldnt sign anybody, the fans were angry, lost the supercopa...now we are cruising in the la liga, CL and copa
 

Horatio

You're welcome
Its almost april we are undefeated in CL and La Liga with the weakest team we've had in the last 10 years (coutinho and dembele disnt contribute much so far) and there are still people saying Valverde is clueless. Probably those who predicted we will fight for 4th spot in la liga. No manager could do a better job with this team. Guardiola would be a lot worse because he needs intensity which he could not get from this players. Valverde is a lot better tactician. Our team was in shambles when he came here..we couldnt sign anybody, the fans were angry, lost the supercopa...now we are cruising in the la liga, CL and copa

Guardiola would've signed off earily into the season and gone on another sabbatical because of nervous breakdown.
 

ATLBarcaFan

Senior Member
I'm ecstatic to get by Chelski, can't stand them. Is this a great Barca team, no, but with a few breaks and a good draw, we could make the final. Messi as usual was the difference, midfield was overrun for much of the game, we could really use a talent/speed infusion in midfield.
 

Horatio

You're welcome
Watched the game in a bar yesterday and didn't have audio. Going to rewatch it now with crazy Dutch commentator.
 

Giginho75

New member
Its almost april we are undefeated in CL and La Liga with the weakest team we've had in the last 10 years (coutinho and dembele disnt contribute much so far) and there are still people saying Valverde is clueless. Probably those who predicted we will fight for 4th spot in la liga. No manager could do a better job with this team. Guardiola would be a lot worse because he needs intensity which he could not get from this players. Valverde is a lot better tactician. Our team was in shambles when he came here..we couldnt sign anybody, the fans were angry, lost the supercopa...now we are cruising in the la liga, CL and copa

Exactly!
Not great performances with Chelse, ok...
but we got great results so far.
 

Cebela

New member
Barcelona cant play the way we did..it doesnt mean we are weaker than previous barcas...i dont get an heart attack every team the opposition is in our half which was the case with previous managers...and I believe Valverde will beat city if the team is healthy..citys defence will leave enough space for our trio, they dont know how to defend like teams like utd juve and others who can stand on their own half for 90 minutes...and de bruyne is not as good as people think..and he has problems
Against defences where players are technically good..i really think Barca is stronger and hope we get them in the quarters so that Valverde will prove his worth to all the doubters..
 

PhilS

Active member
Chelsea has some real class, they did show more of an ability to advance the ball into the Barca end than almost any other opponents we have seen this year. It did make me nervous for Barca to have to play so much defense in its own end, but yesterday it was Bend But Not Break. It was one of the best games I've seen by the Barca defenders deep in the Barca end.

Barca badly outclassed Chelsea on the front line and on the back line, and Valverde really came through in his coaching for this tie. All the Barca subs were very good, great energy and effort, showed sufficient skills. This depth is so important so late in the season playing so many games, I am very encouraged by the quality depth shown this last week. In the first half, Dembele put in huge defensive effort, and that was a spectacular shot. He has now earned being on the field most of the time, though he needs to be subbed.

I thought both Messi and Suarez were consistently aiming between Courtois's legs, I bet this was team strategy based upon scouting. Again, great work by the coaching staff.

Barca now has to be the clear favorite to win CL.
 
We can finally boast of having a decent defense.
Chelsea did the best they could, but they we're no match for the blaugranas.
I don't remember ever being so dominant against Chelsea...
 

aaron101

Active member
We can finally boast of having a decent defense.
Chelsea did the best they could, but they we're no match for the blaugranas.
I don't remember ever being so dominant against Chelsea...

We don't have a decent defense. We have the best defense in Europe and stats can back that up.
 

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