Barcelona - Real Madrid anticipation thread (December 23rd)

golsud wrote:Abidal can take care of your right side by himself

Abidal will be made to look like an amature by our full back

TM wrote:

golsud wrote:Abidal can take care of your right side by himself

Abidal will be made to look like an amature by our full back

True story.

you shouldnt talk about OUR fullback. Puyol is worse at fullback than drenthe

Mexicanbecks wrote:you shouldnt talk about OUR fullback. Salgado is worse at fullback than drenthe

Menos mal...

Ronaldinho y Deco serán suplentes ante el Madrid

Frank Rijkaard ha desvelado sus cartas de cara al clásico frente al Real Madrid en el entrenamiento matinal de este jueves. Ni Ronaldinho ni Deco serán titulares ante los de Schuster a tenor de lo que se ha podido observar en la sesión preparatoria. Y es que el entrenador holandés ha dispuesto un partidillo en el que ha repartido los petos a los teóricos titulares y entre ellos no se encontraban ni el brasileño ni el portugués ni Thierry Henry, que ya ha recibido el alta médica. Según lo dispuesto en el entrenamiento, el once del Barcelona sería el compuesto por Víctor Valdés; Puyol, Milito, Márquez, Abidal; Touré, Xavi, Gudjohnsen; Iniesta, Giovani y Etoo.

De esta forma, las dos grandes novedades del once azulgrana en el encuentro de la máxima ante los blancos serían Eidur Gudjohnsen, que entraría en el centro del campo después de sus últimas buenas actuaciones en Liga y Champions, y el mexicano Giovani dos Santos, que sería el sustituto del lesionado Lionel Messi, que ya fue el que reemplazó al argentino tras lesionarse en Mestalla. Un detalle también parece confirmar la titularidad del joven azulgrana. Y es que Thierry Henry le realizó una carantoña durante el entrenamiento como reafirmando su condición de titular en el próximo partido.

http://www.marca.com/futbol/2007/barcelona-realmadrid/

---------------------Valdes

Puyol------Marquez------Milito------Abidal

--------------------Toure Y.

----------Xavi--------------Gudjohnson

Giovanni-----------Eto'o-----------Iniesta

Either a genius decision. Or managerial suicide in progress. Im sure Madrid much rather have giovanni than dinho playing.

Of course! Giovanni has talent but ffs Ronaldinho is a different class. I'm also delighted that Deco starts on the bench. He always plays well against us and Guddy is rather useless in my opinion.

Looks hilarious, can't understand a word... can you explain Jaime?

Jaime wrote:Of course! Giovanni has talent but ffs Ronaldinho is a different class. I'm also delighted that Deco starts on the bench. He always plays well against us and Guddy is rather useless in my opinion.

hmm im not sure what to make of their formation. guddy+toure will provide a attitude they havent shown against us for some time. at the same time they will be less able to create chances. this way we have to cover xavi and half the battle is won since messi isnt playing.

My Spanish is very rusty but I am trying that
He is saying that there are two things firstly there is not site for Kaka at RM and the other they will win 1-3 by goals from Napolean , Einstein and Elvis with whom he has been on supper tonight.

Raúl believes that the game between Barcelona and Real Madrid will be very tight next weekend and heaped praise on Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o.



Los Merengues' captain is relishing the prospect of playing in Camp Nou on Sunday and thinks that it will be a very open encounter with either side able to win.



As to which side should be considered favourites, Raúl said that both Barça and Madrid have their reasons to think that they have will have the upper hand.



"In principle, we go into the game in a better position as we are four points above them, but it will be a wide open game," he explained.



"Besides, in theory, the team that is at home has the advantage because of the atmosphere that is created.



"I will play as if it is my final game. Last year we deserved to win and I think that they would agree with that "



"There is a lot of tension surrounding the game and I do not remember anything about my first visit there, but now I go feeling more relaxed and better prepared mentally "



Although Messi is set to miss the encounter after picking up an injury last weekend, Raúl revealed that he is a big fan of the skilful Argentinian.



"Messi is a superb player, but I do not like to compare him because he is still very young and will bring joy to his club and to his country " he said.



"He is able to do different thing and there is nobody like him in the world. Everyone enjoys watching a player with such speed and balance and his ability to carry the ball and beat players "



"We are taking about one of the best players in the world and I congratulated him last year after he scored a hat-trick against us "



Messi may be unavailable, but the return to action of Eto'o could give Barça an edge that they have missed since the Cameroonian striker injured his knee in August, Raúl believes.



" Eto'o is fundamental to them. They will probably recover some of the things that may have been missing " he continued.



Finally, the Madrid striker looked ahead to the Champions League draw and explained that he fancies pitting wits against Liverpool and Rafa Benítez.



"Playing Liverpool would be very interesting because they have a Spanish coach and Spanish players," he concluded.

Barcelona have been handed a major boost via the news that Thierry Henry will be available for the clash with arch-rivals Real Madrid.


The France international has been sidelined for almost four weeks with a back problem, but has now returned to training ahead of 'El Clasico'.

"The therapy done to improve his discopathy has achieved the desired results," read a statement on the club's official website.

"[Henry has] received the green light from doctors and could be one of the big new names on the list [for the game against Real]."

The forward's return to action is a timely one for Frank Rijkaard - who lost Lionel Messi to a thigh strain last Saturday.

This should be fun considering how he wasted your defence the last time he played them.

Only thing funny will be him calling for a stretcher for his bad back.

robert wrote:This should be fun considering how he wasted your defence the last time he played them.

I wouldn't be surprised if he starts on the bench. And, luckily for us, none of the defenders that were on the pitch the last time he played us will be in the XI on Sunday.

Well Ramos will be there

Schuster siembra dudas con el 'once' del Camp Nou

El martes parecía que el once del Real Madrid en el Camp Nou estaba cantado. Observando a los futbolistas que Schuster se llevó a Alicante y los que dejó en Madrid, pocos podían dudar con respecto a la apuesta del técnico alemán. El once, salvo lesiones de última hora, debía estar formado por Casillas, Ramos, Pepe, Cannavaro, Marcelo, Diarrà, Sneijder, Baptista, Robinho, Raúl y Van Nistelrooy.

Sin embargo Schuster sembró la duda durante la rueda de prensa posterior al duelo copero. El técnico germano alimentó el debate al asegurar que “hay jugadores que han estado jugando este partido de Copa que van a jugar el domingo, igual que hay jugadores que están en Madrid no van a salir de principio en el Camp Nou”. Con esta premisa queda saber si es un farol o realmente va a hacer cambios respecto al once que venció a Osasuna hace cinco días en el Bernabéu.

Los entrenamientos de hoy y mañana servirán para definir cuál es realmente el equipo que el entrenador teutón tiene en mente. El mayor morbo está en saber si Guti tiene opciones de recuperar un sitio en el once o se quedará en el banquillo tal y como ha sucedido en los últimos encuentros. En principio, y tras haber jugado los noventa minutos en Copa, parecía muy claro que su lugar estaba en el banquillo del Camp Nou.

Sin embargo, las palabras de Schuster abren una posibilidad a que Guti le quite el puesto a Sneijder o Baptista. El otro que podría tener sus opciones de jugar de inicio es Heinze, que ocuparía el lateral izquierdo en detrimento de Marcelo.
El resto, en principio y salvo sorpresa de última hora, parece bastante claro. Sería una sorpresa mayúscula que Schuster tocara alguna otra pieza de un once que le está dando muy buen resultado.

http://www.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/1a_division/real_madrid/es/desarrollo/1071128.html

Without Messi I feel a lot more comfortable playing with Marcelo. I'd always play Guti...but that's just me.

Guti es seria duda para el clásico

José María Gutiérrez 'Guti' es seria duda para el partido del Camp Nou ante el Barcelona. El madridista sufre un esguince en el ligamento lateral externo de su tobillo derecho y su presencia en el clásico es más que dudosa. La titularidad del centrocampista madrileño era una de las principales incógnitas en el equipo de Schuster.

El canterano está en tratamiento médico y fisioterapéutico y, aunque hoy trabajó en el gimnasio y sobre el césped, sufrió este contratiempo y está pendiente de evolución en las próximas 24-48 horas.

Por lo que se refiere al resto de la plantilla, el equipo, con todos sus efectivos en perfectas condiciones, regresó al trabajo tras la jornada de descanso después del partido de Copa del Rey ante el Alicante (1-1) para comenzar a preparar el encuentro contra el FC Barcelona. El grupo empezó en el gimnasio y después siguió con un circuito físico y con balón y mañana realizará la última sesión (11.00 horas, puerta cerrada) antes de emprender rumbo a Barcelona en La Saeta (19.00 horas).

http://www.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/1a_division/real_madrid/es/desarrollo/1071323.html

So Sneijder + Baptista then...

It´s probably a good thing that Guti isn´t starting. I´d like him to be on the bench in case we need a second half comeback but his laziness in the field could really affect us. Baptista and Sneijder work much harder than Guti and they´ve began to develop a good understanding.

Both are very attack minded tho, where as Guti lied a bit deeper and made passes.

TM wrote:Both are very attack minded tho, where as Guti lied a bit deeper and made passes.

Yes, but there is no way Guti should be considered to be less attack-minded than these two. The problem also lies with Guti´s reluctance to run and uncomb his hair. We´ll miss his defense-splitting passes but I still prefer to have Baptista and Sneijder at this point.

Towards the end of last season Guti did quite a bit of tracking back.

Marca are saying Guti is injured and is a doubt for Sunday.

Jaime wrote:Guti es seria duda para el clásico

José María Gutiérrez 'Guti' es seria duda para el partido del Camp Nou ante el Barcelona. El madridista sufre un esguince en el ligamento lateral externo de su tobillo derecho y su presencia en el clásico es más que dudosa. La titularidad del centrocampista madrileño era una de las principales incógnitas en el equipo de Schuster.

El canterano está en tratamiento médico y fisioterapéutico y, aunque hoy trabajó en el gimnasio y sobre el césped, sufrió este contratiempo y está pendiente de evolución en las próximas 24-48 horas.

Por lo que se refiere al resto de la plantilla, el equipo, con todos sus efectivos en perfectas condiciones, regresó al trabajo tras la jornada de descanso después del partido de Copa del Rey ante el Alicante (1-1) para comenzar a preparar el encuentro contra el FC Barcelona. El grupo empezó en el gimnasio y después siguió con un circuito físico y con balón y mañana realizará la última sesión (11.00 horas, puerta cerrada) antes de emprender rumbo a Barcelona en La Saeta (19.00 horas).

http://www.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/1a_division/real_madrid/es/desarrollo/1071323.html

So Sneijder + Baptista then...

I am actually very happy Guti isn't playing. Guti can make some great passes whereas Baptista and Sneijder are very convential but with some great shots.

I am confident that our defense and Touré and Guddy can take care of 2 hardworker conventional players.

You going to the game Oleguer?

TM wrote:Towards the end of last season Guti did quite a bit of tracking back.

He tracks back when he feels like it, and that´s the problem. If he gets into one of his mood swings against Barcelona, we´ll be in deep trouble. With players like Iniesta and Etoó running riot in our half, we need every player to track back when necessary.

We have to accept that Barcelona will dominate our midfield though. Thhere´s little to do about that since they have much better players at controlling the tempo. We should play in a more direct way, preferably counter attacking most of the time. For this, the likes of Baptista and Sneijder would do more than Guti could, since Guti slows down the game a lot by taking an eternity before letting go of the ball.

the problem i see we have with guti sometimes is that diarra+other midfields only look for him and this makes it easy to mark guti. but that is mostly against the small sides.against barca guti would get the space he needs plus snejider tends to dissappear too much. good thing about snejider that he runs more and not just in the defensive part but also ofensivily which guti doesnt in the same way. we can play very direct now and if baptista and snejider gets space they should just shoot the hell out of valdes.