CL Group Stages: FC Barcelona vs Celtic

Date: Tuesday, 10/23/2012 20:45

Competition: Champions League

Referee: Gianluca Rocchi

Squad against Celtic: Valdés, Pinto, Cesc, Xavi, Villa, Iniesta, Alexis, Messi, Jonathan dos Santos, Mascherano, Bartra, Pedro, Alba, Montoya, Adriano, Song, Tello and Sergi Roberto

Im assuming that Song will be placed in midfield and Barta/Adriano at centreback alongside Masch. If Adriano plays at centreback then Alba will fill in at left back, if not and Barta plays then Adriano will play at leftback.
I can see Fab moving to the wing and Iniesta in the middle with Pedro on the other flank. However I would like two wingers targetting Celtics defense. Alexis and Pedro are those two players in particular.

Predicting Lineup

-------------Valdes----------------
Montoya-Mascherano-Adriano-Alba-
-------------Song----------------
------Xavi------------Iniesta-----
--Pedro------Messi-------Fabregas

My predicted lineup is
--------------------Valdes
Montoya----Mascherano-Barta---Adriano
---------------------Song
-------------Xavi-----------Cesc-------------------
--Pedro----------Messi------------Sanchez/Villa
Bring in Iniesta half way through.

Some talk that it could be:

Song -Masch
Cesc- Xavi-Iniesta

I hope its:

Bartra - Masch
Xavi - Song -Iniesta

Samaras, Hooper, Izaguirre & Wanyama are dangers to be very mindful of...This Celtic side cannot be underestimated

If Bartra doesn't start I'm going to have a heart attack, we need height against Celtic

Donuts wrote:My predicted lineup is
--------------------Valdes
Montoya----Mascherano-Barta---Adriano
---------------------Song
-------------Xavi-----------Cesc-------------------
--Pedro----------Messi------------Sanchez/Villa
Bring in Iniesta half way through.

this!
however i am quite sure the actual lineup will be the one Sanchez predicted.......
let see...how good samara play...i actually watched some highlights of celtic's league games and i admire his finishing and aerial threat..

Can't see Alba not starting, Cesc as well...It'll come down, IMHO, to either Xavi or Iniesta sitting and while the Don isn't yet 100% it might make sense for Xavi to come on in the 2nd half like he did against Deportivo

batraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

tough game so far... we lack our usual spark

Team needs to play like this. with fast and unexpected passes. Yes Xavi did it at the end but most of time he passed back or sides, no sharp or unexpected passes. Thats why Tito needs to bring Fabregas instead of Xavi. Celtic parked the bus so no need for possession. Barca's possession makes them park more. So i think Fabregas is needed in second time

Batra did okay

Those gigantic bus parkers didnt deserve ****. I am glad they went home empty handed and fatigued

A match symptomatic of last season. Distinct lack of movement upfront, no barca players within a 30 yard radius of celtics goal and too many touches.
Created few clear chances: Sanchez miss, Bartra header.

Then around the middle of the 2nd half we wake up and create more chances: Messi, Sanchez, Messi header, Villa.

The good part is last season we would have tied this game.

Bartra was great, so was Adriano at RB I feel. Song was meh, clean passing but bad positioning, didn't make himself available for passes.
Villa again sharp when he came on, despite a few misplaced passes he has the balls and instinct to shoot, and does it well.

We didn't look like scoring. Just kept on passing the ball backwards hoping that someone will create magic and most of the time it didn't happen. Some good 1-2's that led to good chances being wasted though Im happy with the three points. Not happy of the way we got them. Worried about how we will do against better structured teams, how we will go creating chances...
Barta was very good if not MOTM. Made some good tacklers, pressured, composed on the ball, VERY GOOD in the air. After this performance, he should play more often (more than Song...).

I feel we were a bit unlucky in front of the goal as we had around 14 shots on target. Not all seamed so bad. But i agree it looked a bit like last season's game.

EDIT: don't forget that with the defense we have it is more dangerous to go forward as well. I just saw an article in Marca, this season we already have 4 own goals. That is treacherous!!!

barcastuff ‏@barcastuff

Vilanova: "Bartra is at first team because I wanted it. We had the money to sign a centre back past summer, but I told the club to save

Barta needs to be tested under pressure against a decent side to be proven 'a success'. After that performance, he should be given a start instead of Song in the centre of defense.

Rather him start with little pressure then to throw Madrid right at his face.

Bartra MOTM? Come on Paxton, he was good, but the best player for us, with difference was Iniesta. Hope JD watched the game (where is him btw, he never comes lately...).

Again, we make a comeback and again we win a game vs. a Park the Bus team! Fantastic! I'm loving it.

Hope this game proves my point that we are not much more direct but we seem more likely to score vs. Park-The-Bus-Teams. If it was not for Messi's bad game and Sanchez usual bad finishing we would have won it earlier.

Wow!!!! what a shameful game by Celtic....i happy they got nothing but a tired leg to take home and spartak also won so that is not a good news for them......anyone watching it sky sports. how much biased english commentator could be....they were praising celtic for holding barca specially two line defense and then after the game the people analysing the game its all about how celtic almost hold us and so many times they said for being proud to defend like that......

about our game, i think we tried best but we really pass only around them without creating much that hardly helps. because they were packed and maintaining the line very well, not coming out of zone. still the lob for messi by iniesta was and that equalizing goal easily. iniesta easily MOM for me.....

I think its more of extraordinary saves from their keeper then the fault of messi on the two shots that were saved. his reaction time fantastic. hope valdez got some tips from him

So tito needs some strong reasons to play song ahead of Bartra in a less important game.....

about bus parking theory, we came up with another win though but do you guyz think Tito had any plan that worked or we were just pure lucky,. i did not specially notice anything. for example each time messi was passed a ball three man or so came from different side closing all the option for him but this was not openning the opportunity for othhers as well because they were maintaing a two line of 9 man very able to hold their position. So for me we were just lucky(ofcourse deservingly) to have that goal but we did not have any working plan...

I do not believe Messi had a bad game, the only difference between Messi and Iniesta tonight was that Iniesta scored a goal.
Messi set up Sanchez way too many times and he failed to shoot or missed every time.
Barta had a great game, especially considering this is his first for first team in the whole season, not man of the match.
Whatever dangerous situation occured Messi Xavi Iniesta were involved practically the whole game.
Song was meh whatever and Alba played very well even before his goal.

I would add to Free's assessment that it seems we play with a little more urgency when we are chasing a game like this. Every time the ball went out they chased it down and got it quickly back into play.

Bartra was really good... Of course not MOM, because he had hardly anything to do lol. He proved he's ready though and he showed why its handy to have a real CB back there. Agree with Free that he needs to harden up a bit, sometimes he seems to make soft decisions but on the whole he was superb. For his very first game of the season, he showed he's better than Song and deserves to be in the running with Mascherano.

The more I see of Mascherano the less I like him. His effort in defence for the goal was poor and he is very weak in the air. I think he's a good third choice, but I don't like how he's become so important. Even if its simply due to injuries. He's too impulsive... I just don't feel safe with him there.

Oh btw... Some stats:

-@MarcBartra91 stats v Celtic: 5 tackles (2nd), 3 interceptions (1st), 5 succesful clearances (1st), 46 passes (@ 93%) | #fcblive

-Barcelona completed 821 passes against Celtic and had possession 82% of the games.

Donuts wrote:Rather him start with little pressure then to throw Madrid right at his face.

Exactly. he had a great game but tbf it was against a team that was barking the bus 90% of the match. Against R. Madrid it's going to be them trying to counter at warp speed every chance they get.

lol I just realised today was our 6th CB partnership already this season.

With mascherano most likely out for Saturday's match, we could have our 7th;

--batra---song---

Free. Lol, I just said that he was great if not MOTM. As Kizz said, he was rarely tested but when called upon did his job very well. Like your comment about hardening up. Looks like he is a soft potch and also showed that in preseason. Have a Song or Puyol next to him he will play fine though is not at all physical.
After taking a breath, Iniesta was MOTM and there was no question about it. Was shadowed on the weekend but made up for it today. Close ball control was great, linkup play was great and that goal was splendid. The skill to place a shot like that when you almost losing control.
Adriano is frustrating to watch on that right flank because he always has to cross with his left foot meaning an easier ball for the keeper to grab hold or defenders to head to safety. Yes, his cross may have provided the vital assist but it the goal was a combination of bad defending and keeping.