iniestaGOAT
Senior Member
Another good pick would be MSN Barca
They could do some real damage to prime Barca I can't even lie
Toughest Opponent for Prime Barca....
- Thread starter Temptation
- Start date
Another good pick would be MSN Barca
They could do some real damage to prime Barca I can't even lie
serghei
Senior Member
City are far too weak in defense. Flick's Bayern was good but far too open. Zidane's Real very low chances, we beat that side repeatedly with a far inferior team in the league.
I'd say peak Liverpool under Klopp would be tougher than Madrid or City. But they are outsiders too since Henderson and Milner pressing is not gonna intimidate on the ball magicians like peak Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets. Still, the ability of Mane and Salah especially makes it a tough match for Barcelona. And Liverpool were a hard working unit that could put of a fight and make it a battle.
I would add peak Simeone Atletico of 2013-2016 as a tougher match for Barcelona than many of those sides. It's a match-up issue. Teams that sat back and could absorb pressure for long spells without crumbling were our main problem. They crowded the last 30m with literally every available player and it became very difficult to unlock, especially with an inspired keeper that would solve the situations where the bus was broken. Offensive teams that played end to end football and had a real go at us got often ridiculed.
I'd say peak Liverpool under Klopp would be tougher than Madrid or City. But they are outsiders too since Henderson and Milner pressing is not gonna intimidate on the ball magicians like peak Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets. Still, the ability of Mane and Salah especially makes it a tough match for Barcelona. And Liverpool were a hard working unit that could put of a fight and make it a battle.
I would add peak Simeone Atletico of 2013-2016 as a tougher match for Barcelona than many of those sides. It's a match-up issue. Teams that sat back and could absorb pressure for long spells without crumbling were our main problem. They crowded the last 30m with literally every available player and it became very difficult to unlock, especially with an inspired keeper that would solve the situations where the bus was broken. Offensive teams that played end to end football and had a real go at us got often ridiculed.
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Windhook
Well-known member
Not in the poll, my pick is definitely Jupp Heynckes's Bayern of 2012/13. I remember the disappointment of being schooled by Bayern during our prime.
Flick's Bayern was demolition, but it happened during COVID when different countries resumed training in a span of 2-3 months, Germany being one of the first to do that.
Flick's Bayern was demolition, but it happened during COVID when different countries resumed training in a span of 2-3 months, Germany being one of the first to do that.
serghei
Senior Member
That post Pep Barca that had Jordi Roura as manager for more than half a season had nothing to do with the peak Pep version.
Don't think Jupp's Bayern was a big threat for peak Pep Barcelona. I saw them vs Dortmund in CL final of 2013 vs a good team and it was very close, Dortmund could have won had Dante been sent off like he should have been on the penalty incident. Messi would've probably retired Dante lol.
Don't think Jupp's Bayern was a big threat for peak Pep Barcelona. I saw them vs Dortmund in CL final of 2013 vs a good team and it was very close, Dortmund could have won had Dante been sent off like he should have been on the penalty incident. Messi would've probably retired Dante lol.
KingLeo10
Senior Member
This is probably the answer. Better than Inter 2010 who just got lucky. We were 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss against Inter that season (09-10) in CL.
Mou's Chelsea were a really, really good unit.
serghei
Senior Member
Yeah, they were a great unit for the type of team we struggled with. That's football. Barcelona at that time reached a passing, dribbling, and technical level that made them impossible to be pressed or dominated. So you'd need the best defensive side around to have a chance vs them. A team to absorb pressure like crazy, dominate the box for any crosses, put as many bodies behind the ball as possible, and be clinical on the break. Dirty tactical fouls, time wasting whenever possible, any sneaky tactic is obligatory.
Carvalho, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Essien, Makelele. This is one of the best collections of defenders I've ever seen in the same team.
Carvalho, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Essien, Makelele. This is one of the best collections of defenders I've ever seen in the same team.
serghei
Senior Member
Also, it's not enough to just want to play a tough defense. You need to be well drilled in that type of football to do it. Chelsea didn't just switched to a style like that because of Barcelona. In 2004-05 in EPL, they had 25 clean sheets and only 15 conceded goals in 38 games.
A team that is used to playing on the offense 95% of the time would have huge issues adapting to a defensive approach. Pretty much the issue United had under SAF in 2009 and 2011. They were used to be the team doing the attacking usually, so when they found themselves having to defend almost all the time, they got embarrassed.
A team that is used to playing on the offense 95% of the time would have huge issues adapting to a defensive approach. Pretty much the issue United had under SAF in 2009 and 2011. They were used to be the team doing the attacking usually, so when they found themselves having to defend almost all the time, they got embarrassed.
Maradona37
Well-known member
I watched a lot of football back then, and it did seem like Chelsea were THE team who always gave Barca - even peak Pep Barca - most trouble. Like you lads say they were extremely well drilled defensively under Jose and he left that legacy, but weren't afraid to get involved in the dark arts either. They were also a very athletic team that could cover a lot of ground, hence the ability to defend deep but counter swiftly and at pace.
They just seemed to have more 'steel' about them than the Man United side of that time, which matched up better against Barca, though ironically United did beat them to three titles in a row.
Maradona37
Well-known member
Fair point, just made similar points to you there.
One thing I would say is that Ferguson often played five in midfield and one up front away in the CL at that time, so he could win the ties at Old Trafford, which was a bit of a fortress then. So United did have experience of defending, but of course not against anything like the level of team that prime Barca were. They were simply less organised and had less 'steel' (as I say) than Chelsea, who were a more defensive unit and more drilled that way in general by Mou and then later under Hiddink etc.
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