La Liga - Week 17

Headshot

redout wrote: »

Mallorca took more points at the Bernabéu in the past decade than any other team including Barcelona! Mallorca are also Florentino Perez bogey team from his first spell in charge. So if history is anything to guy by we could be in for a shock.

wow

did not know that

i feel better now about my bet

Football Matches
Spanish La Liga Matches
Real Madrid v Mallorca
10th of Jan 2010 6:00 pm
Double Chance
Mallorca And Draw @ 13/5

Bukman13

redout wrote: »

Mallorca took more points at the Bernabéu in the past decade than any other team including Barcelona! Mallorca are also Florentino Perez bogey team from his first spell in charge. So if history is anything to guy by we could be in for a shock.

Yea, I read that the other day, cant remember where though. I can still see a Real win though.

redout

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

1 - 0

Higuain

World class finish.

Bukman13

redout wrote: »

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

1 - 0

Higuain

World class finish.

Chaps on fire this season!!!

Underrated by a lot of people!!!

Mr Maroon

Fantastic goal by Higuain.

redout

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

2 - 0

Granero

redout

FC Barcelona lineup:
VALDÉS; ALVES, PUYOL, MÁRQUEZ, MAXWELL; BUSQUETS, XAVI, INIESTA; MESSI, HENRY, BOJAN

CR 7

redout wrote: »

FC Barcelona lineup:
VALDÉS; ALVES, PUYOL, MÁRQUEZ, MAXWELL; BUSQUETS, XAVI, INIESTA; MESSI, HENRY, BOJAN

What time's kick-off? Or even, what's a good source for la liga fixtures? Teach a cat to fish......

redout

Park Ji Sung wrote: »

What time's kick-off? Or even, what's a good source for la liga fixtures? Teach a cat to fish......

Kick-off is at 8pm

Fixtures: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/spain_results/fixtures/default.stm

mayordenis

Tenerife will definately rue the missed chance

JPA

Messi messi messi

Barca one up.

mayordenis

quite undeserved

JPA

mayordenis wrote: »

quite undeserved

2-0 now although Barcelona aren't themselves.

mayordenis

3-0 now messi again

redout

This game is well and truly over.

3 - 0 HT

Messi x2
Puyol

JPA

Bojan has set up Messi twice, did the difficult bit of both his goals.
He is playing well.

yahoo_moe

That's a great goal - first time they've looked really sharp. Brilliant from Iniesta.

I do wonder about Barca this year... they'll be top again tonight but they just don't have the same rhythm as last year. Although if they a clear run with no injuries, it might just all click.

Either way, should be a stroll second half.

JPA

Where is Pique BTW?

mayordenis

yahoo_moe wrote: »

That's a great goal - first time they've looked really sharp. Brilliant from Iniesta.

I do wonder about Barca this year... they'll be top again tonight but they just don't have the same rhythm as last year. Although if they a clear run with no injuries, it might just all click.

Either way, should be a stroll second half.

World Club Cup does tend to send teams out of sync.

Ush1

The Lionel Messi show goes on....

mayordenis

JPA wrote: »

Where is Pique BTW?

Ballague just talking about it now, talking bout it being a tactical decision, he's on the bench.

7-0 anyone?

redout

mayordenis wrote: »

World Club Cup does tend to send teams out of sync.

No brother. They have been like this all season long. Just look nowhere near the level of last year. Saying that they are still top and the only major side in Europe to remain unbeaten in the league.

mayordenis

redout wrote: »

No brother. They have been like this all season long. Just look nowhere near the level of last year. Saying that they are still top and the only major side in Europe to remain unbeaten in the league.

That's fair but if I'm honest I can't remember seeing them as bad as they were midweek or during the opening 20 or so tonight

JPA

mayordenis wrote: »

Ballague just talking about it now, talking bout it being a tactical decision, he's on the bench.

7-0 anyone?

He's not on the bench.

Ush1

Maxwell is playing well.
Bojan I'm still not sure about but he done fantastic with the 2 assists.
Busquets and Marquez......not so good.

yahoo_moe

redout wrote: »

They have been like this all season long. Just look nowhere near the level of last year.

Absolutely.

Saying that they are still top and the only major side in Europe to remain unbeaten in the league.

Yup... but am I the only one who thinks that almost makes them more vulnerable to a meltdown? They've made terrible hard work of a lot of their matches this year and for some reason, I reckon a little wobble could really set them back. Anyway, I dunno, we'll see as the season goes on... might just be the Arsenal fan in me thinking back to the year after the Invincibles

redout

In non related la liga news.

Watching football in HD just makes you never wanna go back!

Oh and the Juve supporters are at to starting a fire in the stadium! (they trail Milan 2-0)

mayordenis

redout wrote: »

Oh and the Juve supporters are at to starting a fire in the stadium! (they trail Milan 2-0)

jaysus the smoke is riciulous, can't see a thing in the Juve half.(3 now)

redout

yahoo_moe wrote: »

Yup... but am I the only one who thinks that almost makes them more vulnerable to a meltdown? They've made terrible hard work of a lot of their matches this year and for some reason, I reckon a little wobble could really set them back. Anyway, I dunno, we'll see as the season goes on... might just be the Arsenal fan in me thinking back to the year after the Invincibles

They have been close to defeat twice this season were many would argue they were fortunate to get a draw. The first would have been the draw with Valencia who if only Villa had been playing no doubt would have emerged the victor. Then secondly I would go with last weekend against Villarreal. Puyol cleared of the line in the dieing minutes but Villarreal looked a danger every time they attacked. They are also playing different to last season. Last season had Henry, Eto'o and Messi practically every game. This year Eto'o is gone, Henry doesnt feature as much and Pedro ad Ibra have come into the team.

redout

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

4 - 0

Messi hat-trick.

mayordenis

sexual messi

JPA

redout wrote: »

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

4 - 0

And a fantastic finish it was, hattrick for Messi.
And a hattrick of assists for him by Bojan.

redout

redout wrote: »

They have been close to defeat twice this season were many would argue they were fortunate to get a draw. The first would have been the draw with Valencia who if only Villa had been playing no doubt would have emerged the victor. Then secondly I would go with last weekend against Villarreal. Puyol cleared of the line in the dieing minutes but Villarreal looked a danger every time they attacked. They are also playing different to last season. Last season had Henry, Eto'o and Messi practically every game. This year Eto'o is gone, Henry doesnt feature as much and Pedro ad Ibra have come into the team.

Also the Espanyol game comes to mind were Barca earned victory with a highly disputable penalty.

Ush1

mayordenis wrote: »

sexual messi

Pretty much, was actually jumping out of me seat before I saw the net swirling.

Ush1

And before we forget, Valdes was excellent!:D

yahoo_moe

redout wrote: »

They have been close to defeat twice this season were many would argue they were fortunate to get a draw.

Yup, lucky last week alright and they made tough work of their away matches around November too, drawing more than might have been expected.

They are also playing different to last season. Last season had Henry, Eto'o and Messi practically every game. This year Eto'o is gone, Henry doesnt feature as much and Pedro ad Ibra have come into the team.

Yeah, definite change. I think their goals have started coming from a smaller group of players too, which is dangerous. Obviously a player like Xavi can still pop up and take a chance, but this season it's very much been Messi and Ibra getting the goals, with Pedro supporting.

I know the numbers will show that Keita, say, has chipped in as well but in the games where they struggle a bit, they've generally relied on Messi (like tonight) or Ibra (who's had to come off the bench a few times when they might've wanted to rest him totally) to save them.

mayordenis

absolute magic from pedro

own goal actually

Glico Man

What a goal from Pedrito

Great control. He has to go to the World Cup

JPA

5-0.

Let's keep discussing their poor form,

CR 7

mayordenis wrote: »

absolute magic from pedro

own goal actually

Yeah, pity it was an own goal, he was probably about to do the exact same thing. He deserved to score after that bit of magic, thought the chance was gone.

PHB

Wow Messi, just wow. That's an unreal performance, especially the last finish. Iniesta was also outstanding, oustanding.

JPA

PHB wrote: »

Wow Messi, just wow. That's an unreal performance, especially the last finish. Iniesta was also outstanding, oustanding.

Bojan was excellent as well. Best I have seen from him in a long time.

gimmick

I'm just going to barge right in and ask what it is exactly people want exactly? last years oerformances are simply un sustainable, if for bno other reason, if a team plays the exact same way for a prolonged period of time, other teams get wise to the tactics and stifle them.

As it stands, Barca are 2 points clear of Real on top, and last 16 of the Champions league, having lost 2 games all season. I will not write Barca off against Sevilla Wednesday either in the Copa, as Sevilla really are in a horrid run of form and last nights tonking of Tenerife will do wonders for confidence, espcially for Bojan, who I thought was immense last night, best player apart from Messi in fact.

I think people have this ideal about Barcelona, that every game should see 2 goals in the opening 20 and sexy stylish football for the remainder while running in another few more handy goals for good measure. Fact is, teams do need a bit of luck every season to win leagues. Barca were haunted not to lose to Villareal and Valencia, and showed a fighting quality against Real which many felt were not there.

Last night Vs Tenerife, Pep rotated a bit, starting, the as yet hopeless, Maxwell and the recently ever dodgy Marquez and prefered Bojan to inform Pedro. Sure, it took a while for the rhythm to be found, but boy, when Barca got going, it was a thing of beauty again.

There is no panic. Barca will win the La Liga and not many would bet against a win in the CL at the moment either.

HalloweenJack

Barca did a very good job on Sunday night. The first half hour, they were lucky not to be 3-0 down but thye just soaked it up and didn't panic. They created their chances and took them when they came along.

3-0 at half-time was definitely harsh on Tenerife but, imo, 5-0 at full-time was a fair result. Barca bossed the second half, I'd say Guardiola gave them a bollicking and that's why they went out there and finished the job in the second half.

Also, the work by their players in the lead-up to the goals, in particular Iniesta, Pedro and Bojan, was exquisite.

I was really impressed with Atlético on Saturday, though Valladolid were appaling. It was good to see Reyes have a really good game and finally score his first for Atlético.

yahoo_moe

gimmick wrote: »

I'm just going to barge right in and ask what it is exactly people want exactly?

Well for me, it's not about 'wanting' or 'expecting' anything from them - I'm just commenting on the situation as I see it. I've no problem with Barca changing styles to try and make themselves harder to stifle or whatever but that's not what I see this year.

Yes, they've adapted somewhat to the arrival of Ibrahimovic and pushed Messi further up top - but it's not like they've turned into a Mourinho-era Chelsea all of a sudden who grind out results relentlessly. Rather, I think they've struggled to get their game (still pretty much a flowing style based on possession and incisive passing) going on a lot of occasions this season, including the first half the other night. They're also giving away more chances than they did last year, partly due to injuries/rotation, partly due to carelessness.

I'm not saying they won't win anything - but I think they've had to fight very hard for a 2-point league lead and a CL knockout place and I'm not sure they can fight that hard all season. Hence why I think they might be fragile; the flip side, of course, is that if they hit form they could romp to another league and/or CL because they're in good positions in each.