Crap

Very unlikely its possible to know this early.

This is a *bleep* robbery.

First they upheld Ibra's ban, then the ref is screwing us all night with fouls and yellow cards, then two of our players injure themselves and the PSG behaves unsportingly and the ref doesn't stop the game, then the ref doesn't allow our players to defend a corner which we defend 9 vs 11, then a dubious foul and Ibra scores in a clear offside.

Why does UEFA put box refs if they don't see anything?

And then we concede in minute 93:58 a lucky goal.

We deserved an easy 0-2 win.

Anyway, the result is good.

PS. Mascherano 6 weeks injured. Messi unknown.

The second goal is not Valdes fault IMO, although he could maybe saved it. However, he was very good the whole game.

Official: Mascherano has a knee injury and is expected to be out for 6 weeks!!

good, let's see what this team is worth without messi.
I'm really angree of this game... so many things went wrong

Shameful refereeing.
Refs are trying to kill us this season in the Champions League.
The action where the ref didn't allow Alba and Masche come in to defend the corner was ridiculous. Ridiculous. It's extremely grave and he will be punished for it I'm hearing.

Can someone just recap the goals and how the game went? I didn't get to see it as usual (CL games...school...f*ck me). I just looked at the goal.com headline. Did Valdes really have a howler? It doesn't sound like it. And I doubt it.

How long is Messi out for? Anyone know yet? If not, does anyone know how long it SEEMS like he'll be out for based on looks?

Anyway just looking at the score I'm slightly disappointed but still happy with a 2-2 draw.

Sounds like we were f*cked by refs?

I agree with Free's post, mostly. The ref stuff and all that, its total bullshit I agree....I dont think I have the reputation of one that complains about injustice and decisions, I understand it comes and goes...I dont consider some conspiracy or anything like that...its just plain stupidity it all I guess.

Valdes...not only could he of done better he shoud have, personally I think a great goalie doesnt allow that to go in. He just has error in him, something about him..perhaps to some degree he has mentally checked out on us as he is going, whatever the case may be...im tired of the half errors.

As for injuries, im not that worried about Mascherano. Its not helpful because Puyol is done, but the fact we are relying on Puyol to be fit says it all. As we all said a million times, we are stupid for not signing someone. But I think Bartra will do fine if he gets gametime, he just need a touch of confidence and he will do fine. He has better gifts than Mascherano anyway, hes faster over long distance, much better in the air and very good on the ball. With confidence he will do fine I believe.

He had a litle mix up with Pique where he came for a ball he shouldnt, Pique as the older of the two should of been talking and saying "mine" or something, perhaps he didnt see Bartra..still, things like that are just Bartra being anxious to do well, as I said, im cool with him. And I aint lost hope in Abidal as cover either.

Messi is a worry naturally. I think we can beat PSG even without him, but of course you rather have him than not.

The Franchise wrote:Ok........3 things.

1. Sell Dani Alves

2. I am so sad Valdes is leaving.

3. We aint winning the CL in my opinion. Too much constant calamaity, injuries and fodder error.

1. Man of the match tonight was probably between Dani Alves and Thiago Silva - the battle of the Brazilians after quite a long time at the highest stage

2. He does make the odd mistake but still I think no matter what goalkeeper we buy he will find it hard to settle in quickly enough. Only time will tell for sure.

3. Agree. We have the spirit and the quality but the defending doesn't convince one bit.

Decent game but last 10 minutes was terrible.

Messi with a good goal assisted by alves
Offside goal for Ibra
Messi n mâché injured
Couldn't fking hold the ball for the last dam minute
Valdez hate is unjustified and plain ridiculous, he was sent to limbo with the deflected shot

I don't think their second goal was even a half valdes error. 9/10 goalkeepers wouldn't have even touched the ball in that shot.
Valdes touched it, hence it looks like a half error. He had an outstanding game.

gondov wrote:
maybe Song or Busquets at CB next week

If Song plays as CB I think PSG will win this tie. I may as well not watch then.

lets hope we dont lose that many points in the coming league games.

our defense after this..

billy_gr wrote:good, let's see what this team is worth without messi

As I have said before Messi is someone any team any time in history would miss but we are a great team without him as well while mainly lacking a quality striker. Today if it was a quality striker instead of Alexis Sanchez then it would be 0-2 long before those equalizers or controversies even started.

futbol wrote:The irony is that Fabregas would be shitting all over Özil in Real Madrid's system where he would be playing right behind the striker and just needs to deliver the final ball instead of understanding the 20-30 passing move patterns of Barcelona and how to orchestrate a midfield with 100+ passes while at the same time having the pressure of Xavi and Iniesta breathing behind his neck.

He's got 72 goals and 118 assists in his last 7 seasons which means he's averaging 10 goals and almost 20 assists per season, most of those numbers averaged at a very young age while playing alongside crap at Arsenal like Bendtner, Arshavin, Rosicky etc. There is a reason why he was tagged with a € 60 million price tag by Wenger when Barca started sniffing around and Özil went for € 18 million despite being only a year younger.

Cesc can't be moulded into a midfield orchestrator. He's a creator and not a distributor. Forget Xavi, he's not even an Iniesta type of player ( #8 ). Ideally he plays even further forward as a #10, close to the box, away from central midfield. Just like Pep used him in his 3-4-3 and where he thrived. Positionally he's actually competing with Messi more than with Iniesta.

Incredible player but just another case of Barca not giving a *bleep* about specific player positions and expecting them to be world class all over the pitch.

Boss post. Although I would have told you the same 3 years ago before Barcelona went to sign Cesc

Just watching Thiago Silva today, I wonder if the Barcelona board regret not signing him when he was the no-brainer solution (to me at least). Personally I very much disagree with Barcelona board's view on signings and I don't feel they have added much quality to their side in the past few years. The players who make the difference are still the same ones as 4-5 years ago. Iniesta, Xavi, Messi, Busquets, Alves. Add the fact that Xavi is getting old and Puyol+Abidal are pretty much done (and Pedro is far, far off his best days), I can only see downhill from here. Barely any of Barcelona's recent signings have actually improved the team.

free_cat wrote:I don't think their second goal was even a half valdes error. 9/10 goalkeepers wouldn't have even touched the ball in that shot.
Valdes touched it, hence it looks like a half error. He had an outstanding game.

Well I think Valdes 3 seasons ago wouldnt of let that in, never mind "better" keepers.

For the sake of thinking of things that would make me very happy...

Imagine if Abidal never had to have surgery and we got Thiago Silva.

Abidal--Thiago Silva--Pique--Dani Alves

(I'm assuming Puyol is injured as he usually is these days)

We splashed out ridicolous amount for chryfufuffuufu and back up dm but didn't for TS

Thiago Silva was good but I don't see how he was so great. Good performance, that's it.

--alba--abidal-----pique---alves---

I seriously HOPE that Rossell and company are sitting around right now realizing just how shite a decision it was to get Song instead of a proper CB.

I like Barta, but not sure I like him enough to have confidence in him holding back PSG's attack in a match of such high pressure. Song isn't built for that role, and I'd like him even less.

Maybe it's time we unleash Abidal? If he is fit he could provide a surprise boost. Let's use him this weekend as a CB and see how he does.

Don't worry guys, we won't see Song or Busquets at CB. Bartra came in today, not Song, and he played vs. Celta. It's obvious they trust him more than Song or Busquets as CB although they didn't trust him at the begining of the season. We will be able to see what the lad is made of. I put the hand for him, and say he is a class CB, only a bit too soft.
Plus, maybe Abidal can make a comeback and lift the CL again at Wembley together with Tito.
Hollywood will make a movie about this Barça season.

And honestly I've got to the point that even just at he sight of Alexis makes me want to throw up and immidielty assume we wont win a match with him in it. When Messi went down I really hoped Tello would of came on instead of Cesc

--Tello ----- Villa ---- Alexis

Everyone would of at least been in natural position this way

free_cat wrote:Thiago Silva was good but I don't see how he was so great. Good performance, that's it.

Organises the defensive line.
King of cool, composed like a central midfielder.
Boss in air.
Can pass the ball.
Can actually tackle, and let me add he's very good at that.

Well Cesc did create the penalty with an excellent piece of vision. He is decent in that role. Very slow so he cant go and dribble 2, 3 players but if we establish extended possession and get them back in their defensive third he got enough vision to make something happen on the edge of the box.

I agree, however he is antonym to "Extended Possession"