Thiago was great in the second half. In the first half, Busi was ging forward and Thiago was the anchorman, they swapped in the second half and it made an instant impact.

they just worked their ass off. never seen a team running so much. they played live or die game. while barca expecting an easy win like most people

team's attack is avarage there is no finisher. if they mark messi then nobody will score.

Referee didnt give home advantage to Barcelona. i felt like the game was in Bernebau

yup, if tello and xavi finished their chances, not only would it have been a different game, we would have won.

Idk, I think we would have done well to start Cesc in this game, espescially with Messi being completely surrounded(as well as having a bad game

I don't think in the entire era of Pep Guardiola, I have ever had more reason to say Real Madrid won fair and square and fully deserved their victory. Congratulations to them.

Our tiki taka has deteriorated to an extent. On the other Madrid's counter attacking football has only become better and better. We are definitely not the best team in the world any more. So Madrid probably have as much right to that label as any other team in the world as of now.

As for tonight's game I don't want to say much but just that how can you hope to create scoring chances if you play a match without any forwards? Messi played like a false number 9 tonight but was unable to breach the last line of defense. He did have s short spell of greatness in which he made a couple of peach passes. Tello just showed that a kid has no place in El Classico. Any time the ball went to him the move invariably broke down. Iniesta worked hard but couldn't produce any of his trademark magic to handle the physicality of Di Maria and Khedira in particular. Xavi was below his standards. D.Alves also had quite a poor game although in his defense the way he was played was not suited to his strengths. With Tello as our left forward and D.Alves as our right forward we diminished our own chances as much as we possibly could even before the game began. Anyway my purpose is not at all to discuss individual blame. All I am trying to say is that there was no running behind the defense and very little cutting edge as a whole. In retrospect Pedro just had to be in the starting lineup tonight no matter what kind of form he was in.

One final thought in my mind is that the false number 9 business has outlived it's welcome and the next tactical change should be bringing an orthodox center forward whose main job will be putting the ball in the back of the net. Messi can play as second striker or even on the right wing. Anyway it's too early to start such a discussion now.

This league was for the taking, this was our game. If we won this we would be only one point behind and we couldn't finish them off in the end. They defended well, I'll give them credit there. Also the first goal looked like it may have been offside.

Tello...
Khedira and Arbeloa completely shut him out mostly, he couldn't deal with having his option to cut inside closed off and he became very predictable and Arbeloa deal with it well. Pedro or Alexis should have started instead.

Thiago was great, he had a bumpy start but played well all around imo.

Xavi was a huge disappointment for me and this was a game to forget no doubt for him, especially his big first chance Messi created in the first half.

Poor lineup from Pep, decent idea with 4 midfielders but in the end we lacked a key into their tight defense. Very disappointing loss really.

Also, I disagree we didn't have a chance in the league. Of course we don't now though.

and another reason is that messi didnt run. he was saving energy for Chelsea game? he ran about 1 km in this match, his laziest match in clasicos so far. if he worked his ass off i'm sure madrid's defence would get confused and fail as usual

the first goal WAS offside, but let's not complain, the match is over.

Maybe this is the drive we needed to start playing like Champions again.

they pressed full 90 min. which team did it until now? teams park the bus or press. but they did both. its just impossible. in previous clasicos they pressed like this but only 1 half. then they got tired or lost their spirit after barca goal. but today it didnt happen

this is the main reason for loss today. bad luck (tello and xavi miss) is another reason

One of the main problem this season was THe finishing . definitely miss Villa this season .
What striker ( ro replace pedro ?) are going to come in ?

Xavi finishing. i was so so happy when alexis scored , was screaming so loud ! Thiago is an AM , he is nothing like xavi, lost the ball 2 much in the 1st half.

Albiceleste wrote:This league was for the taking, this was our game. If we won this we would be only one point behind and we couldn't finish them off in the end. They defended well, I'll give them credit there. Also the first goal looked like it may have been offside.

Tello...
Khedira and Arbeloa completely shut him out mostly, he couldn't deal with having his option to cut inside closed off and he became very predictable and Arbeloa deal with it well. Pedro or Alexis should have started instead.

Thiago was great, he had a bumpy start but played well all around imo.

Xavi was a huge disappointment for me and this was a game to forget no doubt for him, especially his big first chance Messi created in the first half.

Poor lineup from Pep, decent idea with 4 midfielders but in the end we lacked a key into their tight defense. Very disappointing loss really.

Also, I disagree we didn't have a chance in the league. Of course we don't now though.

Agree with this close to 100%. I don't think their goal was offside, but whatever...

I was thoroughly disappointed with Pep's line up as well. Still wondering what he was thinking by leaving Tello on for 80 mins. He should have been hooked, much, much sooner.

In retrospect Pedro just had to be in the starting lineup tonight no matter what kind of form he was in.

This is true. This is very true.

After calming down a bit, I think people are overreacting, I think this team still has the most talent in the world (and indeed on a different day we could have easily have won) and the best teamwork, but I think here is where we see the detriments of injuries on this Barcelona team.

In better terms and in more precise terms, off-form Pedro and Villa.

Chelsea's game and todays game shows how crucial Pedro and Villa were to the Barca 2011 and their relative absence from this season, and the lack of an impact from Sanchez and Fabregas really has to be the reason for the team this season not performing *quite* up to standards (especially compared to last season). Barca are missing the runs and movement from Pedro and Villa so much, and this is what makes Barcelona seem so much more reliant on Messi (and it's true to be honest).

As we've said all season, the goals simply aren't there. Sanchez has done a decent job trying to make those runs and create space like Pedro and Villa, but a forward line of Messi, Fabregas, and Sanchez (or replacing Fabregas/Sanchez with Tello or Cuenca) just doesn't work like MVP did.

However, heads up- we still have a CDR to win (not that that matters) and Chelsea to put away. We can still win the CL- and that's the most important thing. Today's loss stings, but it happens.

Time to focus on Chelsea, lets bounce back and give the Camp Nou a real show.

Maybe we can get our revenge in the CL final. It would be so sweet

This is beginning to look a lot like 09/10 again

Congratlations Barca for trying hard in this game and for the amazing league comeback. You are really worthy opponents for this history making Madrid side.



However, Tello is shit

We really need to do more from the wings to break these parked defenses. Alves and Tello should have taken on their man on the outside and drilled in low crosses instead of passing it outside.

That was Pep's plan, i think, but we clearly failed to execute it. With centre of the final third packed like it was, we just couldn't get behind Madrid's defense a lot.

Revenge at CL final would be great. now i hope madrid qualifies against bayern. time to beat mourinho and his football destroying tactics in real competition

Saetablanca wrote:Congratlations Barca for trying hard in this game and for the amazing league comeback. You are really worthy opponents for this history making Madrid side.



However, Tello is shit

what history they did?

billionmillion wrote:

Saetablanca wrote:Congratlations Barca for trying hard in this game and for the amazing league comeback. You are really worthy opponents for this history making Madrid side.



However, Tello is shit

what history they did?

The goal record (109), the goal record Ronaldo is breaking (42 right now), and defeating this mighty Barca side which has been so great over the past 3 years. The manner we did it. Thats making history man.

Also, 32 titles.

title won long time ago i dont think its a special win. special win would be in CL final (hopefully we will see it) . that 109 goals are madrid's history. piccici record broken 3 times already nothing new and 42 goals will be broken soon again theres only 1 goal difference

billionmillion wrote:title won long time ago i dont think its a special win. special win would be in CL final (hopefully we will see it) . that 109 goals are madrid's history. piccici record broken 3 times already nothing new and 42 goals will be broken soon again theres only 1 goal difference

107 was the all time La Liga record as well. And dont tell me that you didnt have some hope when we started dropping points. If you won tonight, it would have been only 1. You could have won the league, so it wasnt a foregone conclusion.

Anyway, I dont want to argue. Just wanted to say congratulastions to Barca for a deserved second place.

Hard Luck Barcelona...
Real Madrid deserves the Liga this season... Yes, they didn't dominate in this match, but we made mistakes and they scored from them..
While, Barcelona attacked with numbers but yet didn't create enough chances, on the other hand we left a lot of spaces at the back... Pique should have played in this match (but its seems he's not 100% fit), with a 4-3-3 formation... ( We can't play 3-4-3, at one point 4 forwards, and not concede goals against a great counter-attacking team like madrid).

Hard luck again, this squad won a lot of trophies for Barcelona (i can't complain).. we can't win every year and every single trophy.. we are still in competition for #UCL and #Copa.. So Gd Luck Barca ♥

Viscaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

S32TABLANCA wrote:
Anyway, I dont want to argue. Just wanted to say congratulastions to Barca for a deserved second place.

No doubt Saeta. Must feel good after waiting so long. Enjoy it.

Khaled wrote:Hard Luck Barcelona...
Real Madrid deserves the Liga this season... Yes, they didn't dominate in this match, but we made mistakes and they scored from them..
While, Barcelona attacked with numbers but yet didn't create enough chances, on the other hand we left a lot of spaces at the back... Pique should have played in this match (but its seems he's not 100% fit), with a 4-3-3 formation... ( We can't play 3-4-3, at one point 4 forwards, and not concede goals against a great counter-attacking team like madrid).

Hard luck again, this squad won a lot of trophies for Barcelona (i can't complain).. we can't win every year and every single trophy.. we are still in competition for #UCL and #Copa.. So Gd Luck Barca

Viscaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Khaled ......we need your match threads dude

shinigami99 wrote:

Khaled wrote:Hard Luck Barcelona...
Real Madrid deserves the Liga this season... Yes, they didn't dominate in this match, but we made mistakes and they scored from them..
While, Barcelona attacked with numbers but yet didn't create enough chances, on the other hand we left a lot of spaces at the back... Pique should have played in this match (but its seems he's not 100% fit), with a 4-3-3 formation... ( We can't play 3-4-3, at one point 4 forwards, and not concede goals against a great counter-attacking team like madrid).

Hard luck again, this squad won a lot of trophies for Barcelona (i can't complain).. we can't win every year and every single trophy.. we are still in competition for #UCL and #Copa.. So Gd Luck Barca

Viscaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Khaled ......we need your match threads dude

thanks man
maybe next week vs Rayo, i'll open a thread with some stats...

kiranr wrote:

S32TABLANCA wrote:
Anyway, I dont want to argue. Just wanted to say congratulastions to Barca for a deserved second place.

No doubt Saeta. Must feel good after waiting so long. Enjoy it.

Thank you. Im sure you'll be right there in it next year anyway.

And dont forget, we might have another clasico in the CL final

Tello.

Dunno what Guardiola sees in that kid, coz he is crap to me. I would have forgiven for trying to go past Albeorla twice using the same stupid trick, but three or four times? No.

I'm not even gonna start about his misses and failure to pass the ball on numerous occasions, while opting to shoot instead.