La Liga - Week 33

redout

Saturday, 17 April 2010
Espanyol v Barcelona, 19:00 - Live Sky Sports 3
Sevilla v Sporting Gijon, 17:00
Villarreal v Atletico Madrid, 21:00 - Live Sky Sports 3

Sunday, 18 April 2010
Athletic Bilbao v Real Zaragoza, 18:00 - Live Sky Sports 1
Deportivo La Coruna v Almeria, 16:00
Malaga v Valladolid, 16:00
Real Madrid v Valencia, 20:00 - Live Sky Sports 1
Tenerife v Getafe, 16:00
Xerez v Racing Santander, 16:00

Monday, 19 April 2010
Mallorca v Osasuna, 20:00

redout

Espanyol lineup:
Kameni; Chica,Víctor Ruiz, Pareja, Didac Vila; Luis García, Forlín, Baena, Callejón, Verdú, Osvaldo

Barca lineup:
Valdés; Alves, Piqué, Milito, Puyol; Busquests, Xavi, Keita; Messi, Pedro, Maxwell


Another slightly odd Pep lineup


EDIT: Toure for Keita - injured in warm up

redout

Opening half-hour I would have to say Espanyol are probably the better team.

IvySlayer

I will defintely be having some of Real vs Valencia tomorrow night.

Raskolnikov

Espanyol - Barca is the weirdest performance I've seen all season from Barca. Espanyol really have a chance here.

redout

Fcuking Valdes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good man

Raskolnikov

Post Espanyol. Really should have scored. They'll regret that miss.

redout

Alves red carded

This is one fiery Catalan derby

Raskolnikov

Barcelona just haven't got going.

redout

Espanyol have had more goal attempts than Barca

6 - 3

How many times do you see that after 67mins of a game!

Raskolnikov

Barcelona were due a bad result, so maybe lucky for them it's come at Espanyol rather than Inter.

redout

Raskolnikov wrote: »

Barcelona were due a bad result, so maybe lucky for them it's come at Espanyol rather than Inter.

Espanyol gave Barca a tough time earlier this season at Camp Nou when it took a dodgy peno to give Barca victory. Espanyol won at Camp Nou last season also so they certainly know how to get at Barca - basically they are taking Xavi out of the game.

Raskolnikov

Espanyol using the man advantage and overruning Barca in midfield now.

Ibrahimovic on now.

Raskolnikov

When Messi gets surrounded by three or four players, you nearly expect him to play his way out every time now.

redout

I am going to call that a good point for Barca considering Espanyol were the better team overall and executed their game plan to perfection. Xavi wasnt allowed to get involved and Barca didnt seem to have an answer. Having a player less for the last half hour didnt make things any easier so as I said a point gained I reckon.

C'mon Los Che

Raskolnikov

FT 0-0.

Valdes, Puyol had decent games, everyone else was either average or poor. If Barcelona play like this against Inter, they're out of the Champions League.

JPA

Actually a boring game. :eek:

Raskolnikov

redout wrote: »

Having a player less for the last half hour didnt make things any easier so as I said a point gained I reckon.

Not so sure they would have won even with 11 men. Performance was very tired.

Raskolnikov

Atletico on now. Will probably win or lose this 3-0.

redout

Raskolnikov wrote: »

Not so sure they would have won even with 11 men. Performance was very tired.

Neither do I but just pointing out that it made what was already a difficult task harder.

Raskolnikov

Nearly Aguero.

Raskolnikov

1-0 Villa

Atletico go missing again.

Raskolnikov

Liverpool should really fancy their chances against Atletico, they've been garbage again.

Headshot

kun has been disappointing this season imo

Raskolnikov

Headshot wrote: »

kun has been disappointing this season imo

He doesn't seem fit to be honest.

dfx-

redout wrote: »

I am going to call that a good point for Barca considering Espanyol were the better team overall and executed their game plan to perfection. Xavi wasnt allowed to get involved and Barca didnt seem to have an answer. Having a player less for the last half hour didnt make things any easier so as I said a point gained I reckon.

Xavi looked fed up at times...:eek:

Le King

I expect Real Madrid to draw tomorrow.
Any team news for Val/RM?

Davaeo09

Barca were very contained tonight, seems like they just didn't have a way through the last third of the pitch with Xavi almost double marked for the entire match.

Toure had a poor game, he should have been able to control the game a bit more like he has done a few times for Barca.
Also Messi and Pedro were always followed by a mid-fielder into the box, they were just suffocated by a very determined team and fair dues to Espanyol for doing so.

flahavaj

Davaeo09 wrote: »

Barca were very contained tonight, seems like they just didn't have a way through the last third of the pitch with Xavi almost double marked for the entire match.

Toure had a poor game, he should have been able to control the game a bit more like he has done a few times for Barca.
Also Messi and Pedro were always followed by a mid-fielder into the box, they were just suffocated by a very determined team and fair dues to Espanyol for doing so.

Jose will have noted all of this with great interest I think.

Can the master stifle Barca for 180 mins?

Gonna be fascinating, volcano permitting of course.

eZe^

flahavaj wrote: »

Jose will have noted all of this with great interest I think.

Can the master stifle Barca for 180 mins?

Gonna be fascinating, volcano permitting of course.

The match will most certainly go ahead, Barca are going to get a train down today.

Delighted with a point yesterday considering how well Espanyol neutered our team those b*stards. They did something that I haven't seen attempted well yet, you hear people saying you have to cut off the supply to Messi (essentially, trying to take Xavi out of the game). Last night Espanyol cut off the supply to Xavi by harassing the back 4 into passing much quicker than they wanted to. Never have I seen Pique, Milito and Xavi forced into as many rash rush of blood to the head passes. Trust Espanyol to play like Sacchi's Milan against us and then capitulate 3-0 against Real handing them the fcuking title. :D

redout

Real Madrid lineup:
Casillas; Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos, Raúl Albiol, Marcelo; Gago, Xabi Alonso, Guti; Van der Vaart, Ronaldo, Higuaín

Valencia lineup:
César; Bruno, Marchena, Alexis, Jordi Alba; Albelda, Banega, Pablo, Silva; Mata, Villa

redout

Great intercept from Alba.

Certain goal if he didnt make it.

redout

This game has been all Real who havent even been brilliant.

Valencia look rubbish out there.

redout

Goal........

1 - 0

Higuain

Ush1

Madrid frustrated they can't get the 2nd goal.

Ush1

Some strike by Silva!! Great effort!

CR 7

Ush1 wrote: »

Some strike by Silva!! Great effort!

Thought it was in when he hit it. Can see Ronaldo getting sent off, and Valencia equalising.

Ush1

Park Ji Sung wrote: »

Thought it was in when he hit it. Can see Ronaldo getting sent off, and Valencia equalising.

lol commentators curse ya have!;)

CR 7

Goal, Higuain / Ronaldo

I was half right.

gimmick

What a shi**y weekend.

That is all...........