Golazo Don Andres. Sublime build up

Valdés; Adriano, Bartra, Mascherano, Alba; Song, Xavi, Iniesta; Pedro, Messi, Alexis.

Bartra starts

Are we going to see Masch - Song at CB and JDS as DM since Busi is suspended or maybe Masch - Adriano and Song as DM? I doubt Bartra will have a chance to play in CL.

yourangel:

It's an away game against Rayo on saturday next week.

I think Valdes is becoming a liability to the team. He adds nothing, but keeps taking away from the team. Is it that he can't be benched? I'm sorry to say that Valdes is the worst golie I've ever seen in my life.


I'm happy we picked 3 points from the match. The referee wanted to rob us, but Messi and cesc were great! Congrats cules!

You definitely didn't see Ruud Hesp or Rustu in between the sticks for us.

Yes! Valdes has been poor this season. He has been below par but this is the time he needs our support the most. Valdes has won us countless games in the past. He has been great for us these last couple of years. Even in this game, he made a couple of great saves to keep us in it towards the end so to say "He adds nothing to the team" or that "he's a liability" is beyond ridiculous. Let's not even forget the joke that our defense has become. When was the last time we had Alves-Puyol-Pique-Abidal start a game? Most keepers would struggle playing behind a defense that's a mish mash of midfielders and full-backs. The fact is Valdes is getting more exposed than he should be.

Watching the game again, truth is you can hardly blame him for any of the goals conceded:
1) Penalty
2) Could have done better. But that was a team concession on 2nd goal. Poor play by multiple players.
3) Free kick, top corner
4) Own goal

What a game! Bloody hell! I would have passed out if it went on for an extra second. Great win.

That has to be the slickest own goal ever scored. What a game!

Golazo!!!! Messi 4- 2. Another brilliant assist by Cesc, his third of the match. He has been bestial tonight.

Another game, another clanger. Been the story of Valdes' season so far.

Fontas to go on loan to Mallorca till the end of the season

Johnpaul88: How do you manage to see our team b play? I have never seen them play before. I'll really like to watch them one day.

I look for streams online

AjanleKoko: Great international weekend so far for Barca players.
Alba, Pedro (hat-trick) and Messi(brace) all scored in their matches. Messi's second goal against Uruguay was yet another free kick, this time under the wall.

Pedro was unreal last night. That backheel assist for Alba was ethereal and his finishing was class.

Another game, another freekick goal for Messi. His fourth of the season. Perhaps, the best freekick taker out there at the moment.
---------------

I watched Barca B vs Sporting. Barca B won 3-0. That Luis Alberto kid we signed from Sevilla in the summer is class. A really amazing player. He scored a gobsmacking golazo. Dongou and Roman also scored.

davies123:

LOL... why are u so afraid of Real madrid? I bet even their shadow gives u shivers... lol

Which Real Madrid? Is it the one that was handed a manita or the one that couldn't take advantage of a makeshift Barca defence consisting of three fullbacks and one midfielder? Patiently waiting for Atletico to do a number on y'all

logica: And even worse for them, they may likely face the same fate against Real Madrid. So they are most likely going to drop a total of 12 points between Barca and Real Madrid. So everything still comes to the rivalry between the 2.

Atletico will finish ahead of Real Madrid this season. I can bet on it.

Pretty happy with the result 8 POINTS!!!!, we could have won it but with no centre backs its a great result, imagine if we had just one of Pique or Puyol!

My preferred line-up:

--Valdes--
Alves--Song--Masch--Alba

---Busquests---
---Xavi---Messi---

---Pedro---Cesc---Iniesta

Ramos/Pepe overplay Messi between lines so aggressively, the value of false 9 diminished. I Feel we need a player in front of Messi to occupy Madrid's CBs

It'd make sense to start Alba over Adriano on the left because Madrid usually leave a lot of space on the flanks when they defend as di Maria and Ronaldo usually drift inside, almost playing as midfielders. Alba'd have a lot of space to run at Madrid's defense.

Line-up: Valdes, Alves, Puyol, Mascherano, Jordi Alba, Busquets, Xavi, Cesc, Pedro, Alexis and Messi.

29 penalties in just a little over 3 seasons. What does Penaldo get paid for?

davies123:
Sevilla surrendered?That's a joke!didn't u watch d match?Their win was stolen from them,plain robbery,as u can see barca players couldnt event celebrate d win cos they know they didn't deserve it!All barca fans shuld be ashamed to support a club like this!I used to be a barca fans as of 2010 but the constant cheating drove me away!its pathetic!U called this a win?

Really!! Noooo!! We will try to survive without your support...
Nobody gives a Bleep if you lost sympathy for Barca!!

This win will just paper over the cracks. This defence needs working on and Alexis seriously needs to be dropped.

Thought I should share this:
http://theweststandobserver./2012/09/29/how-to-relativize-torres-alleged-struggles-in-front-of-goal/

ogazi007: Alexis play better as a Central forward,he also need to start shooting enough instead of looking for who to pass the ball to while he can easily score himself.i think he is gonna make a lots of fans happy this season.i like his work rate and movement,he can only get better.

He's best when he is playing centrally, there's no doubt about that. Dangerous, electric, always moving and creating space, linking with other players, creating chances for himself and others...But I guess Tito only uses him as reference on attacks when it's needed at the end of games, to turn the game around.

It was Romeu's birthday yesterday so they let him take the penalty

Penaldo is back

points

AjanleKoko:

last year we did pretty decent at the Camp Nou.
It was the away games that did us in. But thank Heavens we won. Not the kind of game where you should drop points, especially with Sevilla coming up.

I actually meant last season

Mcleo007: Fantastic goalaaaaazoooo by Xavi. Thiago was disappointing and Song was a beast at the rear. He won bk balls time and again.

17 balls won apparently, including the one that led to Xavi's goal...0 lost.

It was a terrific performance and he contributed substantially to the attack, including winning a couple of headers. I thought he looked doubtful in quite a few situations, he made some great interceptions but I am still not convinced. There was also a moment which showcased just how slow he is. Playing him as CB vs smaller teams for rotation I guess is fine but I would never choose him as CB for any serious match.

Song as CB with a high line vs Madrid is going to be suicide.

Great win. These were kind of games we dropped points last year.

Xavi golazo

I don't know why Bartra isn't started. I know CB is the most difficult position to integrate young players but he can never learn and progress if not given a chance. Song was beyond awful on wednesday, Bartra could hardly be worse.

Barca line-up vs Granada: Valdés, Alves, Mascherano, Adriano, Cesc, Busquets, Song, Thiago, Alexis, Messi, Villa.

Torres had a grand total of one chance...One!

AjanleKoko:

The next few weeks will be very interesting, with no center-back?

I would pair Bartra with Mascherano, and play a double pivot in the tough games. Busquets + Song. 4-2-3-1.
More solid than a 3-4-3 with Song or Busquets as the last man.

Yes! Bartra has to start getting games. Masch-Song at CB is a no no. I was actually expecting Tito to bring him on when Pique went off. Song was clueless at back.

Not sure how a double-pivot would work. We would become really narrow as it would see Iniesta pushed to the left and Xavi playing as a trequartista - not his best position as seen in his performances for Spain. Anyway, it's a good option when we are trying to close out games.

Sanchez was brilliant. He really helped change the game. His movement helped crack open Spartak's deep defence.

Against teams that sit deep this may be our best set up. Alexis at CF - he thrives in a free role. Villa/Pedro on the wings. Messi playing at the 10 behind Sanchez.

Busi playing really deep, almost as a CB. Good move by Tito. DM not needed given how Spartak are setup

Defense is a mess. See the way Emenike is manhandling our defense