COPA DEL REY EL CLASICO FIRST LEG: Real Madrid vs FC BARCELONA

Fans these days...
BC, like your lineup but we know the first option will be probably taken...

Lately RM has played Barca with a half fit/form Alves. I think this has changed if we consider last few game Alves had. I have a really good feeling about this game and I want our team to win this leg. They should win it considering the defensive problems RM is facing. However, I would settle for a high scoring draw as well, but I would think that we have let a chance pass.

Form has been great for Barcelona as of late, and we should be in perfect condition to play with the exception that Messi might be tired.
Pedro is scoring goals again, and Alves has been regaining his old self, Pique should be fully rested after serving his suspension and Alba rested last game as-well.
Iniesta has been shinning on the LW but still isn't convincing majority of people here so hopefully he proves them wrong

Donuts wrote:Form has been great for Barcelona as of late, and we should be in perfect condition to play with the exception that Messi might be tired.
Pedro is scoring goals again, and Alves has been regaining his old self, Pique should be fully rested after serving his suspension and Alba rested last game as-well.
Iniesta has been shinning on the LW but still isn't convincing majority of people here so hopefully he proves them wrong

Today will be a big test for the Iniesta-Alba combo at left wing. Vs. Madrid at Camp Nou they were very average. So, for big games and not yet conviced to play Iniesta as left wing.

I would prefer to play with Puyol and Villa instad of Mascherano and Cesc, and Iniesta as CM, but the probable lineup is with them.

It's a great day to rub some salt in Madrid's wounds. Hope we can win this, or at least get a high scoring draw, and advanced to the final!

For the fans! For Catalunya! GO BARÇA!

I'm not sure about the big test as, if I am right, Essien will play RB for them.
Hardly the best RB arround...

Still not an easy job for them I think... anyway, we're in great condition - and Madrid is definitely not!

2-1 Barca

I won't be watching live as I will be forced to watch Liverpool vs Arsenal,but I will try my best not to find out the score and watch the repeat of the game tonight on Sky.

Reckon we will win by 1 goal but will be happy with a score draw.

Real Madrid XI: Diego Lopez, Essien Varane Carvalho Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso, Ozil, Khedira, Callejon, Benzema, Ronaldo

Lopez, Essien, Carvalho, Xabi, and Oezil are all playing.

Am I glad to be wrong apparently Puyol is starting over Mascherano

They have had the upper hand with more chances but honestly like the past few Clasicos they keep on wasting chances... The midfield is losing too much possession and so many turnovers which create dangerous chances. Pique, Alves, Fabregas IMO are the best players ATM

Ridiculous they're playing Essien on the RB and we're not taking advantage of that.

We need to stretch the game more, the center is too crowded yet we insist on playing most of our attacks through there.

Agree BC. Essien is pretty much have a relaxing game because there is no-one to test him. RC and Arbeloa seem to be the weak links in this defense and if we can get a LW on some time soon we can test Essien as well. Midfield needs to control possession better and not turn over play so frequently and in dangerous areas...

Two wrong offsides against us so far

bazinga wrote:Two wrong offsides against us so far

Nothing new in la liga tbf.

60th minute mark, now would be the ideal time to place some subs...

well, we missed too many chances, Messi seemed tired out there, surely because he didn't get rested
our first half was terrible, we rushed plays and passed aimlessly also decided to defend majority of the first half instead of attacking which is odd to see.
many stupid errors was quiet annoying to watch.

We controlled that second half and yet again a diagonal long ball gets us in all sorts. Good lord.

I don't know what to say about this. First of all to the ref:


But what else is new in La Liga. Other than that, we obviously didn't perform at our best and should've converted those chances. Messi pretty invisible, Piqué very decent and Iniesta played like a baws. Not feeling like going into this very extensively, it feels like a loss to me. This is a bad situation to be in, knowing that Madrid will most probably score at least once in Camp Nou and considering the away-goal rule. I got to hand it to Varane, played an awesome game.

Iniesta is wasted on the wings. He always tends to go in the center when in possession.

Essien is having a lax time out there as no one is making runs in his side. It also lessens Messi's options to make a through ball.

1-1 is a fair result.

BUT

1. Messi was onside, Varane played him on.

2. The goal they scored, it was a goal kick...they got a corner, they eventually scored from it. That is annoying.

But 1-1is pretty fair.

I was happy with :

Pinto not over passing

Pique and Alves defending, excellent stuff from the duo.

The way we broke their pressing with Cesc, Iniesta moving in various position and even Pedro swapping sides to accommodate it

Unhappy with;

Alba allowing a cross with no pressure

Pedro not scoring his chance, Alba doing better on his first.

Busquets not coming and forming a back 3, allowing our fullbacks to push on when we were getting pressed. I dont know why we lost our daring attitude vs Madrid. Yes they are dangerous, but so are we when we.

Not testing Essien at all. Pedro and Alves did a fine job testing Arbeloa and got some joy, got in behind 2-3 times. Iniesta is wasted out wide, I dont care that Cesc scored and neither he nor Iniesta played a bad game. Again, I could of done what Essien did out there....nothing... bring the ball forward looking awkward with oceans of spaces and put in crap crosses.

Not having Tello in the squad and not getting Villa on the pitch at all. Both errors which are linked to above.

They even played a high line, Varane bailed them out 2-3 times..but its much easier when you only have to deal with it coming from the same position over and over, the middle. When we used the sides, Pedro and Alba got in easily and he couldnt do anything obviously.


Again, fair score, but fell like we should of won it.

Score aside... clasicos are back to being great games. Really fun to watch and they all go down to the wire. Kudos to Barca and Madrid for putting on a show. Everyone plays their heart out and the quality is amazing.

True but I think they are very predictable.

Yet again, Madrid press, maybe get yellows/reds/goals, we break press as you tire and maybe score.

Second half repeat.

Whoever makes the most mistakes/finishes their chances wins.

Exact same 4-5 times in a row.

Barca has their style and so does Madrid. Neither deviates. But both do it very well. Nothing wrong with that.

You only see the true colors of these teams when the game is open. Nobody plays Barca and Madrid openly these days. Most everyone sits back... that's why i think these games are unique. You have teams going at each other that aren't used to having teams going at them.

I have realized that our 2nd halves against Madrid are much better. Maybe we settle down to the occasion, and we play our game, or possibly madrid get tired of pressing and sit back more (which is an aspect of our game; even if the opposition is pressing, it is tough to do this for 90 minutes, and therefore we can punish them eventually)

Little width, crappy finishing, subpar movement in midfield, feels like last year.

Pique and Alves were boss, Varane also.
Iniesta was good but we had no presence on the left.
Messi, clearly drunk, the most dangerous again.
Pedro doing his best Sanchez impersonation.

Feels like a missed oportunity.