Lliga | Round 27: FC Barcelona - Atletico Madrid 1-0

[impeh]

will be interesting to see if he goes with Coutinho, or uses this as a practise for Chelsea.

 

[Joan]

Atletico plays good, fast transition, could hurt us on counters. Not sure I'd go with Dembele (who defends badly), Coutinho (who loses the ball easily) and Messi (who doesn't want to defend). We don't have much choice, though. I'd like to see Coutinho for his shooting from the distance, but not on the right.

Can't wait to see the lineup.

 

[henias]

Atletico plays good, fast transition, could hurt us on counters. Not sure I'd go with Dembele (who defends badly), Coutinho (who loses the ball easily) and Messi (who doesn't want to defend). We don't have much choice, though. I'd like to see Coutinho for his shooting from the distance, but not on the right.

Can't wait to see the lineup.

You cant really judge Coutinho and Dembele this way, they came in when the game was tight and pressure was on. Paulinho or Vidal is a more terrible options in my opinion and loses the ball just as much as with misplaced passes. Coutinho and Dembele will be able to create much more if they start while the game is still open. And they can transition faster with them. I dont think Iniesta can keep up with the intensity anymore and Coutinho will be a much safer option.

 

[JamDav1982]

Pique and Umtiti need to improve from recent games as well.

As good as a penalty box defender and physical presence that Umtiti is he can be a bit all over the place positionally at times when teams are on break and so can Pique.

Lack a bit of leadership and organisation at times it looks like.

 

[gatsu]

There is only one question which is who's going to play in the right MF position. Will fraudinho be a starter again? If its the case then Valverde will prove to have a completely different reading than the majority and a sign of a titless season in the end.

 

[Faceless]

It's 2018 and I can't believe I'm still dreading for the team to face a heavily defensive team like Atletico or Chelsea. Valverde please for the love of god don't pull a lucho picking.

 

[JamDav1982]

Atletico plays good, fast transition, could hurt us on counters. Not sure I'd go with Dembele (who defends badly), Coutinho (who loses the ball easily) and Messi (who doesn't want to defend). We don't have much choice, though. I'd like to see Coutinho for his shooting from the distance, but not on the right.

Can't wait to see the lineup.

Coutinho came on and set up about the only decent chance towards end of Las Palmas game. He was clearly on to try and take risks to break them down and not keep the ball.

Barca have enough players who try to keep the ball too safely and try to let Messi settle games. Coutinho coming to Barca and doing that would be a pointless transfer unless he is playing CM.

 

[Joan]

You cant really judge Coutinho and Dembele this way, they came in when the game was tight and pressure was on. Paulinho or Vidal is a more terrible options in my opinion and loses the ball just as much as with misplaced passes. Coutinho and Dembele will be able to create much more if they start while the game is still open. And they can transition faster with them. I dont think Iniesta can keep up with the intensity anymore and Coutinho will be a much safer option.

Them, or anybody else, creating chances depends on Atletico too, if they park the bus, it'll be tough.

I agree Coutinho is a safer option, would like to see him start but he needs to be a bit more careful.

 

[Joan]

Coutinho came on and set up about the only decent chance towards end of Las Palmas game. He was clearly on to try and take risks to break them down and not keep the ball.

I agree with you, mostly. I'm just saying against good counter-attacking sides, which Atletico is, you need to be a bit more careful. Barca goes all in, playing high defense - losing the ball is a threat. And I'm not talking about him trying out some passes, crosses or something. But him being dispossesed somewhere near the middle. Just want him to be a bit more aware.

 

[JamDav1982]

I agree with you, mostly. I'm just saying against good counter-attacking sides, which Atletico is, you need to be a bit more careful. Barca goes all in, playing high defense - losing the ball is a threat. And I'm not talking about him trying out some passes, crosses or something. But him being dispossesed somewhere near the middle. Just want him to be a bit more aware.

Exact same thing happens with Messi as well and all players expected to take risks and break team down.

If Coutinho is asked to play deeper and keep ball he can do it.

 

[henias]

Them, or anybody else, creating chances depends on Atletico too, if they park the bus, it'll be tough.

I agree Coutinho is a safer option, would like to see him start but he needs to be a bit more careful.

We have to attack regardless of the parked bus or not, since our style is indicative of that: we heavily possess the ball in the opponents half. With other players playing it too safely is just as risky and depending on Messi to create alone against a bus is just as pointless. We need Dembele and Coutinho to provide more movement, pace and switch plays from left to right, right to left and can seriously disrupt their defence within split second. Playing it too safe will only allow Atletico to exploit any misplaced side or back passes and would counter more easily.

Rakitic will be able to long pass from deep when he has someone like Dembele upfront. Have u seen how Rakitic instantly flourish with Dembele? He needs someone upfront to ping the ball. With the combination of long and short passes, quick transiiton, it will throw Atletico off.

Coutinho has lost possession and so has the others, but only difference that he's trying to create something and aid Messi and Suarez in attack. Against Las Palmas game was tight, so cant judge him for that.

 

[vlad]

Barca conceded only 2 goals more then atletico so far this season, not to mention clean sheet vs juventus both times, and on bernabeu, while scoring 24 goals more, so in this situation when atletico is chasing barca, they have to think how to get to barca goal, because this barca is not easy to counter and at the same time they have to think how to not concede.


So what valverde needs to do is not change many things, put dembele or coutinho, but not both, i prefer coutinho. And not go all in because barca dont need that

 

[henias]

Barca conceded only 2 goals more then atletico so far this season, not to mention clean sheet vs juventus both times, and on bernabeu, while scoring 24 goals more, so in this situation when atletico is chasing barca, they have to think how to get to barca goal, because this barca is not easy to counter and at the same time they have to think how to not concede.


So what valverde needs to do is not change many things, put dembele or coutinho, but not both, i prefer coutinho. And not go all in because barca dont need that

We havent conceded much with Dembele or Coutinho as well, and even have an expotentially larger attacking output. So I dont see your point.

 

[Joan]

With the combination of long and short passes, quick transiiton, it will throw Atletico off.

Might be if they park the bus. Even then, if we keep it in front of them, deep in their half, they'll use our mistakes and with Costa and Griezmann upfront, might score first.
If they do, we are screwed.

I think we should approach the game a bit more conservative. Starting Coutinho, Dembele coming in in the 2nd half. But still, don't know who could the RM be.

 

[Joan]

We havent conceded much with Dembele or Coutinho as well, and even have an expotentially larger attacking output. So I dont see your point.

Coutinho and Dembele played 1 match together.

We did concede, and Girona had their chances. We were vulnerable to counters, better teams might take advantage of that.