-------------------Casillas---------------------
---Arbeloa---Ramos-----Pepe----Marcelo----
----------------------Xabi----------------------
--------------Khedira-----Sahin---------------
Neymar/Kaká------Higuain---------CR7------

This would be my lineup

Defend as a team (Ronaldo is part of it) and attack as a team. No need to play 56000.... defensive mids and park the bus.

The thing against Barca is our attacking/attackers have to be good and our defenders/defending has to be good.

--------------------Casillas
--Coentrao---Pepe---Ramos---Marcelo
------------------Khedira/Alonso
----------------Ozil-------Sahin
-Aguero/Benzema/Neymar----------------Ronaldo
----------------------Higuain

So fabregas to barca is almost done and it is a matter of barca agreeing 45 mill price tag.With Bojan sale and whole its crystal clear barca are willing to play 40+ for fab.Will be official in next week.

IMO, if you really want to take the game to Barca then 3-4-3 Diamond is the way to go.


Back 3 should play very narrow to deny Villa + Pedro making those out-to-in runs, you effectively match Barca in midfield with Pepe broadly picking up Messi and the front 4 will have a good understanding having played so much together.

Could probably expand a bit but I'm not sure any of you care

So basically a 4-2-3-1 with one CB ahead of the other?

Bear-Felix wrote:IMO, if you really want to take the game to Barca then 3-4-3 Diamond is the way to go.

Benz/Hig
Di Maria Ozil CR7
Khedira Alonso/Sahin
Pepe
Marcelo Ramos RB

Back 3 should play very narrow to deny Villa + Pedro making those out-to-in runs, you effectively match Barca in midfield with Pepe broadly picking up Messi and the front 4 will have a good understanding having played so much together.

Could probably expand a bit but I'm not sure any of you care

No thx, its too offensive. No matter what midfield we use they still have the upper hand, that means Pepe alone cant break up their midfield. Formation used against barca should be more balanced.

just a thought, dont know too much about RM tactics so dont crucify me if im wrong


so its a 4-2-1-3 so youre just about matching barcas 4-3-3

so in the "2" Khedia would play as a DM and alonso would play as a defensive CM/attcking DM (hope that makes sense) and spray passes everywhere (deep lying play maker)

and then Kaka if fit it not Ozil would play as an AM and try get into the space behind biscuits and infront of the defence and look for a killer ball through to any of the front 3

i picked CR7 in the middle because i like his pace which would make him a good target to chase down from long balls from alonso or through balls from Kaka, also hes strong enough to hold up the ball and give time for someone to make a run past him etc etc

then out wide benz and hig would mostly play up and down the line most the game looking to pick it up from deep as part of the build up and also look to get balls into the box for CR7 but also drift infield for whatever

and in defense i think you should play high pressure, get in their face and dont give them the space to pass the ball all day

anyone think he will play against barcelona? its not far fetched, hecan put albiol to 4th cb position, the kid is a great talent and hes only 1 year older than me.. ffs!!!!!!!!!

The Madrid One wrote:anyone think he will play against barcelona? its not far fetched, hecan put albiol to 4th cb position, the kid is a great talent and hes only 1 year older than me.. ffs!!!!!!!!!

couldnt imagine him getting picked against barca surely 2 of carvahlo pepe and ramos will be fit

I still think you won't be able to beat them this season

maverick wrote:Why is everybody discussing formation and tactics and such. i had the impression Madrid fans thought they already knew how to beat Barca and were just robbed last time they met.

lolololololol early runner for troll post of the year!

I say we approach them with style! Preferable from the north... Common Guys! Waaaaay to early to worry about Barca (and No i don't consider the Spanish Super Cup a real game, in fact I hope we lose, it'll light a good fire ), it's seems the sole purpose of Madridista's these days is to beat Barca. We are bigger than that...

However when we do play them I hope CR7 doesn't play in the CF position, He is far more influential coming in from wide.

fatman123 wrote:just a thought, dont know too much about RM tactics so dont crucify me if im wrong

Ramos--carvahlo--pepe--marcello
khedria--alonso
kaka
higuain--CR7--Benzama

so its a 4-2-1-3 so youre just about matching barcas 4-3-3

so in the "2" Khedia would play as a DM and alonso would play as a defensive CM/attcking DM (hope that makes sense) and spray passes everywhere (deep lying play maker)

and then Kaka if fit it not Ozil would play as an AM and try get into the space behind biscuits and infront of the defence and look for a killer ball through to any of the front 3

i picked CR7 in the middle because i like his pace which would make him a good target to chase down from long balls from alonso or through balls from Kaka, also hes strong enough to hold up the ball and give time for someone to make a run past him etc etc

then out wide benz and hig would mostly play up and down the line most the game looking to pick it up from deep as part of the build up and also look to get balls into the box for CR7 but also drift infield for whatever

and in defense i think you should play high pressure, get in their face and dont give them the space to pass the ball all day

Alot of problems in your xi

Your taking away alot of starters (Di Maria, Özil) especially Di Maria who was one of our best attackers against barca. If I would play 4-2-1-3 I'd pick


I actually think that one is a good xi

maverick wrote:I still think you won't be able to beat them this season

we beat them last season,why not this one?

Beating Barca is not the point, Winning Liga and the UCL is. We could of won Liga with ease if we only lost to Barca last season...

If Mou is gonna go with the same tactic of being more defensive then I would play:


Ramos-----------------Pepe----------------Varane/Carvalho--------------Marcelo


------------Khedira------------------Alonso------------------------Sahin-------------


Di maria-------------------------------Ronaldo-----------------------------Coentrao-

Everyone on that team can defend apart from Ronaldo. Unbreakable defense if we parked the bus (Of course I hope we dont).

I still agree that we should play cannavaro...

Ramos--------Pepe--------Varane--------Coentrao/Marcelo

Alonso-------------Kheidira

Ozil--------------Di Maria

Ronaldo----------Benzema/Higuain

They need to control possession, and not go the ultra conservative route of Mourinho last year, people praised mourinho for what?...stiffling Barca by putting on 7 defensive minded players?...Strong defensive core (Varane will grow in to the role) Kheidira and Alonso controlling the midfield, it's very difficult to stop Barca's short passes, Ozil and Di Maria have to spread the ball (Di Maria wouldn't be my ideal selection for the role but there is no one else) and Ronaldo has to be ahead of Ozil, because Ozil is a better passer than Di Maria. This team would do well in a mix of counter attacking and quick possession football, only way to beat Barca is to go and them.

-----------------Iker
Ramos---Pepe---Carvalho---Marcelo
---------------Coentrao
----Sahin/Ozil-----------Xabi
--Di Maria/Ozil--Higuain--CR

The key to this game is workrate (see Pepe vs. Barcelona) so for me it would be logical to play a midfield with the ywo hardest working players, pepe and fabio

------------------Casillas------------------
Arbeloa-----Ramos------Carvalho---Marcelo
--------------Pepe-----Coentrao-----------
-------------------Xabi--------------------
-----Ozil------------------------Ronaldo---
-----------------Higuain-------------------

I feel some of us here are getting obsessed, there is still a lot of matches left before we face them, a lot can change between now and then, I'll rather discuss them when the next match we play is against them. Until then we can only train to become better than last year.

I'll want to quote Jose Mourinho's words at a preseason press conference.

A great team cannot choose which championship it would rather win. We won the Copa del Rey last season, but we know the Champions League and La Liga are important and we will try to win them also. Small details make all the difference between winning and losing titles. Usually the more prepared you are the greater the possibilities. I hope those small details are on our side. We can only promise we will continue to work hard.

I like that quote from Mourinho. Realistic and grounded, good stuff...