Xerez CD v FC Barcelona - Live SS2 9PM

redout

This is the rearranged fixture originally due to take place on the weekend of Dec 19th/20th to make up for Barcelona inclusion in the FIFA Club World Cup. This game could prove vital as a victory would open a 5 point gap at the top over eternal rivals Real Madrid.

redout

redout

Laporta livin la vida loca after El Clásico on sunday night. It was his last game as president for El Clásico at the Camp Nou before he steps down. I went the Canaletes myself

redout

Barca lineup:

Valdes, Alves, Marquez, Chygrynskiy, Maxwell, Touré, Xavi, Keita, Pedro, Bojan, Henry

redout

redout wrote: »

Barca lineup:

Valdes, Alves, Marquez, Chygrynskiy, Maxwell, Touré, Xavi, Keita, Pedro, Bojan, Henry

No Messi or Iniesta?

gimmick

Both being rested. This is seen to be one of the most straightforward games of the season.

I like that starting 3. Good to see Bojan starting, and if Henry is poor again tonight I reckon we will not see him in the starting XI for quite sometime again.

That team should be able to easily dispose of Xerez.

redout

Any United supporters watching take a close look at the Xerez keeper Renan. He is on a seasons loan from Valencia. He was top class last season and could be a possible succesor to Julio Cesar in the Brazil team.

gimmick

The pitch is bloody awful. Poor game so far. Neither side have any flow.

redout

Opening half an hour has been quite rubbish.

gimmick

That was AWFUL. Worst 45 minutes I have seen Barca play in a long while. Everyone was crap.

Better go nuts in the 2nd half.

JPA

Bring on Iniesta, Zlatan and Messi at half time!

redout

Goal..........

1 - 0

Le Cheat

fillmore jive

Henry goal.


He's still dirt tbh.

gimmick

Then a Henry comes along, with the strength to carry on.

Allez Titi

redout

Here comes GoD or close enough

gimmick

Christ, Chryginsky continues to look an extremely poor signing.

Headshot

gimmick wrote: »

Christ, Chryginsky continues to look an extremely poor signing.

my god how much was he ?

if you believe the newspapers it was 25 million

ye are really silly in the transfer market

redout

Ibra on the way.

Give Chyg time I say.

Headshot

redout wrote: »

Give Chyg time I say.

what a pass by him :pac:

redout

Iniesta!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a miss

redout

Goal............

2 - 0

Ibracadabra

Nice lob

Le King

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

redout

It wasnt pretty at times but job done.

5 points clear at the summit.

Pressure on Real now.

gimmick

Ya, job done, 5 points clear, but it was a terrible terrible game.

Sorry to sound like a downer, but if there were good strikers up against Chryg and Maxwell they would be destroyed. Both were quite awful tonight.

Also annoyed by the fact that the big 3 had to be taken off the bench to assure tonights result. Xerez are a poor side who should have been brushed aside by the starting XI tonight. If Barca have a few injuries and suspensions it could be very costly.

On a high note, what a fantastic finish from the 'waster' that is Ibra. Sublime.

redout

They were without 6 regulars though.

Most top teams would show a lesser performance.

mayordenis

You have to remember that's it not just losing the 5 or 6 players that weren't involved today and replacing them directly but also the team won't gel.
I know you guys subscribe to a higher plain of footballing but 2-0 by hook or by crook is not to be scoffed at.

Ush1

gimmick wrote: »

Ya, job done, 5 points clear, but it was a terrible terrible game.

Sorry to sound like a downer, but if there were good strikers up against Chryg and Maxwell they would be destroyed. Both were quite awful tonight.

Also annoyed by the fact that the big 3 had to be taken off the bench to assure tonights result. Xerez are a poor side who should have been brushed aside by the starting XI tonight. If Barca have a few injuries and suspensions it could be very costly.

On a high note, what a fantastic finish from the 'waster' that is Ibra. Sublime.

In saying that a team missing Messi and Ibra destroyed Inter 2 nil, the strongest team in Italy. Just not the best night at the office against Xerez.

gimmick

redout wrote: »

They were without 6 regulars though.

Most top teams would show a lesser performance.

But isn't that what a squad is for though?

Obviously I am delighted with 3 points, and delighted with 2 nice goals. It could have been more but for a bad finsih by Iniesta and the post. Allt hings considered I suppose there is nothing to complain about.

fillmore jive

Missing 5 or 6 key players for most of the match, just had the biggest match of the season last weekend so players are probably still wrecked from that and a huge match away to Deportivo this weekend, plus still need to guarantee a Champions League place next week: when you take all that into account it's not really surpising that they didn't play their best last night but 0-2 is still a good result.

redout

gimmick wrote: »

But isn't that what a squad is for though?

Obviously I am delighted with 3 points, and delighted with 2 nice goals. It could have been more but for a bad finsih by Iniesta and the post. Allt hings considered I suppose there is nothing to complain about.

I dont think the bench is capable of handling so many absences and to expect anywhere near the same level of performance to be honest. If you do a like for like from last night it reads:

Abidal - Maxwell
Pique - Marquez
Puyol - Chyg
Busquets - Toure
Ibra - Henry
Messi - Pedro

I think every position was weakened bar the DMF so I really wasnt surprised they struggled so much. It was the same against Atletic Bilbao I think with a few abscenes. I never feel overly confident when Pep mixes it up that much.

gimmick

fillmore jive wrote: »

Missing 5 or 6 key players for most of the match, just had the biggest match of the season last weekend so players are probably still wrecked from that and a huge match away to Deportivo this weekend, plus still need to guarantee a Champions League place next week: when you take all that into account it's not really surpising that they didn't play their best last night but 0-2 is still a good result.

Ya, I just came back on to post almost the exact same actually having thought about it reasonably and not in the crappy form I was in last night/this morning.

redout wrote:

I think every position was weakened bar the DMF so I really wasnt surprised they struggled so much. It was the same against Atletic Bilbao I think with a few abscenes. I never feel overly confident when Pep mixes it up that much.

Again, very fair point.

Ush1

redout wrote: »

I dont think the bench is capable of handling so many absences and to expect anywhere near the same level of performance to be honest. If you do a like for like from last night it reads:

Abidal - Maxwell
Pique - Marquez
Puyol - Chyg
Busquets - Toure
Ibra - Henry
Messi - Pedro

I think every position was weakened bar the DMF so I really wasnt surprised they struggled so much. It was the same against Atletic Bilbao I think with a few abscenes. I never feel overly confident when Pep mixes it up that much.

It's unreasonable to think any team in the world can make those types of changes and not be weakened, if that was the case, they would be starters and not on the bench.

I think conditions were difficult last night and also as said, they've played big games and still have big games to come so, job done!

eZe^

Absolutely dire match tbf, but delighted with the three points. I hate when Guardiola does this no CF thing, I remember Bojan being deployed too much on the right side, and once Ibra came on you could see the difference. His hold up play rivals Freddie Kanoute at Sevilla, absolutely fantabulous. Nicely taken goal too.

LOL @ Iniesta's miss too. Anyway, bad game, bad performance, 3 points, another away fixture knocked off the calender. Just stop with the 4-6 formation Pep, it makes me scared. It'll be interesting to see if we buy another proper striker in the transfer window, we have quite a thin squad, and if Ibra gets injured we lose 40% of our attacking efficiency imo.