Cordoba - Barcelona CDR R16 1st Leg

Squad for the game: Pinto, Oier, Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Xavi, Villa, Alexis, Messi, Thiago, Dos Santos, Mascherano, Bartra, Sergio, Pedro, Jordi Alba, Montoya, Song y Tello

Iniesta, Valdes and Adriano won't go.

Will be interesting to see, how strong lineup Tito will use in this, in the view of playing A.Madrid at the weekend.

I would actually go with pretty strong and end the game in the initial 45 min (+2, +3 goals if possible). Sub 2 starters on second half, and also sub the last one on 60 min mark. Too many times have we started with weak squad to end up subbing them on 60-70 min with starters. And those 20-30 last minutes they would run like crazy to overcome the result and spend double the amount of energy, not to mention the increased chances of getting injury in such cases.

We have the second game at home. No need to go with our best team.
I would play:

Pinto
Alves Bartra Mascherano Montoya
Dos Santos Song Thiago
Tello Villa Alexis

Alba, Pedro or Messi to come in the second Half.

^ Adriano wont go, which suggest that Tito is going with him as more defensive LB against Atletico. So Alba could possibly play whole game, Alves and Montoya could play half each to determine who's better fit for against Atletico.

Good chance to rest Pique,Puyol, so Bartra and Mascherano could be CB's.

Well i am not saying best team, but i would not play too much of the B players and would play at least 4 first 11.

Then the return leg could be left to the young guns

Atlético have a relatively hard match against Getafe as well. Will they play their first team or save their energy for the Camp Nou encounter?

Messi will come on and score two. Its bound to happen.
Good opportunity for Barta to play and show his worth.
Alves and Montoya should play separate halfs and that will determine whether who will start against A.Madrid. Adriano looks like he will start on the weekend so that means Alba will play the whole game as the attacking fullback...

Cordoba are like 5 places below Barca B in the Segunda, and 4 points behind.

There is no need to risk messi, xavi, pedro, pique, mascherano, alves or alba, 3 days before a game against the 2nd best team in Spain!

Messi already had a warning blow the other day vs Benfica, this time he wont be so lucky

Hoping we go to this game with a weaker team.

We can manage to do well without a full strength team, an it's a two legged tie with the second game at home, we'll be fine.

I'm more concerned with the game against Atletico.

jiopsi wrote:^ Adriano wont go, which suggest that Tito is going with him as more defensive LB against Atletico. So Alba could possibly play whole game, Alves and Montoya could play half each to determine who's better fit for against Atletico.

Good chance to rest Pique,Puyol, so Bartra and Mascherano could be CB's.

You are right.
Then I guess we will see Montoya at left back and Alves at right back. Possibly Alba coming in at the second half to rest one of them.

This is what sport.es is predicting i guess.

Xavi will not start. Guarantee...

I would really like to go back to the old, first season Pep 433 in these cup games.

Villa as a 9 with Tello, Cuenca when he returns and or Alexis flanking him.

Piqué and Thiago bossed the match. Great performance.

Pedro was a mixed bag. A couple of miss-passes and finishing wasn't good. Excellent runs and fantastic pass that lead to the first goal, it must be said (or was it Xavi?).

Messi, by his standards, had a very mediocre game.

Song, meh again. Commits more fouls than the rest of Barcelona team together. Not only didn't win that many balls, he barely came winner in 50-50 battles. Poor tackling too.

Anyone's realised how accurate and fast Tello's long distance passes are? I'm not a big fan of him but hey, give credit when its due.

Last but not least, props to Córdoba fans. What a loud stadium!

Eh, the pitch was rather horrible most of the shots were bouncing and ended up in the stands, Thiago didn't do much for me, lost several easy balls by trying to skill, although his top corner shot was
Pique had a solid game, Pedro got out shined but Sanchez and Villa today had shat first touch control.
Messi is Messi, if it weren't for him idk where this team would be standing in this season.

danyjr wrote:Piqué and Thiago bossed the match. Great performance.

Pedro was a mixed bag. A couple of miss-passes and finishing wasn't good. Excellent runs and fantastic pass that lead to the first goal, it must be said (or was it Xavi?).

Messi, by his standards, had a very mediocre game.

Song, meh again. Commits more fouls than the rest of Barcelona team together. Not only didn't win that many balls, he barely came winner in 50-50 battles. Poor tackling too.

Anyone's realised how accurate and fast Tello's long distance passes are? I'm not a big fan of him but hey, give credit when its due.

Last but not least, props to Córdoba fans. What a loud stadium!

Pedro was like he has been all season. Great creating (created 1st goal and passed to Thiago in a great opportunity) but missed his chances, which weren't easy though. I hope he starts scoring, I can't even remember the last time someone else other than Messi scored for us!

Your anti-Song crusade is crazy. Don't know why you hate the guy so much. He is not starting material but difficult to have a better backup DM. Much more suited to us than Mascherano there and he had a good game today. Other thing is if we should have spent 19 milion for a backup DM.

The trio of MVP combined to make a splendid goal!
Pique and Thiago were so good!

Song had a normal game, the type of game where there isnt much need to mention him. I dont get the hate.

Dani Alves looked very sharp on the ball, keeps possession so well. You dont realise the difference between he and Montoya in this honestly.

Pedro is worrying. Its not just that he is missing chances, he is missing them bad. The left foot volley was nowhere near the goal, it was like he didnt even pick a spot. He had another chance, straight at the goalie.

Anyways, maybe just me, but I miss seeing all the really young guys out there. They played with more energy than our normal players.

The games this season with our players vs teams with nothing to play we have lacked an element of intensity and I think the games have been generally quite boring.

Eager for Cuenca to return. That right flank with Pedro and Alexis's poor form needs some new excitement. Left flank is ok between Villa, Tello and Iniesta

Nice team goal, started from Song challenge and ended with Messi scoring, 12 passes, 8 players touching the ball.

Great goal.

Thiago was very impressive again in his return, him, Alves and Xavi really got us out of some tight situations with their composure on the ball.