UEFA Super Cup: Barcelona vs Porto

UEFA Super CUP 2011

Friday, 26 August, 2011
Barcelona vs Porto @ 8:45PM (Barcelona Time)


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Barca Training Report ( Tuesday, 23/8/2011)

- Pique Injured & will miss Uefa Super Cup match on friday according to "tv3"!
- Sanchez & Maxwell trained normally with the Group..
- Puyol & Afellay still recovering!

http://www.fcbarcelona.cat/web/english/noticies/futbol/temporada11-12/08/23/n110823118889.html

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Injury List:

-OFFICIAL: Pique Out for 3 Weeks!
Pique has a muscle injury in his left calf and will be out for around 3 weeks
http://www.fcbarcelona.com/web/catala/noticies/futbol/temporada11-12/08/23/n110823118892.html

- Puyol should be back in mid-september!

Ramon Cugat (doctor): "Puyol will be back in 3 weeks, mid-September. He still can play for several years at the highest level."

"As for injuries, it's better for Cesc to be at Barça. He didn't have serious injuries but the work at Arsenal didn't help."

http://www.as.com/futbol/articulo/doctor-cugat-puyol-volvera-jugar/20110822dasdasftb_41/Tes



- Afellay should be fit in first or 2nd week of September! (10-15 days)!

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`STATS:

Previous Matches between Barca & Porto

UEFA Champions League
07.03.2000 FC Porto 0-2 Barcelona
01.03.2000 Barcelona 4-2 FC Porto
27.04.1994 Barcelona 3-0 FC Porto

European Champions Cup
06.11.1985 FC Porto 3-1 Barcelona
23.10.1985 Barcelona 2-0 FC Porto
(Barcelona won on away goals)

UEFA Cup
29.09.1972 Barcelona 0-1 FC Porto
20.09.1972 FC Porto 3-1 Barcelona

- Wins:
Barca: 4
Porto : 3

- Draw: 0

-Goals:
Barca: 13
Porto: 9

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`Barca Results in European Super Cup / UEFA Super Cup

Winners (3): 1992, 1997, 2009
Runners-up (4): 1979, 1982, 1989, 2006

Since Pique & Puyol are Out (both for 3 weeks)!

What is your lineup & score predictions ?

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Valdes

Alves Masch Abidal Adriano

Xavi Busq Iniesta

Pedro/Sanchez Messi Villa

should I start worrying with all these injuries?

puyol and pique out is not good

i can see abidal and adriano having a rough time against Hulk on that right flank

billy_gr wrote:should I start worrying with all these injuries?

puyol and pique out is not good

no worries..

Masch, Abidal & Fontas to the rescue

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`Upcoming Matches (August & September): "not including CL matches"

- UEFA Super Cup Final Fri 26 Aug @ 20:45
FC Barcelona vs Porto

- League (Week 02) Mon 29 Aug @ 21:00 "postponed until now"
FC Barcelona vs Villarreal CF

- Week 03 Sun 11 Sep
R.Sociedad vs FC Barcelona

- Week 04 Sun 18 Sep (?)
FC Barcelona vs Osasuna

- Week 05 Wed 21 Sep
Valencia CF vs FC Barcelona

- Week 06 Sun 25 Sep
FC Barcelona vs At.Madrid

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CL Groupstage matches:

`Matchday
1 : 13-14 September (?)
2 : 27-28 September
3 : 18-19 October
4 : 1-2 November
5 : 22-23 November
6 : 6-7 December 2011


Pique & Puyol should be fit for Osasuna Clash!!

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No Villareal match on monday?

No deal has been found during a new meeting between the clubs and the players today. The Liga strike for this weekend is still on. A new meeting between the associations of the players and the clubs has been scheduled for tomorrow. [spanish sites]

Mascherano and Abidal are world class CBs imo

Alves Mache Abidal Adriano >>>>>>>> Ramos Carvalho Pepe Marcelo

Masch and Abidal, depending on his fitness. Otherwise Masch and Fontas would also do quite well together, from what I gather about Fontas they seem to compliment each other.

Fontassssss! + Masch!!!! Abi in the left!!

What happened to pique exactly? Was in the gamper?

I'll back Fontas as long as he's not alongside a slowpoke. Thing is... Adriano is a beast... I'd like him to play too...

Really looking forward to this game and it's being shown live on TV immediately after the UCL draw which again I am really looking forward to. Not to mention the Uefa club awards will happen at the same time. Hence there are three things to look forward to during that time.

messixaviesta wrote:Really looking forward to this game and it's being shown live on TV immediately after the UCL draw which again I am really looking forward to. Not to mention the Uefa club awards will happen at the same time. Hence there are three things to look forward to during that time.

Ten sports or ten action?

The entire FC Barcelona squad will go to Monaco, including the injured/suspended players. Also B-teamers Oier, Bartra, Dos Santos & Cuenca!

- Sanchez recovered & will be available on Friday!
- Pique, Puyol, Maxwell & Afellay Injured
- Pinto Suspended!

http://www.totalbarca.com/2011/news/wednesday-training-alexis-cleared-to-play/

http://www.fcbarcelona.com/web/catala/noticies/futbol/temporada11-12/08/24/n110824118908.html

messixaviesta wrote:Really looking forward to this game and it's being shown live on TV immediately after the UCL draw which again I am really looking forward to. Not to mention the Uefa club awards will happen at the same time. Hence there are three things to look forward to during that time.

The game will be played on Friday while the draw is on Thursday hence almost 24 hours difference between the two events, no ?

2 important things I think Pep surely had to pick out from Porto and stop.

1. Hulk will come deep but even more dangerously, come rght along the touchline. He will drag the leftback over with him and Guarin is a total master at making runs off the ball from midfield. He is big, tall, strong and pretty fast and the space in between our leftback and leftcenterback he will dive into while someone from deeper midfielder or Hulk himself will slide the ball in that channel. Porto score many goals this way.

2. A big feature of Porto is the in their 433, they aggresion of the wing players. Both Hulk and Varela/Cristian Rodriquez will sprint hard to the back post for any ball coming in from the opponsite side. The amount of tap ins the get from this play is quite staggering.

The Franchise wrote:2 important things I think Pep surely had to pick out from Porto and stop.

1. Hulk will come deep but even more dangerously, come rght along the touchline. He will drag the leftback over with him and Guarin is a total master at making runs off the ball from midfield. He is big, tall, strong and pretty fast and the space in between our leftback and leftcenterback he will dive into while someone from deeper midfielder or Hulk himself will slide the ball in that channel. Porto score many goals this way.

2. A big feature of Porto is the in their 433, they aggresion of the wing players. Both Hulk and Varela/Cristian Rodriquez will sprint hard to the back post for any ball coming in from the opponsite side. The amount of tap ins the get from this play is quite staggering.

Just make 80% posseion and don't worry

Just to clarify, I’m not worried for the game specifically but in general.
I do want Puyol back period

----------------------vv-------------------
----dani--------abi----masch-----adriano-----
--------------xavi-------busi------iniesta-----
--------------------------cesc-----------------
--------------------messi------villa------------

Is this a 4-4-2 diamond you have on your mind?
I don’t think it will be like this

kind of .i count on dani and adriano to provide the width.dont think it will be a problem if our wingbacks function properly

I don’t like the idea of having less than 3 fwrds no matter the formation anyway.

To me something like:

--------------------VV-------------------------
Alves-----Masch---Abidal---Adriano

Xavi ------ Buchi ------- Iniesta

Alexis -----Villa-------Pedro


Would be fine.
Let Fabregas and Leo come on second half and do their thing

Guardiola: “It’s an excellent final”

Pep Guardiola has nothing but praise for Porto, Barça’s opponent in the European Supercup, and doesn’t want the shortage of defenders or the poor state of the pitch to serve as excuses.

“It is an excellent final between two teams that deserve it” said Guardiola in his pre-match press conference. “We won the right to be here by winning the Champions League, and that’s what counts. We have had just enough time to prepare. At first we were worried about getting ready for the Spanish Supercup and having this game so soon after”.

Guardiola didn’t want to rue on the absence of his centre backs Puyol and Piqué, nor the state of the pitch in the Louis II. “We are lucky to be here and we have to think of the difficulties as a challenge. We always get through and we have to make sure this time is no exception”.

Porto, a very strong team

The Barça manager has also had a good look at Friday’s opponent. “They are a team that comes at you with intensity, they play well up front and all know how to play good football. There is a lot of sense to what they do. We’d love to do the things they do … They change players and managers and keep on winning. Last year they won the league without losing a match. It’s a very strong team, in all senses, they are well put together. We’ll have to perform very well to beat them”.

Enjoyment and suffering

As for his own team’s approach, he said “we always go out one hundred per cent. When you play in finals you wonder if you’ll ever get the chance again. In part we have to enjoy it and in part we have to suffer.” As for fitness, he said “we are better than we were ten days ago but poorer than we will be ten days from now. You can’t expect to be at your peak at this stage because there’s a lot of competition ahead. If we were able to overcome such a tough test as Madrid then we have to go into tomorrow’s match believing we can win it”.

Surprised about Montoya

It was announced today that Martín Montoya has been picked to play for Spain. Said the FCB manager, “I was surprised. For a B team player to be picked for the national team is a very nice surprise. I know they’ll treat him well and he won’t feel alone”.

http://www.fcbarcelona.cat/web/english/noticies/futbol/temporada11-12/08/25/n110825118918.html

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Fàbregas eager to continue Barcelona gold rush

Already at home after arriving from Arsenal FC, it took Cesc Fàbregas 48 hours to secure his first trophy at FC Barcelona and ten days later he takes on FC Porto for another: the UEFA Super Cup.

Cesc Fàbregas needed little introduction to his new team-mates when he returned at FC Barcelona from Arsenal FC, but that has not diminished excitement ahead of his first big trip with the side.

It is less than a fortnight since the Spain midfielder made his long-awaited €35m return to the Camp Nou. It took all of 48 hours to collect his first silverware for the club, coming on as a substitute in the second leg of Barcelona's Spanish Super Cup victory over Real Madrid CF. Now a meeting with FC Porto in Monaco on Friday is all that separates him from UEFA Super Cup success – not a bad start for a player who did not win a title in his last six seasons in north London.

"I came to Barça to get better, to compete and obviously to win titles," he said on the eve of the game. "It's down to the achievement of last year's side but I'm lucky enough to be part of this team now and would like to thank my fellow players for their magnificent season last year.

"Hopefully we'll be run out winners. We're in good shape and with this team you give your all and fight to the end. It's important everyone trusts each other, but I've also noticed that there's great humility in this side."

That self-effacement seldom brings reward to opposing sides, but it has helped Fàbregas settle in immediately. Of course, his six years as an academy player at La Masia up to 2003 meant he was no stranger to the club.

"I knew 90% of the players and that made it very easy for me," he said. "It's a pleasure to be part of this great club and this great team. [Against Real Madrid] they were constantly talking to me, telling me what movements they were making; I immediately felt comfortable, at ease."

It is almost as if Fàbregas never left, though he betrayed affections when conversation turns to Arsenal, and his delight after "we" went through to the UEFA Champions League group stage. A question about Porto's attributes retrained his thoughts.

"They are similar to us and like to keep the ball," he said. "[In last season's UEFA Europa League semi-finals] against Villarreal, one of the best teams in Spain, they scored [seven] goals. They can do some serious damage if you make a mistake." Barcelona do not make many.

http://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/news/newsid=1667733.html#fabregas+eager+continue+barcelona+gold+rush

kiranr wrote:
Ten sports or ten action?

Ten Action - 99%

James0311 wrote:
The game will be played on Friday while the draw is on Thursday hence almost 24 hours difference between the two events, no ?

You are right. I didn't know that when I made my post. I thought they would happen one after another. Also I didn't know that the Uefa Club Awards have stopped which disappoints me.

How has Sanchez done since his arrival ?