Lliga: Real Madrid - FC Barcelona 3-1

[NotInHere]

All I can say is that when we have the opportunity to counter attack the player who holds the ball runs in a slow tempo, we NEED fast players who can advance much faster... Busquets had the chance to go forward once but he just freaking jogged with the ball and let Madrid get back to defend.

that sums up the team pretty much

 

[Dan1983]

We were outclassed in the second half and lost to the better team.

 

[Avatar]

And I'm starting to doubt Lucho. I loved the starting formation, but this lack of urgency is to blamed on the coach, plus his game tactics after the start is not the best. Why did he subbed Suarez ?!!

Pep looked more of a lion that Lucho. I can't believe it !!

 

[Ryan_Cule]

zanela opening the thread....oh dear! Pack your bags mates.


Anyways, it will be very tricky this time. Real madrid clearly has advantage with a set team and in-form players, not to mention regular refballs, and a well settled coach. Barca would need to control every inch of the field with much intensity and create chances as early as possible. We often lose our rhythm during first half of the game and that slows down our tempo. I hope it doesn't happen atleast this time around. They won't play a perfect game. It's not in their nature. So we need to use those situations tactfully. And geri, please buckle up. Defense

zanela did this

 

[shadows]

Time for Rakitic-Masch midfield!! Busquets is proving to be a liability in midfield due to his slowness and we get over run by counter attacking teams way too easily. Pep was lucky during his time because of Eric Abidal but we dont have that luxury right now!

 

[BarcAjax]

we must play quicker. Every year we play slower than past years

 

[Frodo_FCB]

the first half was even. They created chances but we did too. The second half though was a disaster, worst Barca ever.
Our midfield after 60 min was invisible and our players to far from each other.
RM players looked like lions out there and we were the sheep. Sad but true

 

[dakt]

Barca lost this game b/c of dumb mistakes by their 2 veterans: Pique and Iniesta. They gift-wrapped those goals to Real.

Barca lost the game because we are SLOW.
Barca lost the game because Real Madrrd is better. I hate this assholes, but they are top club atm beside Bayern.
Barca lost the game because we still suck as set pieces
Barca lost the game because we don't know the concept of counter attacks

 

[DrPepper]

Mascherano was superb in breaking up counter attacking situations but he simply sucks at box defending.

Still disappointed with the starting lineup. Why play Mathieu as LB when he's constantly going forward and not playing a balancing full back role as many expected? Then Enrique might as well just play Alba and let Mathieu play as CB.

A midfield of Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta doesn't work nowadays, but not just because they're past their prime (except Busquets), but also because Madrid have in Kroos and Modric two players that are able to free themselves from pressing situations. Even when they're heavily pressed they find a way to play a clean pass. The Mourinho Madrid had Alonso and Khedira in centre midfield who are bad at keeping the ball under pressure (Khedira can't even pass without pressure).

I hope Lucho finds a way to succeed in big matches. It's now 2 losses in 2 matches and we haven't even faced the best Spanish team.

 

[viper76]

Thanks god I didn't watch I had this bad feeling of losing.
For me it was very clear since the psg game that the team lack the urgency

 

[serghei]

Don't like to say I told you so, sounds too patronising, but this time I can't help it.

Said Lucho's gonna be schooled by Ancelotti -- happened.
Said Madrid will come at us -- happened.
Said we will concede at least two -- happened.
Said Mathieu on the left against a team with that insane pace will expose him -- happened.
Said Busquets can't hold the midfield on his own -- happened.

 

[Neeraj]

I was being optimistic, but in my heart, I felt we would lose the game, unfortunately turned out so. Just a few points:

1.) I think we got tactically outplayed. You could say that Iniesta gifted one goal and one penaldo, but I think they overran our midfield, and in the first half had plenty of chances to score. Their shape looked good, and they managed to outmuscle and outrun us even without the much discussed lack of a CDM. But I am not sure I can be too critical on this point, Carlo is a seasoned coach who has tasted success all over the world, and Lucho is a real rookie compared to him. I would go so far as to say, we lost the tactical edge before the game.

2.) Is it just me, or did we look even more vulnerable against any balls being crossed in, even with Matheiu? In the first half, every header was being won by a RM player, and it seemed their goal was just around the corner..Eventually Pepe got their 'rightful' goal so as to say.

3.) I think starting Suarez might have been a mistake, but not a game defining one. If you told me before the game he would start, I don't think I would have minded. I think he would have been more useful coming on later, but as I said, I'm not so sure it would have changed much with respect to the result.

4.) Rakitic - Was he super nervous? It sure seemed so, from the time he came on, every pass was too heavy and just something about him, it just didn't seem right. Looked like he was very nervous, which is a bit odd, because he has played big games before, and is quite a veteran, even though the clasico is a huge game..

5.) Pique embarrassed himself on a truly global stage today, and if it were upto me, he would never wear a Barca shirt again. He is a disgrace.

6.) I think Iniesta had an absolute howler, and his assist to Isco to gift them the third goal just rounded off his night. A bit worrying.

7.) As someone here mentioned earlier, I was a bit shocked to see the lack of effort or enthusiasm from our players with over 20 minutes to go. They were playing as if they were leading by a few goals, absolutely no movement, no energy, no will and you could see they didn't have the belief themselves they were going to score. Not being able to score is one thing, but with 20 minutes to go, not having any ideas or energy is really really poor from us.

Good thing we had a 4 point lead, it's going to be a tough road ahead. Let's hope the Suarez effect starts showing soon, and by the time the next clasico comes up, we have a truly deadly MNS.

 

[Neimax]

I'm very disappointed with our team. We didn't loose because Madrid was that good, we lost because of our lack of competitiveness. I simply can't understand why we don't play faster. There is no movement of the players when we are in possession. I think with this attack (Messi, Ney and Suarez) we could **** every opponent, but only when they (especially Messi) are moving faster. But it's not only their, fault, we simply don't have a good enough midfield at the moment. Iniesta and Busi are far from their best and you can't compare Rakitic to Xavi. Of course our defence is also pretty bad, but I think, even with this defence we can achieve anything we want if our players move and play much faster.

 

[Gaudi]

I hope everybody opened their eyes today. The sadest thing is, I'm watching croatian tv, and commentators concluding even after Barca took a lead they knew Real would win. The sadest thruth.
This is why some of us were pessimistic after Malaga and PSG, not because we lost point(s) but because we saw same old mistakes, same old Barca. Actually I think Tata is the only one after Pep era who tried to change things but failed, everybody else continue downfall spiral.
We used to have problems with let's say Chelsea's bus, even though we created a lot of chances against them as well, now, now every bus is problem, but also teams who are fast and strong like RM and PSG who didn't play bus. I can't belive some people here still think opposition doesn't try hard enough against Real, or Bayern or even Chelsea....THEY DO, yet thoose teams find space..WE DON'T!
Todays game actually showed CR is not in some uber form, he done pretty much nothing, it's just taht entire team is opening so much space for him and all the rest, on the other hand we only rely on individual class.
I remember when Messi was at his peak (even though I don't think he is much worse this season) rm fanboys said he is good because of Iniesta and Xavi. Of course that was bullshit but it showed something else - we were fucking machine with Messi delivering final punch. But our main strength was team play, team movement, running without of ball (many teams said after playing us it's like chasing shadows), quick passing from one touch and so on...everything is gone now.
Even Pep said he hates tiki taka (of course words could be twisted a bit) but his point is passing for sake of passing means nothing, passing to open space quickly - that's the point. We give opposition chances on counters from our mistakes also because of that problem...many times our players are under big pressure and they lose the ball, years ago we danced more quickly our why out of trouble, or simply put opposition couldn't pressure us as the ball was already gone.
Now this may sound controversial (and I'm stealing this from one analyst here in Croatia) but Neymar is good example of this new Barca: He is technicaly great player, great potential...but he slows our game down to a hault. He always has 10 touches, entire defence is already prepared and only thing he can try is individual break. Our entire team is trying the same, Messi is the one who can do it and that is why he has so many assists, but on the other hand he is rearly in perfect position himself.
no, problem is not Alves crossing, yes I would like him to cross better...but be honest to yourself, pause the game every time before his cross and you'll see he actually doesn't have any othe options. He is the player that opposition gives space as they know thew ball is slow and they'll have their defence complety ready. He didn't cross any better couple of years ago but he crosses to a defence thyt was of balance, not prepared and he assisted a lot.
Our entire game is flawed and with this style there is 0% chance of us beating top teams, especially over the two games (and we always thought Barca can be beaten only over one game by some fluke)..now we need that fluke game.
Ofcourse our individual class is still more than enough for 95% of teams, but those 5% are better than us. Sad thing is: they are not better individualy. Our attack trio is the best in the world but our team as unit is mediocare.

 

[ZenI]

Barca lost the game because we are SLOW.
Barca lost the game because Real Madrrd is better. I hate this assholes, but they are top club atm beside Bayern.
Barca lost the game because we still suck as set pieces
Barca lost the game because we don't know the concept of counter attacks

And because many of our players are out of form, we don't press, we don't defend good, we have to many mediocre players (Mathieu, Raki, Xavi, SR, Rafinha), we don't really have a huger or urgency, we don't seem to have good tactics against stronger sides... the list goes on