Barça -v- Arsenal, Champions league Last 16 2nd leg

SDTimeout

Arsenal to resign Silvestre for tonight's game in quest to achieve total mind f*ck over Barca.

AnCapaillMor

SDTimeout wrote: »

Arsenal to resign Silvestre for tonight's game in quest to achieve total mind f*ck over Barca.

This will screw them up more, biscuit boy is back, for this tie only.

Biscuit boy?

That_Guy

If Denilson plays I fear the worst....

AnCapaillMor

Papa Smut wrote: »

Biscuit boy?

Alliadere, legs were made of biscuit.

Insane Rambling

Can't see anything bar a Barca win tonight. The centre-half pairing Abidal - Busquets / Abidal - Milito could be suspect but don't think there is too much of a difference between that and the pairing of Djourou - Koscielny. Barca will have 65-75% posession and gaps will open up in the Arsenal defence.

I think Dani Alves could be the key tonight after seeing the amount of space he was given in the first leg.

Prediction: Barca 3-0 - 3-1

cson

That_Guy wrote: »

If Denilson plays I fear the worst....

If Denilson played against Blackpool I'd fear the worst, nevermind Barcelona!

Sad thing is, he used to alright.

Fuzzy_Dunlop

Goonertalk on twitter claims that RvP has passed his fitness test but is likely to only play a small role tonight.

AnCapaillMor

Hope so, taking a chance on gallas and fabs last year didn't work out so well.

keane2097

Any team news for Barca?

Blatter

keane2097 wrote: »

Any team news for Barca?

Puyol failed to recover and Pique out.

The word is Busquets and Abidal will both play at CB, with Mascherano coming in DM.

Other than that, business as usual AFAIK.

Nononolan

Hoping AW trumps for Arshavin instead of Eboue.

PHB

Mascherano could do the MOM performance he's got in him and protect that back 4. Going to be interesting.

keane2097

PHB wrote: »

Mascherano could do the MOM performance he's got in him and protect that back 4. Going to be interesting.

Mascherano has been involved in a hell of a lot of Barca's worst performances since he joined them.

He is so badly mismatched with the rest of their midfield it's ridiculous. Him playing Busquet's role give Arsenal a much better chance.

Blatter

PHB wrote: »

Mascherano could do the MOM performance he's got in him and protect that back 4. Going to be interesting.

Tbh, I wouldn't think he'll have much to do wih Barca getting their customary 70%+ possession at the Nou Camp.

Sure, he'll break up the odd counter attack, but that's about as far as it goes in a defensive sense I would imagine. He hinders Barca's midfield if anything. His passing isn't up to the standards of Busquets.

keane2097

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

Tbh, I wouldn't think he'll have much to do wih Barca getting their customary 70%+ possession at the Nou Camp.

Sure, he'll break up the odd counter attack, but that's about as far as it goes in a defensive sense I would imagine.

Much much more likely to cause it to drop IMO.

Blatter

keane2097 wrote: »

Much much more likely to cause it to drop IMO.

Agree 100%, hence my ninja edit:pac:

eZe^

Fcuk it, let's just hope Messi can unleash the beast tonight. He's due a high scoring match.

Blatter

eZe^ wrote: »

Fcuk it, let's just hope Messi can unleash the beast tonight. He's due a high scoring match.

Barca in general are due a high scoring match.

cson

eZe^ wrote: »

Fcuk it, let's just hope Messi can unleash the beast tonight. He's due a high scoring match.

I'd be glad for Messi et al to bang in 5 tonight.

So long as we hit 4 as well.

PHB

Mascherano can put in a performance that literally gets a clean sheet on his own. When he's on form, he's just that good. He might not be the player to win the games against random lower opposition, but knockout stages of the CL, that's where he thrives.

Pepe LeFrits

eZe^ wrote: »

let's just hope Messi can unleash the beast tonight.

As long as van Persie can unleash the kraken!

hehehe, I love that phrase

Headshot

Where's Milito

Wouldnt he be playing CB ?

keane2097

PHB wrote: »

Mascherano can put in a performance that literally gets a clean sheet on his own. When he's on form, he's just that good. He might not be the player to win the games against random lower opposition, but knockout stages of the CL, that's where he thrives.

Pretty much proves the next point I was going to make which is that he's massively overrated.

Busquets >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mascherano.

keane2097

Headshot wrote: »

Where's Milito

Wouldnt he be playing CB ?

He's just terrible, that's the only reason he's not playing.

Blatter

Headshot wrote: »

Where's Milito

Wouldnt he be playing CB ?

keane2097 wrote: »

He's just terrible, that's the only reason he's not playing.

They are really reluctant to play him because he is awful.

But he might get the nod alongside Abidal so Busquets can play in midfield.

It's either play Milito and risk an almighty fuck up or play Mascherano and risk fucking up the midfield.

Lesser of two evils and all that..

dfx-

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

The word is Busquets and Abidal will both play at CB, with Mascherano coming in DM.

Let's hope not, Barca would be odds on for me to go out in that case..

Milito has to be given one last chance...even kidnap Chygrynsky for the night or something

keane2097

dfx- wrote: »

Let's hope not, Barca would be odds on for me to go out in that case..

Milito has to be given one last chance...even kidnap Chygrynsky for the night or something

Do you want to actually lay odds?

spiralism

Would Mascherano at CB not be a better idea than Busquets in the same position? Mascherano can't pass at anywhere near the level of the rest of the barca team and his general game is too slow but he is well able to win the ball and has covered at CB for Liverpool at least once... Meanwhile Busquets is about as good as it gets for a defensive mid. Barca's play will suffer if Mascherano is at DM instead of Busquets, mark my words...

Blatter

dfx- wrote: »

Let's hope not, Barca would be odds on for me to go out in that case..

Milito has to be given one last chance...even kidnap Chygrynsky for the night or something

To be brutally honest I don't think it makes much of a difference who's at the back for Barca. I don't think Arsenal will see much of the ball, and when they do, they will be hunted down like hares in a field by the whole Barca team. Barca will be massively up for this game, especially with the 2-1 deficit. A CL tuesday night at the Nou Camp, the place will be buzzing.

For Arsenal to have any chance, it would be dependent on Barca missing a fuck load of chances and Arsenal being extremely clinical and take any chance they can get.

Unlikely but not impossible.

Blatter

spiralism wrote: »

Would Mascherano at CB not be a better idea than Busquets in the same position? Mascherano can't pass at anywhere near the level of the rest of the barca team and his general game is too slow but he is well able to win the ball and has covered at CB for Liverpool at least once... Meanwhile Busquets is about as good as it gets for a defensive mid. Barca's play will suffer if Mascherano is at DM instead of Busquets, mark my words...

No chance.

Mascherano is only 5'8'' and can't head the ball for ****. It's a no goer. Bring on Bendtner and he will have a field day.

keane2097

Walcott is a really big loss for Arsenal tonight by the way, especially considering all the other team news...

amacachi

eZe^ wrote: »

Fcuk it, let's just hope Messi can unleash the beast tonight. He's due a high scoring match.

I'm expecting him to do what he did last year, just to be a dick. :pac:

#15

Has Mascherano played CB before? I seem to recall him doing a makeshift job there for Liverpool once, but it's only a vague recollection so I may be mistaken.

edit: nevermind, someone just asked a similar question.

spiralism

#15 wrote: »

Has Mascherano played CB before? I seem to recall him doing a makeshift job there for Liverpool once, but it's only a vague recollection so I may be mistaken.

Almost certain he did, but the point made there about lack of height is admittedly valid

Blatter

#15 wrote: »

Has Mascherano played CB before? I seem to recall him doing a makeshift job there for Liverpool once, but it's only a vague recollection so I may be mistaken.

edit: nevermind, someone just asked a similar question.

spiralism wrote: »

Almost certain he did, but the point made there about lack of height is admittedly valid

I remember he filled in right back for Liverpool at one stage, maybe your thinking of that

dfx-

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

To be brutally honest I don't think it makes much of a difference who's at the back for Barca. I don't think Arsenal will see much of the ball, and when they do, they will be hunted down like hares in a field by the whole Barca team. Barca will be massively up for this game, especially with the 2-1 deficit. A CL tuesday night at the Nou Camp, the place will be buzzing.

Busquets is extremely dodgy at centre half, he doesn't have the discipline to stay on his feet. It's not about Mascherano - Mascherano was in midfield at the weekend, even with Milito at the back and they looked solid and not likely to give anything away. When you have Busquets behind him...it's crazy time.

Jayob10

Liverpool fan here, best of luck to ye tonight lads. will be rooting for Arsenal and fancy ye to do it aswell

Kess73

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

I remember he filled in right back for Liverpool at one stage, maybe your thinking of that

Yep he filled in at right back a couple of times for Liverpool and did very well in the role.

He defo did not fill in at CB for Liverpool at any point though, Xabi Alonso was the midfielder who covered at CB for Liverpool a few seasons back.

Beginning to feel the nerves now...

Hope the Mercantile is as rockin' as it was 3 weeks ago!

Pepe LeFrits

Someone call Stephen Hawking. Time appears to have stopped moving.

redout

Interesting stats:

• Arsenal have had under 40% of possession in each of their last four Champions League encounters against Barcelona.

• Barcelona have won their last seven Champions League home matches.

• The team that has scored first in the last four encounters between Barcelona and Arsenal has never won.

• Barça have failed to win nine of their 17 home encounters against English opposition in the Champions League/European Cup.

• Liverpool are the only English side to have managed to beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou in European competition.

• Arsenal have lost five of their last six Champions League away games.

• The Gunners have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 15 Champions League away games.

• Four Arsenal goals have come from substitutes, a Champions League record this season.

• All six of the encounters between Barcelona and Arsenal have seen both sides score.

• The last time Barcelona had under 50% of possession in a Champions League match was on December 5th 2006, against Werder Bremen.

• Lionel Messi is Barcelona's all-time leading Champions League/European Cup top scorer (31 goals).

• Since the European Cup entered its Champions League format (1992/93), only 47% of teams who managed a 2-1 home win in the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie qualified to the next round.

• Arsenal are the most prolific attack this season in the Champions League (20 goals).

• Barcelona have scored more goals from corners than any other side this season in the Champions League (five).

• Barcelona have hit the woodwork more times than any other side this season in the Champions League (seven).

The Floyd p

Seriously bricking this.
I don't trust Sergi and Abidal to not concede and as bad as Arsenal's defense can be at times, I don't think they'll concede 3 tonight.

Blatter

redout wrote: »

Interesting stats:
• Lionel Messi is Barcelona's all-time leading Champions League/European Cup top scorer (31 goals).

That is scary. You have to fancy him to double that at least, if not treble it at the rate he's going and the fact he is only 23.

Headshot

come on messi hatrick

I reckon Arsenal will get through tonight, just.

daithijjj

Hoping for an arsenal victory, would have been good to see both teams with full teams 100% fit.

smokedeels

football porn, can't wait

sonic85

looking forward to this - ill go for a 1-1 draw but to be honest it could go any way. come on the arsenal

Peyton Manning

Today's zany prediction might not look so zany, so I'm going to go for some ridiculous details.

3-2 to Barcelona, having seen Arsenal go 1-0 up, then 2-1 up. Constant pressure in the last 15 mins, get it back to 3-2 around the 83rd minute mark. Chesney will then save a penalty in the dying moments and Arsenal go through on away goals. Diaby to score a goal too.