El Classico Barcelona and Real Madrid Tonight SS1

KdjaCL

I be watching Patselona in the Flansiro so will miss this.

http://www.eurosport.com/football/la-liga/2006-2007/sport_sto1110774.shtml

Excellent article about the derby.


Ronnie a doubt Carlos and Cannavaro out for madrid.



kdjac

eirebhoy

I bet it ends 0-0. Nice weekend with Inter-AC and Celtic-Rangers tomorrow.

ro2

Beers at the ready! Viva Barca!!

ro2

0-1 Real. Capello breathes again.

bazzman

and it was scored from outside the box by ruud!!!!!

ro2

1-1 Messi. Nicely done.

PHB

Ha, whoever isn't watching this is really missing out.
Peno, with Ruud to score I'm sure
But who knows :P

ro2

1-2 Real. Van Nistelrooy penno. Oleguer you muppet!

bazzman

2-1 ruud peno

kaisersose77

just posted over in the foreign satellite section

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=52886879#post52886879

this match is free to air in HD on 5w, looks amazing

ro2

2-2 Messi. Get in there!

bazzman

2-2 messi, wat a game

PHB

Oh this is a good game

opr

Get in Messi

Have 3 quid on him at 100-1 to score a hatric :eek:

Opr

PiE

Well he just missed a gold plated chance.

ro2

Great first half from Oleguer, gives away a penno, then gets sent off!

Collie D

Only just in, sounds like a cracker, please tell me it's only HT?

Collie D

Collie D wrote:

Only just in, sounds like a cracker, please tell me it's only HT?

Never mind, semingly endless ad break just finished

jesus_thats_gre

That was the most insane half of football I think I have ever seen. Tragic really.

Mossy Monk

god ****ing damn it. forgot about it

Mossy Monk

3-2 Madrid

Collie D

Just when I was thinking the goals had dries up.

Barca 2 Madrid 3

Bateman

That goal was coming, although the way Valdez was playing it might never have.

Bateman

LOL, there's always one.

PHB

Who doesn't love football
What a comeback, again and again and again.
Barca really did incredibly to get something out of this game, in defence they were shocking, Real really shoulda put it away

opr

Messsssssssssssssssssssssi 100-1 !!!!!!

Opr

Collie D

Go collect your money, opr. Messi hat-trick to make it 3-3 in injury time. Skips past two or three tackles (not that commited ones in fairness) and a perfect shot across the keeper, such a pity we didn't see more of this lad in the World Cup - a joy to watch on the ball

ro2

opr wrote:

Messsssssssssssssssssssssi 100-1 !!!!!!

Opr

The beers are on you!

Collie D

Pissed off I missed the first half. No Premiership today but two great games on TV, the Middlesbrough - Man U was a nice piece of eye-candy too

Mossy Monk

great 3rd goal. pissed off i missed 70 odd minutes of it :mad:

Tusky

opr wrote:

Get in Messi

Have 3 quid on him at 100-1 to score a hatric :eek:

Opr

!!!!

eirebhoy

opr wrote:

Get in Messi

Have 3 quid on him at 100-1 to score a hatric :eek:

Opr

Well done mate!

county

opr wrote:

Get in Messi

Have 3 quid on him at 100-1 to score a hatric :eek:

Opr

nice one:)

DaBreno

Fabulous game, about time we had a match that lived up to the description 'Grand'. What a performance by the two keepers. Casillias as impressive as ever, Valdes did his Spain chances no harm at all. Messi is a mighty little player to watch, far better than Madrids eqivalent Robinhio whos little more than a show pony. He will be moved next season.

The commentators made a good point about Barca, they have some of the best players in the world but some the biggest egos too. If Rijkaard remains, some of them will have to go with Eto leading the queue. Capello will surely be given a few bob to leave Madrid.

Space Coyote

Crackin' game. First half was insane! Capello will be tearing his hair out, Real should have been far more positive when Barca went a man down. The win was there for the taking.

Very well done opr ! Great bet to win

eirebhoy

DaBreno wrote:

Fabulous game, about time we had a match that lived up to the description 'Grand'.

If premiership teams all decided to play 3 at the back like Barca we'd see much better games in England. It's not gonna happen though. I doubt Rijkaard will continue with that formation.

Raskolnikov

DaBreno wrote:

If Rijkaard remains, some of them will have to go with Eto leading the queue.

It's almost certain that he will leave, he's said as much. I can't say I blame him, the team is rapidly turning into a circus now that Laporta is interfering from above.

To be honest, other than Eto'oo and Ronaldinho, the team is fairly stable.

PHB

I hope United go for Eto if he does get sold, really great player.

DaBreno

PHB wrote:

I hope United go for Eto if he does get sold, really great player.

So Do I. He's a headcase. Himself and Rooney would send Fergie into retirement.

MisterAnarchy

Great game ,great entertainment,and what a contrast to the drab affair of the Utd-Liverpool derby last weekend.
Havent enjoyed a match as much in a long time.

KdjaCL

Going to watch the repeat now


kdjac

jesus_thats_gre

Could be arsed watching the second half to be honest. It was an exciting match but it is sad that some of the best footballers in the world play for either of those teams at the moment. Against any sort of quality opposition or a tactically astute manager, both would be easily defeated. The pinacle of world football my ass. At least Real have an excuse for being pretty poor too.

KdjaCL

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

Could be arsed watching the second half to be honest. It was an exciting match but it is sad that some of the best footballers in the world play for either of those teams at the moment. Against any sort of quality opposition or a tactically astute manager, both would be easily defeated. The pinacle of world football my ass. At least Real have an excuse for being pretty poor too.

Odd point of view, you would rather see attacking players like Ronnie Messi etc in a team like Liverpool devoid of attacking impetus but plenty of tactical awareness and hard work.



kdjac

jesus_thats_gre

KdjaCL wrote:

Odd point of view, you would rather see attacking players like Ronnie Messi etc in a team like Liverpool devoid of attacking impetus but plenty of tactical awareness and hard work.

I would love to see players like Messi, Ronaldhinio and Eto' playing for a balanced team that can play good football that opens up the opposition while also being able to keep a clean sheet against an incredibly average Real team. In recent years, Arsenal are the perfect example of playing very good attacking football while also being able to work as a unit to defend and maintain a clean sheet.

Football is not just about attacking football. You have to play to your strengths but it is somewhat foolish abandoning some of the basic fundamentals of football in order to be able to say that you are an exciting team. Being the best is all about being able to get the balance right. Barcelona do not have the balance anywhere near right, gung ho springs to mind.

Messi, Ronaldhinio and Eto's are top quality players but it seems that the whole Barcelona set up is geared towards giving them what they want (the ball and all out attacking football) without expecting much back from them in return (like defending or hard work).

It is no coincidence that Valencia put Inter out (perceived as a better team) and Real and Barcelona were put out by Bayern and Liverpool respectively (both perceived as weaker teams). Fair enough, Inter are far more organised than Real or Barca and it is nearly an insult to use them to prove my point. As the great Johnny Giles will tell you, hard work, tactical awareness and good players will generally beat a lazy team who's onlty tactic is all out attack with world class players.

Jesus a relatively ok Liverpool team with an exceptional defence but who were incapable of keeping possession managed control a large portions of play over two legs and were more of a threat to Barca than Bara were to them.

PHB

As the great Johnny Giles will tell you, hard work, tactical awareness and good players will generally beat a lazy team who's onlty tactic is all out attack with world class players.

A balance is possible.
A hard-working team will normally beat an unbalanced all out attackign team, but a balanced attacking team will normally win.
Just look at Barca last year

eirebhoy

You have to ask if someone like Ronaldo would be playing so well if he had to spend half the match tracking back. Ancelotti said 7 players should be enough to do the defending. The 3 attackers should stay forward and wait for the break. I know with Celtic they rarely get a chance to break as McGeady and Naka will be in their own half defending. Let the attackers have a break while the others are working hard, it works.

Barca are a different story. I never rated Puyol or Marquez highly. Playing 3 at the back is never going to work.

jesus_thats_gre

PHB wrote:

A balance is possible.
A hard-working team will normally beat an unbalanced all out attackign team, but a balanced attacking team will normally win.
Just look at Barca last year

I don't disagree, that was my point about Arsenal in recent years when they had the balance right. My point is that while that match last night was entertaining to watch, it was not exactly the pinacle of world football that some would like to think it it is. Certainly not right now anyway. Barca an excellent attacking team with an appalling defense and a lazy worth ethic.

jesus_thats_gre

eirebhoy wrote:

You have to ask if someone like Ronaldo would be playing so well if he had to spend half the match tracking back.

This is what I meant about Messi etc. The team is nearly set up to make them look good. I don't mean that in a negative way as such but how can a very attacking minded and skilled player not excel in an environment like Barca where they have little or no responsibility to defend and the team play all out attack.

Going down a danagerous road with that argument though but its like comparing Gerard for Liverpool and Lampard at Chelsea for the last few years. There are so many arguments in favour and against both players