Lliga: (El Clasico) FC Barcelona - Real Madrid 2-1

[Mido]

PSG have a busier schedule than we do, if I recall correctly.

With regards to the La Liga matches, it shouldn't be a problem if we rotate. Busquets will be back and for the first time in ages we won't have a player injured at this crucial part of the season. I would expect Pique-Masch/Bartra-Mathieu duos rotating, Masche/Busquets at DM etc.

Only problem is MSN playing every match.

Neymar is starting to irritate me a little bit with his arrogant behavior. Enrique should clearly make every player understand ( apart from Messi for business reasons) that his starting place is not guaranteed...especially to Iniesta who really disappoints me this season.

 

[cmsy27]

Interesting read: http://www.espnfc.com/name/15/blog/post/2362684/headline

Excerpt:

Despite Barcelona's Clasico triumph, La Liga isn't decided just yet -- Graham Hunter

...Barcelona haven't scored sufficiently from set pieces -- at least those that aren't launched home by Messi, Xavi or Neymar. Unzue came on board this season to help change that. He'll also come up with ingenious ideas about how to unsettle opponents when Barca are taking corners and free kicks. Twice in the previous three games Unzue's cleverness, and the players' delight in learning new tricks from him, has paid superb dividends.

Corners used to be this squad's Achilles heel. But they stuck in, and, honestly, it never felt like Barcelona would be vulnerable. It's a testament to the time Unzue and Luis Enrique put into tactical analysis and defending all week.

Unzue has them organised, he has them treating strategy like an art form. He has their attention and their involvement.

 

[StarLord]

PSG have a busier schedule than we do, if I recall correctly.

With regards to the La Liga matches, it shouldn't be a problem if we rotate. Busquets will be back and for the first time in ages we won't have a player injured at this crucial part of the season. I would expect Pique-Masch/Bartra-Mathieu duos rotating, Masche/Busquets at DM etc.

Only problem is MSN playing every match.

Once the international break stupidity ends, we play Celta Vigo away, while PSG will face Marseille away. In midweek, we will have to face Almeria at home while PSG will host St-Etienne for the League Cup, also at home. We then have to face Sevilla away, while PSG will host Metz. Then we will have to visit them in Paris, which means that they will have two consecutive home games, while we, two consecutive (and difficult) away games. Then, we will host Valencia (who are riding high, and have zero commitments outside of La Liga) while PSG will have to play away at Nice. We will then be hosting PSG at the Nou Camp. So, we are the one with two consecutive home games.


So, the number of games is equal, but I feel that our run of games is tougher than PSG's.

Another thing, PSG I feel, are relatively safe in the knowledge that their rivals (Lyon, Marseille and Monaco) will more than likely drop several points in the run-in. We have no such luxury versus Real Madrid, who conceivably may even make it ten out of ten in the title run-in.

 

[StarLord]

Neymar is starting to irritate me a little bit with his arrogant behavior. Enrique should clearly make every player understand ( apart from Messi for business reasons) that his starting place is not guaranteed...especially to Iniesta who really disappoints me this season.

Yes, Iniesta is not the player he used to be, and that is why he is benched in several games. But he is still our best midfielder since Rakitic is merely good but not great and Xavi is very old. But I think that we have protected Xavi more than enough this season and I am sure that he will play way more minutes after the international break. He will start a few games as well for sure.

Iniesta received a knock on the ankle early on in the match, and that may have affected him yesterday. He was pretty good versus City though.

 

[Mido]

Take a look at these midfield players : Xavi, Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta, Mascherano, Rafinha.

Rotating will be extremely important. And I wouldn't ind at all seeing Pedro starting in at least two games until the Psg game.

 

[Mido]

Yes, Iniesta is not the player he used to be, and that is why he is benched in several games. But he is still our best midfielder since Rakitic is merely good but not great and Xavi is very old. But I think that we have protected Xavi more than enough this season and I am sure that he will play way more minutes after the international break. He will start a few games as well for sure.

Iniesta received a knock on the ankle early on in the match, and that may have affected him yesterday. He was pretty good versus City though.

Xavi, to me , is still the same when it comes to raw technique. Unfortunately, he hasn't got the legs to play a 90 minutes intense match. But he can still deliver at a high intensity for 60-65 minutes, he already proved that against Valencia, Real and Ajax.

 

[BarcaGirl]

Johan Cruyff: "I enjoyed the result yesterday, but not the football." [via cope]

 

[linetty]

 

[klc123]

The last 10 mins of the second half was really end to end stuff. We should have played it safe there in my opinion. We didn't even get the additional goal that we were looking for.

Yeah I think the players got caught up in the moment, Enrique was going nuts on the sideline. It was only until the last 5 minutes that we started to slow the ball down and force real to press for it, which effectively ended the game.

I'm surprised at the amount of hatred directed at the midfield. Our best game of the season against man city was with that midfield.

I think you guys are forgetting that we had one of the most difficult CL ties in the midweek, hence the midfield were tired. Given that busquets was injured we didn't really have much options, rafinha is probably not good enough to start against real, perhaps Xavi should have started over Iniesta/rakitic to give us a bit more control in the first half.

Edit:
As a side note I think pique was inspiring, one of his best ever performances. Matthieu also showed he can be relied on in big games.

 

[Mido]

Yeah I think the players got caught up in the moment, Enrique was going nuts on the sideline. It was only until the last 5 minutes that we started to slow the ball down and force real to press for it, which effectively ended the game.

I'm surprised at the amount of hatred directed at the midfield. Our best game of the season against man city was with that midfield.

I think you guys are forgetting that we had one of the most difficult CL ties in the midweek, hence the midfield were tired. Given that busquets was injured we didn't really have much options, rafinha is probably not good enough to start against real, perhaps Xavi should have started over Iniesta/rakitic to give us a bit more control in the first half.

I must admit that Enrique put the best availabe team against City. But Real is not City, we can't allow them to play at their pace. I would have loved to see what a Busquets--Mascherano--Xavi midfield could have offered against them.


Anyway, I hope Enrique still makes tactical adjustments for the upcoming Cl game against Paris.

 

[ATLBarcaFan]

I love Masche, but he is a poor substitute for Busi, team looked much better once he entered. Great win, you take 3 pts any way you can in this type of game. We could definitely use some infusion of young talent in the midfield, this transfer ban sucks.

 

[klc123]

I must admit that Enrique put the best team against City. But Real is not City, we can't allow them to play at their pace. I would have loved to see what a Busquets--Mascherano--Xavi midfield could have offered against them.

For keeping a game under control I doubt there is a better midfield combination than the three you mentioned, the problem is I think we would be a bit toothless going forwards. Let's not forget that if Neymar didn't play so poorly we could have been 2 up before real scored and complete knocked the wind out of them. That was probably one of his worst performances. Considering how real was doubling up and even tripling up on messi, he had so much space to work in and was almost detrimental to the team at points.

 

[linetty]

Second half was great, I think I'm gonna re-watch it. Shame we couldn't capitalize though, again.

 

[klc123]

I love Masche, but he is a poor substitute for Busi, team looked much better once he entered. Great win, you take 3 pts any way you can in this type of game. We could definitely use some infusion of young talent in the midfield, this transfer ban sucks.

I think mascherano is defensively much better than busquets, but obviously offers less in terms of keeping the ball and dictating the midfield. You also have to bare in mind that we were 1 up when busquets came up and he also entered with Xavi. I'd like to see rafinha step up to the plate when we need an injection of creativity in the midfield.

 

[Kohe321]

Man, two full weeks until we get more Barca