Champions League

[Barcilliant]

I am seriously worried about Valverde. I just hope he has a game plan. His Roma debacle still haunts us.

 

[Howlgrana]

I'm also hoping that fatigue starts to set in for Liverpool - both mental and physical. If they don't have the legs their level will definitely drop. Their game is based on that hard pressing and intensity levels.

People will say we need to keep the ball but if we play the slow possession game they will just wait and pounce. The ball has to be moved quickly and there needs to be a lot of movement. Not that static bullshit where we play the ball sideways and backward and there is no movement.

Yes Liverpool getting tired at this stage of the season and actually physically in the match itself is one advantage I hope for. Because let's be honest, if you play that rush style of football as effectively as Liverpool do most teams will lose against them. But the counter to that style is that it cannot be maintained for 90 minutes without a decline in intensity. What Klopp has realised is the same - so he has a bigger squad this season and has made sure that he can try and maintain this gameplan/style until the season's end.

 

[Howlgrana]

Liverpool have 2 matches before they face us (both of whom are relegated teams already), while we have 3. They also have an extra day of rest

Idk if us resting our players will be that much of an advantage

Yes but their next game is Cardiff who are not relegated, they're fighting for their life in 17th place in the league. Won't be an easy game for them. Barca can field B-teams in those 3 games (I wouldn't recommend doing that in all three, but still) and would only need a single point from those games to more or less seal the title at that point.

After Cardiff Liverpool need to beat Huddersfield, which shouldn't be too hard but they can't take their foot off the pedal.

 

[CatalinR10]

Congrats with the GPU catalinutz. I got the special edition of that card

 

[Kul_z]

We need to play our game, and force them to play through middle, avoid flanks because we're going to get slaughtered. Liverpool + are: mobility, faster transition, klopp's style in general.
Barca + are: Better ball posession, better tech, Messi, and depending on situation ability to go from slow build up play(coutinho) to counter attacks with dembele. Im concerned, but i think this barca team is strong as fuck and they wont go out without the proper fight.

 

[Kewell]

Yes Liverpool getting tired at this stage of the season and actually physically in the match itself is one advantage I hope for. Because let's be honest, if you play that rush style of football as effectively as Liverpool do most teams will lose against them. But the counter to that style is that it cannot be maintained for 90 minutes without a decline in intensity. What Klopp has realised is the same - so he has a bigger squad this season and has made sure that he can try and maintain this gameplan/style until the season's end.

If you actually looked at Liverpool this season, they rarely play high intensity gegenpressing "heavy football" anymore. Klopp has changed it to a more possession based game for the majority of the season and only in some cases do they revert back to transition football like last season.

 

[Howlgrana]

If you actually looked at Liverpool this season, they rarely play high intensity gegenpressing "heavy football" anymore. Klopp has changed it to a more possession based game for the majority of the season and only in some cases do they revert back to transition football like last season.

Yeh it may be more possession based for an English team but compared to Barcelona...I would hardly call it 'possession based'. It's also played at 100mph which is very different. Also, what is key here is Liverpool will absolutely not try and play a more possession-based football against Barca, they absolutely will go for transition attacks, counters and high intensity and intense pressing, you can take that to the bank, Klopp's tactics are obvious for this clash. Knowing this, the question is what EV does to counter this game plan.

 

[Centauri B]

Agree. Honestly I would think about starting with a 442 away at Anfield. In our previous away losses the opposition hassled and hurried Busquets and he was shown to be the weak link. We saw it at Old Trafford too where Busquets was poor. I would start with a more defensive shape and may be sub someone like Dembele or Coutinho in when we settle down and take the sting out of the game.

It shouldn't be total park the bus like Roma but a solid enough wall to neutralise their attack. Also FFS play Semedo as rb in both legs. Mane would just destroy Roberto. It would be Psg all over again.

I'm also hoping that fatigue starts to set in for Liverpool - both mental and physical. If they don't have the legs their level will definitely drop. Their game is based on that hard pressing and intensity levels.

People will say we need to keep the ball but if we play the slow possession game they will just wait and pounce. The ball has to be moved quickly and there needs to be a lot of movement. Not that static bullshit where we play the ball sideways and backward and there is no movement.

1. Previous away defeats in the Champions League cannot be blamed on Busquets, the were sluggish performances all around, or lots of bad luck (Juventus 2017) The last one I may single him out for, was Inter 3-1 back in 2010 (Pep should have opted for Yaya Toure in that game)

2. As for a fatigued Liverpool. It's actually Barca that have played more games this season (Liverpool just threw domestic cups away) and it is Barca that has to play more games before the first leg. Lots of people say that Liverpool are in a tight title race and how much that may affect them. The reality is that Liverpool have a tricky away game against Cardiff on Sunday and then play the utterly useless Huddersfield on a Friday night. Barca on the other hand have three games before the first leg, and tougher ones at that. For Barca to be able to rest players against Levante, there have to be wins over Real Sociedad & Deportivo Alaves (or Atleti drop points against Eibar and/or Valencia)

 

[Gari]

Porto - Liverpool 1:4

BALL POSSESSION 52% - 48%
PASSING ACCURACY 78% - 78%
CORNERS 6 -3
DANGEROUS ATTACKS 51 - 31
TOTAL ATTEMPTS 20 - 11
ON TARGE T 8 - 5
OFF TARGET 8 - 5
BLOCKED 4 - 1

 

[utility73]

Porto - Liverpool 1:4

BALL POSSESSION 52% - 48%
PASSING ACCURACY 78% - 78%
CORNERS 6 -3
DANGEROUS ATTACKS 51 - 31
TOTAL ATTEMPTS 20 - 11
ON TARGE T 8 - 5
OFF TARGET 8 - 5
BLOCKED 4 - 1

 

[Howlgrana]

1. Previous away defeats in the Champions League cannot be blamed on Busquets, the were sluggish performances all around, or lots of bad luck (Juventus 2017) The last one I may single him out for, was Inter 3-1 back in 2010 (Pep should have opted for Yaya Toure in that game)

2. As for a fatigued Liverpool. It's actually Barca that have played more games this season (Liverpool just threw domestic cups away) and it is Barca that has to play more games before the first leg. Lots of people say that Liverpool are in a tight title race and how much that may affect them. The reality is that Liverpool have a tricky away game against Cardiff on Sunday and then play the utterly useless Huddersfield on a Friday night. Barca on the other hand have three games before the first leg, and tougher ones at that. For Barca to be able to rest players against Levante, there have to be wins over Real Sociedad & Deportivo Alaves (or Atleti drop points against Eibar and/or Valencia)

I disagree mate, Barca have a 9-point buffer in the league, there is zero pressure on them compared to Liverpool who trail Citeh by a point (points based on everyone winning their games in hand). Barca could field complete B-teams in 2 of those 3 games before the big tie and still probably maintain at least a 6 point lead going in to it. Liverpool absolutely must win every single game so they can't rest a single player if they want the title, which is bigger for them than the CL right now.

But fair point Liverpool have played less games overrall than Barca. I think Barca resting most first team last weekend and again this weak will mean their starting 11 is definitely more fresh than Liverpool's going into the game.

 

[Gari]

Distance covered in UCL 2018-19 (per game)
Messi: 8035m
Sua: 9379m
Cou: 10375m
Demb: 9978m
vs
Firmino: 11444m
Mane: 10630m
Salah: 10004m
Milner: 12180
-----
others:
CR: 9387m
Lewa: 10202m
Tadic: 11730m
Sterling: 10281m
Aguero: 9678m
Bernardo: 11529

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Distance covered in UCL 2018-19 (per game)
Messi: 8035m
Sua: 9379m
Cou: 10375m
Demb: 9978m
vs
Firmino: 11444m
Mane: 10630m
Salah: 10004m
Milner: 12180
-----
others:
CR: 9387m
Lewa: 10202m
Tadic: 11730m
Sterling: 10281m
Aguero: 9678m
Bernardo: 11529

I guess nothing new. Our movement is awful and certainly a weakness compared to other top teams.

 

[Kewell]

Yeh it may be more possession based for an English team but compared to Barcelona...I would hardly call it 'possession based'. It's also played at 100mph which is very different. Also, what is key here is Liverpool will absolutely not try and play a more possession-based football against Barca, they absolutely will go for transition attacks, counters and high intensity and intense pressing, you can take that to the bank, Klopp's tactics are obvious for this clash. Knowing this, the question is what EV does to counter this game plan.

I don't care what it's in comparison to. You made a point saying that they play a "rush style" football with high intensity. I am telling you that they do not always play that way again.

I never said they played a POSSESSION based football. I said their style is MORE possession based. It is MORE possession based compared to what Liverpool were last season and what most people think they are, with less fast transitions. Klopp has tried to create a system that is MORE possession based than his quick transition system in order to concede less goals and conserve energy which has worked so far.

Klopp might play high transition football or might not. He bases the system he chooses for a specific game on players that are fit and on form from the last couple games. For example, last season in the CL, Klopp did not play a gegenpressing transition counterattacking system against Man City when most expected him to. In fact, they almost didn't press at all. Even against Man City this season where Guardiola tries to employ what you would call a "poosession" based game, he didn't press at all. However against Spurs earlier in the season, he did.

A lot of the games against the "big" teams this season he didn't play any counterpressing at all and in fact the vast majority of the games this season overall he didn't play any counterpressing.

By you saying Klopp's tactics are obvious shows that you haven't watched much of Liverpool. He simply doesn't play that one high intensity transition football alll the time every single game anymore.

I believe Klopp may employ the high intensity counterpressing football you are talking about at Anfield in the beginning of the match but maybe not at Camp Nou. It's just my opinion but the point is that he has not played that "one Klopp tactic" you are talking about all the time this season.

Also you can't always say that because one team doesn't play a possession based game, then they must play a transition game. There are different systems that he has implemented this season that mixes it.

And it isn't obvious what he will do. Even Klopp himself said it isn't always smart to play quick transitions and high pressing all the time against everyone. Playing a high press against press resistant midfielders with high technical quality is suicidal with the space you are going to leave behind...and that's why he only uses in specific situations.

 

[Howlgrana]

I believe Klopp may employ the high intensity counterpressing football you are talking about at Anfield in the beginning of the match but maybe not at Camp Nou. It's just my opinion but the point is that he has not played that "one Klopp tactic" you are talking about all the time this season.

Also you can't always say that because one team doesn't play a possession based game, then they must play a transition game. There are different systems that he has implemented this season that mixes it.
.

I've never read so much nonsense in my life. So after all that, your opinion is Liverpool 'may employ high intensity counterpressing football in Anfield at the beginning of the match' what and then just switch to tiki-taka after this first 20 minutes and start passing it around Barca?! Lmao. The way Liverpool play is super effective but it is absolutely horrible to watch with it's no-time to think 100 mph ball being thrown forward, run at full speed at the opponent with or without the ball.

This is a Barcelona forum numps, just because you have a hard-on for Liverpool and their dumb football style don't try and claim it's actually more possession based. Maybe compared to dumb English teams like Cardiff City or Huddersfield, yeah, Liverpool have slightly more technique and play a bit more possession style!! I'm sure James Milner could slot in for Arthur here he's got such good technique and can pass the ball around like a Spaniard...