European Super Cup - Barcelona vs. Porto

Starts in a few mins. Starting lineups:

Valdés
Alves, Mascherano, Abidal, Adriano
Xavi, Keita, Iniesta
Pedro, Messi, Villa

Keita as DM


Helton
Sapunaru, Rolando, Otamendi, Fucile
Guarín, Souza, Moutinho
Cebolla Rodríguez, Kleber, Hulk


Should be a comfortable win for Barça, Porto have lost Falcao and also left out Chelsea target Pereira.

It's shown live on German free TV (Sat1). For all Germans and wannabe Germans from the other side of the western border on here...

P.S.: Shouldn't this thread be in the European Cups section?

Hulk really could have done better with that.

Btw. this stupid wannabe mohawk haircut fad needs to stop ASAP. It's so fugly.

Valdes, the best footballing goal keeper...

The pitch is terrible.

Porto doing well so far, preventing Barça from building from the back.

Pretty solid defending as a team by Porto and some early aggressive pressing.

Hulk pretty close!

Barca look a bit clueless and rather vulnerable at the back so far.

at Mascherano's expression

He is right tho, very soft free kick for Porto. But wasted by Hulk anyway.

Pedro and Messi earlier with some good chances. Decent game so far but both teams still playing in 2nd or 3rd gear.

Barca hardly creating any chances so far, Porto still rather comfortable and with the occasional promising push forward.

Game has settled down into the usual pattern of Barça possession - they're attacking but so far Porto are holding firm and Helton hasn't had to make too many saves.

Good move down the left from Adriano and Helton saves Xavi's shot after the cutback.

First dangerous shot by Xavi.

Bad luck Porto. Mistake in posession allows Messi to score.

What a huge mistake by a Porto player, direct assist to Messi, who scores.

Now Abidal with a mistake, Kleber should have been through, instead he bizarrely dithers, seems to look across at the linesman...and this allows Mascehrano to get across and make the clearing tackle.

1-0 HT

Despite the lead which was a real gift, not a convincing match by Barca so far IMHO. Should still win the match comfortably though, as scoring first helps, of course.

Like they dont care at all, or a certain win for us attitude.
Even Abidal looks like he just started to play football. No passion at all in the game.

TITO wrote:Like they dont care at all, or a certain win for us attitude.
Even Abidal looks like he just started to play football. No passion at all in the game.

I think the attitude is ok, but yes, the intensity is a bit lacking. It's disappointing how often they are going back to Valdes. Porto are doing well defensively though, credit to them, the whole team is working hard, even the strikers.

Is Adriano Barca quality? Have my doubts.

Good chance for Porto, close by Moutinho. Porto increasing the pressure on Barca.

Good shot by Guarin, good save by Valdes.

Villa wastes a very good chance for Barca.

Great defending by Keita there. Alves' mistake could have been costly.

Hmm...good block by Helton there. But it looked like hand ball by Barca in their own box prior to that chance.

Messi scores an offside goal that was at least a pretty close call.

blutgraetsche wrote:Valdes, the best footballing goal keeper...

...

Great 'no look' through ball by Iniesta, pretty close.

Mascherano WTF?