Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona, Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg

xtal191

jameshayes wrote: »

last 2 games have been dull affairs - wonder will this one be better... Barca be out for the win to pi$$ on the copa del ray?

As a utd supported, i'd prefer to play barca in the final.. what you see is what you get... never trusted that whiley genius mourinho

Gotta agree with you, I think we'd have a much better chance against Barca in the final.

Liam O

Ush1 wrote: »

I don't think so. They have less points in La Liga than last season. They're more professional and have learnt to foul better when playing Barca. That's about it for me.

They have also been without Higuain for a lot of this season though.

SlickRic

CorkMan wrote: »

Remember C.Ronaldo has got 2 goals in the 2 recent Barca games, and has scored in 6 of his previous 7 games. He has 43 goals this season so far.

Remember, Messi has 50, is World Player of the Year, ripped Real a new one earlier in the season, as well as scoring in the recent Real game which Barca scored in.

your point?

Liam O

SlickRic wrote: »

Remember, Messi has 50, is World Player of the Year, ripped Real a new one earlier in the season, as well as scoring in the recent Real game which Barca scored in.

your point?

sure Messi's only a Ronaldo wannabe

TheRedDevil10

Probable Barca Team ????

---

Valdes
Alves-Puyol-Pique-Milito
Mascherano-Xavi-Busquets

---

Messi-Villa-Pedro


Probable Real Team ????

---

Casillas
Arbeloa-Ramos-Carvalho-Marcelo

---

Alonso-Pepe-Diarra

---

Ozil-Ronaldo-Kaka

CorkMan

SlickRic wrote: »

Remember, Messi has 50, is World Player of the Year, ripped Real a new one earlier in the season, as well as scoring in the recent Real game which Barca scored in.

your point?

Remember C.Ronaldo won the Copa Del Rey trophy against Barca, while Messi hasn't scored a single time against a Mourinho side in open play. Also Madrid have very good hatchet men (Pepe being the best) while Barca normally have Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets :pac:

Liam O

TheRedDevil10 wrote: »

Probable Barca Team ????

---

Valdes
Alves-Puyol-Pique-Milito
-Mascherano-Busquets
---Messi-Xavi-Pedro

---

Villa

Probable Real Team ????

---

Casillas
Arbeloa-Ramos-Carvalho-Marcelo

---

Pepe
Ronaldo-Alonso-Diarra-Kaka

---

Higuain

Is there something wrong with Ozil, Khedira and Di Maria?

Diabhal Beag

0-0 draw tonight I'd say

grames_bond

What im hoping from this game is for it to be a good one!!

simple as - the last 2 el classico's havent really lived up to their name! european game.....semi final....lets hope for a cracker!

CorkMan

TheRedDevil10 wrote: »

Probable Barca Team ????

---

Valdes
Alves-Puyol-Pique-Milito
-Mascherano-Busquets
---Messi-Xavi-Pedro

---

Villa

Probable Real Team ????

---

Casillas
Arbeloa-Ramos-Carvalho-Marcelo

---

Pepe
Ronaldo-Alonso-Diarra-Kaka

---

Higuain

Real won't line up like that, trust me. More like:

Casillas
Arbeloa - Ramos - Albiol - Marcelo
Alonso - Pepe - Lass Diarra
Ozil - C.Ronaldo - Di Maria

Carvalho is suspended for the match while Kaká is 2nd choice as he has only been re-appearing (sporadically) since Febuary, though he has been good recently. Ozil has been superb this season though. Madrid have been playing with no out-and-out striker for a while.

Blatter

Real Madrid; Casillas, Arbeloa, Ramos, Albiol, Marcello, Pepe, Diarra, Alonso, Di Maria, Ozil, Ronaldo.

Barcelona; Valdes, Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Puyol, Busquets, Keita, Xavi, Pedro, Messi, Villa.

That's what I reckon they will be.

The only real question is the order of Barca's back four. I've a sneaky feeling he will play Puyol at left back or maybe at right back and switch Alves to the left, and go with Mascherano and Pique in central defense again. The other option is to put Mascherano at right back, play Alves at left back and Puyol and Pique in central defense.

Headshot

Are ya sure Lass Diarra will be getting a game?

CorkMan

Headshot wrote: »

Are ya sure Lass Diarra will be getting a game?

Almost certain. Khedeira has a niggle on him and will miss the game. Lass Diarra is very similar to Khedeira and will slip right into his position.

Headshot

CorkMan wrote: »

Almost certain. Khedeira has a niggle on him and will miss the game. Lass Diarra is very similar to Khedeira and will slip right into his position.

10/11 to be booked

get on it

Pro. F

I also think that what Mourinho has done with Real is spectacular. The amount of work that they put into closing down now and the level of organisation is amazing considering the players that he is working with. But I hope they loose. I hope they get an absolute hiding.

As a United fan I can't really decide which team I would prefer to meet in the final (assuming that United get there). But as a football fan in general I have to hope that Barca win. Not only do they play the more attractive football, more importantly, Madrid are just a horrible club.

Gillington

Liam O wrote: »

Is there something wrong with Ozil, Khedira and Di Maria?

Khedira's injured but I agree Oil should be in there anyways.

Will miss most of the first half so I'm hoping it's boring! I do think it'll finish a draw if Barca have their way but anything can happen I suppose

SlickRic

wait...no Carvalho?

fúck that, if Barca don't score i'll be shocked.

TheRedDevil10

Changed formation:

Probable Barca Team ????

---

Valdes
Alves-Puyol-Pique-Milito
Mascherano-Xavi-Busquets

---

Messi-Villa-Pedro


Probable Real Team ????

---

Casillas
Arbeloa-Ramos-Albiol-Marcelo

---

Alonso-Pepe-Diarra

---

Ozil-Ronaldo-Kaka

Liam O

SlickRic wrote: »

wait...no Carvalho?

fúck that, if Barca don't score i'll be shocked.

Pepe and Albiol are no pushovers but yeah Carvalho is a big miss. Di Maria will have a big game imo. I was unsure of him when I watched him in the WC but he has been nothing short of a revelation since he joined Real.

Liam O

TheRedDevil10 wrote: »

Changed formation:

Probable Barca Team ????

---

Valdes
Alves-Puyol-Pique-Milito
Mascherano-Xavi-Busquets

---

Messi-Villa-Pedro


Probable Real Team ????

---

Casillas
Arbeloa-Ramos-Albiol-Marcelo

---

Alonso-Pepe-Diarra

---

Ozil-Ronaldo-Kaka

Di Maria will play over Kaka, Pepe wont start in midfield and either Adebayor or Higuain will probably play (will be Adebayor imo). Also doubt Biscuits and Masch will both start.

Blatter

TheRedDevil10 wrote: »

Changed formation:

Probable Barca Team ????

---

Valdes
Alves-Puyol-Pique-Milito
Mascherano-Xavi-Busquets

---

Messi-Villa-Pedro


Probable Real Team ????

---

Casillas
Arbeloa-Ramos-Albiol-Marcelo

---

Alonso-Pepe-Diarra

---

Ozil-Ronaldo-Kaka

Switch Milito for Mascherano and swap him with Puyol or Alves and put Keita into midfield and you have the team imo. Playing Milito would be asking for trouble, he is a total liability.

For Real, switch Kaka for Di Maria and that should be the team.

CorkMan

TheRedDevil10 wrote: »

Probable Real Team ????

---

Casillas
Arbeloa-Ramos-Albiol-Marcelo

---

Alonso-Pepe-Diarra

---

Ozil-Ronaldo-Kaka

Casillas
Arbeloa - Ramos - Albiol - Marcelo
Alonso - Pepe - Lass Diarra
Ozil - C.Ronaldo - Di Maria

shano_88

Liam O wrote: »

Pepe and Albiol are no pushovers but yeah Carvalho is a big miss. Di Maria will have a big game imo. I was unsure of him when I watched him in the WC but he has been nothing short of a revelation since he joined Real.

One thing I really like about Di Maria is his workrate. Hes covers some amount of ground on the pitch.

CorkMan

shano_88 wrote: »

One thing I really like about Di Maria is his workrate. Hes covers some amount of ground on the pitch.

Plus he is the player who has won most penalties in the Spanish league this season. I remember when he won a penalty, and the commentator revealed that statistic, then Di Maria won another penalty in the match!!! He is light as a feather in the box with glass ankles.

chelseavera

Expecting more of the same old Rhetoric about this being Mourinho's team killing the footballing aristocrats. Having watched the Copa Del Rey final, it was evident again, when I thought I was watching a different match to the commentators.
This myth about Mourinho - enemy of football (so titled by Uefa hierarchy) has existed since his Chelsea days, and levelling a charge like this at him, is so populist when he comes out on top against the people's (and medias!) darlings like Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona.
Fact remains, Chelsea won the league with the highest points total, highest goals scored, and this years UEFAs stats show us that Real are ahead of Barcelona for Goals, attempts on target, well everything, bar Red Cards of course. But Jose knows and plans for such handicaps.

For protection of my sanity, I may chose to watch the match with sound turned down and judge for myself ..... but on the other hand, its always fun to watch Jose 'stick it up' to the media and armchair experts, time and time again.:P

amy21

chelseavera wrote: »

Expecting more of the same old Rhetoric about this being Mourinho's team killing the footballing aristocrats. Having watched the Copa Del Rey final, it was evident again, when I thought I was watching a different match to the commentators.
This myth about Mourinho - enemy of football (so titled by Uefa hierarchy) has existed since his Chelsea days, and levelling a charge like this at him, is so populist when he comes out on top against the people's (and medias!) darlings like Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona.
Fact remains, Chelsea won the league with the highest points total, highest goals scored, and this years UEFAs stats show us that Real are ahead of Barcelona for Goals, attempts on target, well everything, bar Red Cards of course. But Jose knows and plans for such handicaps.

For protection of my sanity, I may chose to watch the match with sound turned down and judge for myself ..... but on the other hand, its always fun to watch Jose 'stick it up' to the media and armchair experts, time and time again.:P

The media love Jose, well the English media anyway, he gets results, people don't like winners and try to find any reason to knock them, I think the clowns in uefa bother him much

chelseavera

Its a Love/hate thing with the media - his stock went up after he left Chelsea, but watch the negativity IF he ever returned!!

MisterAnarchy

Pro. F wrote: »

As a United fan I can't really decide which team I would prefer to meet in the final (assuming that United get there).

United would have a far better chance of beating Real than Barcelona .
That Real defence is suspect and Utd would have a good chance of beating Real.

amy21

chelseavera wrote: »

Its a Love/hate thing with the media - his stock went up after he left Chelsea, but watch the negativity IF he ever returned!!

They loved him at Chelsea, special one and all that, he was a dream for the circus the English media are, sky will be all over him tonight, all I heard this morning was how pep had cracked and Jose had got to him when in truth he just replied to his comments

Headshot

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

United would have a far better chance of beating Real than Barcelona .
That Real defence is suspect and Utd would have a good chance of beating Real.

tbf both defences are suspect and I believe Barca's is more suspect.

MisterAnarchy

Headshot wrote: »

tbf both defences are suspect and I believe Barca's is more suspect.

Thats true but if United are playing against Real in the final they will have alot more possession that they would have against Bacrelona ,so more chance to exploit the Real defence.
Would Real attack Utd ,or would they cede possession ,hard to know.

Headshot

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

Thats true but if United are playing against Real in the final they will have alot more possession that they would have against Bacrelona ,.

i said the exact same thing in the utd thread, 2 great minds think alike

redout

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

Thats true but if United are playing against Real in the final they will have alot more possession that they would have against Bacrelona ,so more chance to exploit the Real defence.
Would Real attack Utd ,or would they cede possession ,hard to know.

Why in the name of god would they cede possession to a team that is no better in possession than they are ?

chelseavera

amy21 wrote: »

They loved him at Chelsea, special one and all that, he was a dream for the circus the English media are, sky will be all over him tonight, all I heard this morning was how pep had cracked and Jose had got to him when in truth he just replied to his comments

Trust me - they did NOT love him at Chelsea. He may have dominated the column inches - but most of it was setting him up for the fall (which never came imo) - and the special one thing - he gifted them that on his first press conference - they blew it up and waited for him to fall flat on his face, but it never happened. Trust me, I've read every word written on the man, he was subject to extreme negativity and vitriol.
This eased somewhat, when he went to Milan, (witness Giles and Dunphy mention Mourinho and Great manager in the same sentence last season) - but never our own Dion Fanning mind! He continues to spew lies and inaccuracies about him.
Even Sky this morning resorted to type, showing guardiola doing keepie-uppies ( the Barca way!) and showed Jose taking off his jumper and made some sort of reference to him putting a straight-jacket on Barcelonas superior football. Give me a break!!

Gadaffi gets media attention - dont mean they love him!

Auvers

chelseavera wrote: »

Gadaffi gets media attention - dont mean they love him!

I have an exact opposite opinion on Jose, he uses the media to his own needs, its all about defection away from the players and onto himself, this media contrived "special one" status is just laughable, he is the most media savvy operator I have ever seen



oh forgot to add, he is an a excellent football coach also

AgileMyth

Auvers wrote: »

this media contrived "special one" status is just laughable, he is the most media savvy operator I have ever seen

Media contrived? Didn't he say it himself?

He is a very special manager.

CorkMan

TEAMS

Real Madrid Casillas, Arbeloa, Ramos, Albiol, Marcelo, Pepe, Lass, Alonso, Di Maria, Ozil & Cristiano Ronaldo.

Barcelona Valdes, Puyol, Pique, Mascherano, Alves, Busquets, Xavi, Keita, Pedro, Villa & Messi

Liam O

Surprising lineups, just shows that this will be a boring game, both teams will lack creativity in midfield unless Xavi/Alonso are at the very top of their games.

Jax Teller

No striker for Madrid ? I assume busquets and mascherano will be Swapped around ? Looks like I'm going to miss this

CorkMan

keysersoze_88 wrote: »

No striker for Madrid ? I assume busquets and mascherano will be Swapped around ? Looks like I'm going to miss this

C.Ronaldo will definitely be the main target man. That front 3 will make many opportunities and, well C.Ronaldo has 43 goals this season :P

Busquets and Mascherano might be swapped around, I don't know for certain where each will play yet. There is a very real possibility Puyol will have to come off.

Headshot

Cant wait for Eamo

Paully D

Paddy Power offering 2/1 for Barcelona to win so that was a bit too tempting to refuse, although I suspect tonight's game will be a draw.

dfx-

Liam O wrote: »

Surprising lineups, just shows that this will be a boring game, both teams will lack creativity in midfield unless Xavi/Alonso are at the very top of their games.

Going on the previous games, Alonso isn't going to be employed for his tempo-setting skills.

Keita, Busquets and Mascherano...not often either all three would get it the first 11 - that's about as 'defensive' as Barca get:)

Cypher_sounds

Looking forward seeing the United highlights in a few mins on rte.

I hope this game will be full of goals, entertainment and conterversial decisions:)

Jax Teller

CorkMan wrote: »

C.Ronaldo will definitely be the main target man. That front 3 will make many opportunities and, well C.Ronaldo has 43 goals this season :P

Busquets and Mascherano might be swapped around, I don't know for certain where each will play yet. There is a very real possibility Puyol will have to come off.

Yeah but ronaldo is at his best when he's out on the wings and cuts in imo , playing as a striker takes away from his game I believe .

Liam O

According to aul Billo Ronaldo has scored 55 goals this season.

suck it Messi

deise48

even if its a boring game i will still look forward to the drama that only the special one brings to the table

CorkMan

Liam O wrote: »

According to aul Billo Ronaldo has scored 55 goals this season.

suck it Messi

He asked Johnny Giles about how the employment of Mourinho as Madrid manager has effected the cultural and political balance of Madrid and Catalonia

Oh and when they were doing the highlights thing with the virtual pen, on the 1st screen they showed the defeat for Madrid at the Camp Nou in November. Ozil was the place in the white circle but Giles kept naming him Di Maria :rolleyes:

djfitzerjnr

Real Madrid have opened the scoring in all of their 10 Champions League games this season.


For that reason, tonight I think that Alonso will nutmeg Mascherano, play a one-two with Arbeloa and then shoot from god knows what distance and score.

Barca will then go on to win the game.

Nailz

CorkMan wrote: »

He asked Johnny Giles about how the employment of Mourinho as Madrid manager has effected the cultural and political balance of Madrid and Catalonia

Oh and when they were doing the highlights thing with the virtual pen, on the 1st screen they showed the defeat for Madrid at the Camp Nou in November. Ozil was the place in the white circle but Giles kept naming him Di Maria :rolleyes:

Gotta love RTÉ.