Champions League Semi Final: Liverpool - FC Barcelona 4-3 agg.

[FCBfan22]

My preferred lineup

-----MATS----
Semedo-Pique-Lenglet-Alba
-----Busquets----
----Arthur---Vidal
Messi--Suarez--Coutinho


What we will see is Raki and Roberto instead of Arthur and Semedo

We will see a 4-4-2, I think.

 

[serghei]

My bet is also for a 442. When we switched to a 4 men midfield we blocked them much better in the wings. I reckon Ernie would stick to that. But I would play Arthur instead of Roberto.

 

[Havesaks]

Lets go 4-4-2. Vidal, roberto. Arthur and coutinho as subs

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

We are on par for a TREBLE and people are still complaining? What the fuck is wrong with you? Can’t we live in the moment and enjoy this magical run we are on?

Visca Barca!! 3-1 win upcoming!

Bad memories of CL are creeping in. Too many big losses last few years.

I hope we go through.

 

[Barcaman]

Bad memories of CL are creeping in. Too many big losses last few years.

I hope we go through.

Aye. It's as if Roma didn't happen only a year ago with the same limited coach and pretty much same team we have now.

 

[hulinat]

Liverpool fans shooting fireworks outside the hotel at 4am

Its butt **** time.

 

[DonAndres]

For once I'm all about the 4-4-2 because Roberto at RM>>>>Coutinho as a weapon in transition and Arthur is injured/fat chance EV would play him anyway.

People have talked a lot about having an elite player at LW to replace what we lost in Neymar, but IMO we clearly play so much better when we devote that offensive position to a RM/RW player. Alba, at the peak of his career right now, is absolutely more than capable of holding the left side on his own and he's been so much better without a player like Neymar to rob him of his touches.

However, when Dembele is fit and plays RW or Roberto is there (not as a RB) we clearly stretch the opposition way more and transition the ball better going forward. Both of our flanks have a big impact in this setup and our offense looks way better.

Eventually, if Dembele can stay fit enough to cement his starting spot he should always prioritize the RW because that is the key to giving us the spacing for Messi to operate at his best. It also incorporates Semedo way more and lets us overload in the right areas of the pitch.

 

[raskolnikov]

Very excited for this match. Reallt lookibg forward to see the team pull trough to the final in Madrid.

 

[AL-MALKI]

I think it's time to give them a football lesson...this team without messi won el clasico 5-1 ...now they are rested and ready for it...visca elbarca

 

[Howlgrana]

Come on Barca, I want the players to show tonight that they will beat whoever we get in the final!

 

[PacoBJuarez]

Without Salah and Firmino, to me the most important lineup change I want to see is Semedo starting to counter Mane. I feel like shutting him down should be our #1 priority, and it's clear Semedo is more equipped to do so than Sergi. If we move Roberto up on the right and play a defensive 4-4-2, I'm fine with that... but I definitely feel like Semedo should be starting at right back.

 

[DonAndres]

Without Salah and Firmino, to me the most important lineup change I want to see is Semedo starting to counter Mane. I feel like shutting him down should be our #1 priority, and it's clear Semedo is more equipped to do so than Sergi. If we move Roberto up on the right and play a defensive 4-4-2, I'm fine with that... but I definitely feel like Semedo should be starting at right back.

We were clearly better in both defense and offense when Roberto moved forward and we had the 4-4-2 last week. Coutinho is just not reliable at opening the game up for us and Semedo helped secure our flank defensively.

Would be disappointed if EV didn't recognize that was our better system and that we struggled before that change.

 

[Pedro]

The Wanda awaits Leo and Co.

 

[PacoBJuarez]

We were clearly better in both defense and offense when Roberto moved forward and we had the 4-4-2 last week. Coutinho is just not reliable at opening the game up for us and Semedo helped secure our flank defensively.

Would be disappointed if EV didn't recognize that was our better system and that we struggled before that change.

Do you think there's any chance he starts both Coutinho on the left and Roberto on the right of the midfield, and maybe a Busi-Raki or Busi-Vidal pair in the middle?

 

[DonAndres]

Do you think there's any chance he starts both Coutinho on the left and Roberto on the right of the midfield, and maybe a Busi-Raki or Busi-Vidal pair in the middle?

He hasn't before so I don't think he would do so now, and I wouldn't like that system anyway. Coutinho is best with Arthur there at LCM, any other system he's shown to struggle.

In this version of the 4-4-2 Busi-Raki in the middle play static and hold our structure, Vidal roams around hustling/moving to win duels or attack space in offense. Roberto and Alba stretch the pitch on the flanks and bomb forward on counters. Messi in the middle orchestrates the entire offense with all those guys around him.

IMO, that looks like our best system when Arthur/Dembele are not playing (which, I doubt either of them will for the rest of this CL campaign tbh).