Pep Guardiola

[gingerless]

3-5-2

was thinking the same

 

[FCBarca]

Envy, from the get go

 

[gingerless]

 

[Clockwise]

So classico 3-5-2:

Valdes
Alves Mascherano Abidal
Xavi Busi Thiago Keita Iniesta
Messi Villa

?

 

[Myrmecophile]

Can't see Alves playing in a 3 in a Clásico.

If it IS going to be 3-5-2 it'll surely be Pique, Masch and Abidal.

 

[BarcaGirl]

No way Dani is gonna be on the bench, when we play against RM.
I still think Pep is gonna start with 4-3-3. At least I hope so.

 

[estranged]

this would be my classico line up:

-------------VV------------

Dani Alves--Masch--Pique--Abidal

----------Busquets----------

Xavi--------Cesc-------Iniesta--

------Messi--------Alexis--------

dig or no dig?

 

[BarcaGirl]

this would be my classico line up:

-------------VV------------

Dani Alves--Masch--Pique--Abidal

----------Busquets----------

Xavi--------Cesc-------Iniesta--

------Messi--------Alexis--------

dig or no dig?

Perfect Line-up!

 

[Myrmecophile]

this would be my classico line up:

-------------VV------------

Dani Alves--Masch--Pique--Abidal

----------Busquets----------

Xavi--------Cesc-------Iniesta--

------Messi--------Alexis--------

dig or no dig?

It's either that or Villa in for Cesc in a 4-3-3.

 

[Metaphysical]

I don't think he'll deploy 3 defenders against Real. he's bluffing to keep them guessing. they play with too much width to send 3 defenders against them unless we plan to completely control the ball, and even then we risk getting cut up on the break.

 

[jamrock]

So classico 3-5-2:

Valdes
Alves Mascherano Abidal
Xavi Busi Thiago Keita Iniesta
Messi Villa

?

Alves for thiago in Midfield, Puyol for alves at the back is what sport is reporting.


-----Puyol----Masch--Abidal

--Alves--Xavi--Busquets---Keita--Iniesta


--------Messi---Cesc/Villa

In could actually be great against their 4-3-3, alves and iniesta play out wide will keep their fullbacks honest and if they are stupid enough to bomb forward, it will leave huge gaps behind them obviously, which their midfield 3 will have to cover, more space for Xavi, messi and villa/cesc to do their business.

while with 5 in midfield, we can use alves/busquets/Keita/Iniesta to help cover Di maria and Ronaldo when they have the ball.

 

[estranged]

-----Puyol----Masch--Abidal

--Alves--Xavi--Busquets---Keita--Iniesta


--------Messi---Cesc/Villa

3-5-2 vs. madrid ? we might as well not turn up IMO

 

[jamrock]

why is that, pep almost always does something different in big games since he arrived and has been going on over drive this season, maybe sport or wrong, but I don't think they are far off

 

[Manuel Traquete]

Surely the most logical lineup would be the manita one: Valdés; Abidal, Puyol, Piqué, Alves; Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta; Pedro, Villa and Messi.

If Pep chooses a 3-4-3: Valdés; Puyol/Abidal, Piqué, Alves; Busquets, Xavi, Cesc/Thiago, Andrés; MVP

If it's 3-5-2 as some are suggesting: Valdés; Puyol, Piqué, Mascherano/Abidal; Iniesta, Busquets, Xavi, Cesc/Thiago, Alves; Messi and Villa

or

Valdés; Puyol, Piqué, Mascherano/Abidal; Alexis, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Alves; Messi and Villa.

It would probably make more sense to start Alexis, so we'd have real width. Plus, both Alexis and Alves would track back to stop Ronaldo/Di Maria.

We've actually used the 3-5-2 once vs Madrid under Pep, in the 2009/2010 return fixture, with Messi and Pedro as the front 2, both scoring. If my memory serve me right, Alves and Maxwell were the wide midfielders in that game.

It was: Puyol, Milito (!), Piqué; Maxwell, Busquets, Xavi, Keita, Alves; Messi and Pedro.

How the hell did we play so well and won that game with Milito in a 3-men defense and Maxwell playing and no Don?!

 

[estranged]

why is that, pep almost always does something different in big games since he arrived and has been going on over drive this season, maybe sport or wrong, but I don't think they are far off

i guess putting alves in midfield you can pass him off as a RB, but if you keep him in midfield and tell him to bomb forward and not take care of his defensive duties then we are fucked, I'd play him at RB and tell him to do exactly what he did in the home leg of super copa.

4-3-1-2 (Cesc behind Messi and Sanchez) or 4-3-3 (Cesc as an impact sub depending on Villa's performance) would be good for el classico IMO.