CL | 1/8 Final: FC Barcelona - SSC Napoli 4-2 (agg.)

[serghei]

Setien is slowly morphing back to the tactics of EV but just more passing between CBs and MATS.

Way too early to make this statement.

 

[Centauri B]

And trained by Ernesto 'day off' Valverde.

if these 3 players were 25-26, and along with FDJ, then that would have been a super-midfield.

 

[serghei]

if these 3 players were 25-26, and along with FDJ, then that would have been a super-midfield.

Best in the world no doubt.

 

[JamDav1982]

No.
Not because of Rakitic.

Because of a more cautious 442.
With 4 midfielders who can all work a lot and defend.

Have you been watching Busquets and Rakitic trying to defend recently?

Teams just run past them with ease.

Busquets is done and been poor in virtually all games under Setien bar first match. Even his choice of passes has become a liability and weakens Barca defensively.

 

[KingLeo10]

If we had prime Busquets and prime Rakitic (14/15), I would tell current Arthur to fuck off and raise his level.

We don't have that. Busquets and Rakitic are finished and Arthur is currently superior.

 

[Raketa10]

4-4-2 is a good decision but not with Raki and Busi starting together.

 

[serghei]

I think Busi's been playing pretty well in most games under Setien. I do agree that Busi - Rakitic duo has never worked well recently in CL.

 

[FC433]

Hopefully, it is either a win or a devastating loss.

 

[JamDav1982]

I think Busi's been playing pretty well in most games under Setien.

He was horrendously bad in first half at weekend and is constantly losing the ball in bad areas these days.

Added to that he steams out of position and leaves the CBs exposed numerous times a game.

Only game he has looked good was Setiens first.

He is playing on reputation alone for most part.

 

[Centauri B]

Hopefully, it is either a win or a devastating loss.

score draw, we happy

 

[mc_lovin]

Quique "you were the chosen one" Setien.

 

[BBZ8800]

We play better when we play at home. Why do you think that is? Is there something inherently different about the grass on Camp Nou? No, we play better because we play like Barca, with confidence.

We play badly away because we play without confidence. Thinking defensively, inviting the pressure on. Allowing the opponent up our field without pushing back

Lol, no.
Cruijff played like Barca away and won like 16% of away KO matches.

Pep won 20 or 22% of away matches.

They played like Barca.

Why do we lose away?
Because we were always a team of technical choirboys.
Who are good in their comfort zone at home.
And who get scared up easily on away matches by a 60 000-90 000 crowd, physical opponents or aggressive players who are using dirty tricks and who have a street fighting spirit.

When choirboys play at home, they can win 5:0 against anyone on their day.
When choirboys play away, they get bullied easily by 1 goal, a few headers, a few elbows and a few dirty tackles.
Then we usually sulk and concede 3-4-5 out of fun.

It has more to do with psychology and bravery/being scared than with skills, formation and playing like Barca.

 

[serghei]

It will probably be like one of those games that is both not as good as anticipated and not as bad. Something like a 0-0, 1-1 with a mediocre game by both teams.

 

[BusiTheKing]

No.
Not because of Rakitic.

Because of a more cautious 442.
With 4 midfielders who can all work a lot and defend.

Vidal doesn't work a lot because he does useless sprints and careless sliding tackles. Rakitic doesn't work a lot because he looks exhausted all game.

 

[fergus90]

The performances this Rakitic-Busquets combination has served up in European away legs last few seasons is reason enough to never start them together again. Just overwhelmed and over ran.