Barcelona - Real Madrid anticipation thread (December 23rd)

Not random actually, it's on a "first come first served" basis

supermadrid wrote:

Jaime wrote:VALDANO = GOD

if i were elected president the first thing i woul do is hire him to oversee the sporting section. he did get a few things wrong though when he was here. i believe he was the reason hierro+del bosque had to go. allthough to be honest i think he is best at analysing when he is maybe not inside the club since it tends to make people believe their hype. maybe like a consulent. in the same interview he was also going on about how the redondo=gago comparison was stupid because they arrived at different times and with different backgrounds. the only i can remember that has been as accurate about us, or close to it, is Laudrup.

Clearly Valdano and Del Bosque didn't get on...and Valdano did recommend Queiroz. Those were his only two flaws. I just love the way he views football.

Re: Redondo v Gago...you have to remember, when Redondo arrived to Real Madrid he was 25. He had already been playing in Spain for Tenerife for 3 or 4 seaons. So when people say Gago is no Redondo, they are right, give him 3-4 years and then compare. The thing is football has changed. Young players are too anxious to go to big clubs, big clubs are too anxious to buy up young players.

Alright lads, I'm off...probably won't be back on until after el clasico.

De las glorias deportivas, que campean por España
va el Madrid con su bandera, limpia y blanca que no empaña.
Club castizo y generoso, todo nervio y corazón,
veteranos y noveles, veteranos y noveles,
miran siempre sus laureles con respeto y emoción.

¡Hala Madrid!, ¡Hala Madrid!
Noble y bélico adalid, caballero del honor.
¡Hala Madrid!, ¡Hala Madrid!
A triunfar en buena lid, defendiendo tu color
¡Hala Madrid!, ¡Hala Madrid!, ¡Hala Madrid!

Enemigo en la contienda, cuando pierde da la mano
sin envidias ni rencores, como bueno y fiel hermano.
Los domingos por la tarde, caminando a Chamartín,
las mocitas madrileñas, las mocitas madrileñas
van alegres y risueñas porque hoy juega su Madrid

¡Hala Madrid!, ¡Hala Madrid!
Noble y bélico adalid, caballero del honor.
¡Hala Madrid!, ¡Hala Madrid!
A triunfar en buena lid, defendiendo tu color
¡Hala Madrid!, ¡Hala Madrid!, ¡Hala Madrid!

Jaime wrote:

supermadrid wrote:

Jaime wrote:VALDANO = GOD

if i were elected president the first thing i woul do is hire him to oversee the sporting section. he did get a few things wrong though when he was here. i believe he was the reason hierro+del bosque had to go. allthough to be honest i think he is best at analysing when he is maybe not inside the club since it tends to make people believe their hype. maybe like a consulent. in the same interview he was also going on about how the redondo=gago comparison was stupid because they arrived at different times and with different backgrounds. the only i can remember that has been as accurate about us, or close to it, is Laudrup.

Clearly Valdano and Del Bosque didn't get on...and Valdano did recommend Queiroz. Those were his only two flaws. I just love the way he views football.

Re: Redondo v Gago...you have to remember, when Redondo arrived to Real Madrid he was 25. He had already been playing in Spain for Tenerife for 3 or 4 seaons. So when people say Gago is no Redondo, they are right, give him 3-4 years and then compare. The thing is football has changed. Young players are too anxious to go to big clubs, big clubs are too anxious to buy up young players.

I werent saying that Gago isnt going to become as good as redondo. i dont know and only the future will tell. i was just saying that the comparison was unfair.

Regarding the DM debate, I would agree that IN PRINCIPLE you don't need a DM. However, I would only feel comfortable not having a Diarra style DM if our attack was a lot better than what it is at the moment. In the past, we could have Redondo as a lone DM and lose a bit in our defensive qualities (though Redondo was no slacker defending either) because we had an attack that could keep the ball all day. We simply don't have this now. Robinho is the only truly flashy player in our entire attack. Barcelona did very well without a real DM recently because Eto'o, Deco, Ronaldinho, etc. were all on fire. They could keep the ball in the opposition's half all day if they wanted to. Last season some of their stars began to fade and hence their lack of a DM became very apparent. I believe that we are in a stage when this would be very noticeable.

In the future though I would be very happy if we build a team which would allow us to have a player like Cesc or Gago to be our most defensive player. We don't have the luxury to do that at this stage IMO.

Iniesta to score the winning goal

johan the baptist wrote:Iniesta to score the winning goal

For a Real victory.

Dark Savante wrote:

johan the baptist wrote:Iniesta to score the winning goal

For a Real victory.

That would be a nightmare.

I expect nothing less then a clear Madrid victory! Even with Midget it should be possible to beat the Nike commercial!

Looks like Dinho is going to be benched along with Deco.. Not too sure that this too smart. I would prefer to see Dinho starting cause I am not covinced Giovani is ready for such a big match eventhough he has a lot of talent..

And Edmílson is back.. yay

Trouble with the black sheep again.
_____________________________________________________________

Ronadinho Set For Milan After Furious Rijkaard Bust-up?

The chances of troubled Barcelona star Ronaldinho moving to AC Milan have dramatically increased after a furious training ground bust-up with Coach Frank Rijkaard.
The Dutch tactician was caught on camera yesterday shouting at and berating Ronaldinho for his lack of effort.

This led the Brazilian to walk of the training field just a few minutes later complaining of a pain in his leg.

The Spanish media believe that there was no such injury and it was merely a poor attempt by Barcelona to cover-up the real reason why Ronaldinho is set to miss tomorrow’s El Clasico clash with Real Madrid.

The 27-year-old has been notably out-of-form this campaign and has been repeatedly been left out of the starting XI in recent games.

He sat out the Champions League clash with Lyon, the La Liga match with Espanyol, as well as last week’s 3-0 win at Valencia.

these latest turn of events are sure to increase speculation of a move to Milan for Ronaldinho.

Rossoneri President Silvio Berlusconi has stated on numerous occasions that he would love to bring the playmaker to the club.

Although the chances of a transfer before the summer originally seemed slim, this is no longer the case as Ronaldinho is rapidly falling out with team-mates, coaches and the Barca fans.

http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=523120

furious bust-up???!!!

All that happened was that Rijkaard had a talk to him after the training because Dinho was doing too many tricks...

Seriousely, look at your own squad at times.. You've got loads of problems yourselves and the moment you are back in second/third place where you belong you'll have the usual Madridista civil war going on...

Calm down i was just joking about it. I heard another version from some commentators today but when i read this one i had to print it. I love Goal.com.

Feynal Fantasy wrote:I expect nothing less then a clear Madrid victory! Even with Midget it should be possible to beat the Nike commercial!

Are you Fey ??

I expect nothing less than a 3-1. After we massacre them they will stop beleiving their own hype.

PUTA REAL MADRIZ!!!

golsud wrote:I expect nothing less than a 3-1. After we massacre them they will stop beleiving their own hype.

PUTA REAL MADRIZ!!!

This is this spirit we must have. We just need one of our men to take the game by the scruff of the neck and dominate proceeding, there is no way Los Burros can come to the glorious majestic Camp Nou and take the points, absolutely no way .. how they are allowed to tread on the pitch is beyond me, confounded !!

Barça 5-0 Real Madrid

That's my prediction for El Super Clásico. We'll be grilling steaks and chugging down beers enjoying Barça's cátedra de fútbol.

I agree with the writer that we should really go for if there is a chance Rijkaard could get fired which is better then going 7 points clear. allthough im not sure that it is true he would be fired half way in the season.i think laporta is smarter then that.
___________________________________________________________
La Liga Preview: Barcelona - Real Madrid

What: La Liga, Round 17
Who: Barcelona (2nd, 34 points) vs. Real Madrid (1st, 38 points)
When: 1900 CET, Sunday, December 23 2006
Where: Camp Nou, Barcelona
Life in Spain will come to a standstill as the top two football clubs - in every sense of the word - go head to head in the latest edition of El Clasico.

The Title Race: Advantage Madrid

Leading Barcelona by four points, Real Madrid are assured of top spot heading into the two week winter break, and as such, have very little to lose.

What they can gain, though, is priceless. A seven point lead over their fiercest rivals would surely make for the ideal Christmas, and knock the stuffing out of Barcelona.

What is more, it could truly set the cat among the pigeons at Camp Nou, with Frank Rijkaard on very slippery turf in terms of his future already.

There have been repeated assurances, but the unofficial message is very much that it will all depend on what happens on Sunday evening. A draw might just save him, but a defeat could be the end of the road.

In that sense, Madrid can simply afford to go for broke, for a win here could well prove to be decisive. Barcelona, on the other hand, could probably be forgiven if they have the 'what if' syndrome.

Then again, there is a massive gain for them too. A win would make it a one point title race, and almost wipe the slate clean heading into the new year. After all the trouble they have had, if they can do that, they will almost feel as if they were leading the title race.

The Home Factor: Advantage Barcelona

Their backs may be against the wall, but a peerless home record means that Barcelona will still be favourites heading into this game. They have won eleven of eleven home games in all competitions, something that is bound to worry Bernd Schuster and boys just a touch.

Real Madrid - while better than Barcelona - have not really been prolific on the road. They have won just four of their twelve away games in all competitions, though all of them have come in the league.

They have three defeats, to Espanyol, Sevilla and Werder Bremen, and five draws, something that once again favours Barcelona.

Of course, the form book goes pretty much out of the window in such games. Barcelona lost 2-0 at the Bernabeu last season when they were still winning anything and everything - and that result eventually cost them the title. The way things are going, nobody can rule out another dead heat come the end of the season, making this game even more important.

Key Players: Advantage Madrid

Real Madrid probably have the edge in terms of the way their key players have been functioning. Robinho, Raul and Ruud van Nistelrooy seem to be performing like clockwork, while the midfield is also finally beginning to settle down thanks to Julio Baptista's return to form.

The defence can still be made to look ragged by some sustained pressure - as Lazio, Espanyol, Sevilla and Werder revealed - and that could play into Samuel Etoo's hands.

That said, Lionel Messi's injury leaves the Barcelona attack in a state of uncertainty, with nobody quite knowing what to expect. The only certaintly is the Cameroonian, with Thierry Henry passed fit but far from certain to start.

The positives come from some of their midfielders and defenders. Andres Iniesta is in the form of his life, and Xavi as consistent as ever. With Yaya Toure getting better with every game and Eidur Gudjohnsen putting in some confident midfield displays, there is a certain air of solidity in the middle.

Eric Abidal and Gabriel Milito have also been in superb form, which has made up for the up and down season skipper Carles Puyol is having. Overall, given Messi's absence and the concerns over Ronaldinho, Madrid just about edge this section.

The Coaches: Just About Even

It would be unfair to hold this against Schuster as he has always had an inferior team at his disposal, but apart from the second leg Copa del Rey win late last season, he has been second best to Rijkaard when the two have faced off.

That said, if it is the latest game that counts, that 4-0 result will mean that Schuster will have a slight psychological edge. Overall it is tough to call, so we can leave this one even.

What is certain, though, is that this one will mean a lot more to both of them, and they will be pulling out all the stops. That in itself means that we will all be treated to an absolute classic.

FORM GUIDE

Barcelona

Match Result Date Championship
Valencia - Barcelona 0 - 3 15/12/2007 LA LIGA
Barcelona - VfB Stuttgart 3 - 1 12/12/2007 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Barcelona - Deportivo 2 - 1 09/12/2007 LA LIGA
Espanyol - Barcelona 1 - 1 01/12/2007 LA LIGA
O. Lyon - Barcelona 2 - 2 27/11/2007 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Barcelona - Recreativo 3 - 0 24/11/2007 LA LIGA


Real Madrid

Match Result Date Championship
Real Madrid - Osasuna 2 - 0 16/12/2007 LA LIGA
Real Madrid - Lazio 3 - 1 11/12/2007 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Athletic Bilbao - Real Madrid 0 - 1 08/12/2007 LA LIGA
Real Madrid - Racing 3 - 1 01/12/2007 LA LIGA
Werder Bremen - Real Madrid 3 - 2 28/11/2007 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Murcia - Real Madrid 1 - 1 24/11/2007 LA LIGA


TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

Lionel Messi's absence is the big blow Frank Rijkaard has been handed in the build-up. Thierry Henry has been cleared by the doctors, but is not fit enough to last 90 minutes. He will come on around the hour mark, which means that both places alongside Samuel Eto'o are up for grabs.

Andres Iniesta will take up one of them, and training sessions indicate that Giovani Dos Santos has been handed the other, with Ronaldinho remaining on the bench.

Eidur Gudjohnsen will also start his first El Clasico, being preferred over Deco to partner Xavi and Yaya Toure. At the back, Gianluca Zambrotta will once again be relegated to the bench as Rijkaard uses Puyol on the right, Abidal on the left, and Milito and Rafael Marquez as centre-halves.

Personally, I would rather have pitted Zambrotta against Robinho, with Marquez dropping to the bench!

Probable Line-Up: Valdes - Puyol, Milito, Marquez, Abidal - Xavi, Toure, Gudjohnsen - Giovani, Eto'o, Iniesta.

Real Madrid

Bernd Schuster has few doubts about his starting eleven, and dropped the biggest hint when leaving nine players out of the squad that faced Alicante in the Copa del Rey.

The recent injury suffered by Guti is unlikely to affect things too much in that regard, though the German will want to have the midfielder on the bench should he be needed in the final stretch.

He seems to have settled on the more robust combination of Diarra, Baptista and Sneijder in the middle, with the Dutchman dropping towards the right. Robinho will start on the left, with Raul just behind Van Nistelrooy.

Sergio Ramos, Fabio Cannavaro and Pepe are practically assured of a start. The only slight doubt is at left back, with Miguel Torres and Marcelo competing for the spot. I would rather see Torres keeping it tight, particularly with Robinho in front of him.

Probable Line-Up: Casillas - Ramos, Cannavaro, Pepe, Torres/Marcelo - Sneijder, Diarra, Baptista, Robinho - Raul, Van Nistelrooy.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona): The Cameroon international has always produced his best against Real Madrid, be it for Barcelona or Mallorca, and sent out a clear signal with his brace last week.

Raul (Real Madrid): The Merengue skipper also brings something special to this game. If Madrid find themselves down by any chance, you can count on him to do his utmost to effect a comeback. His psychological edge over Puyol could prove crucial.

Andres Iniesta (Barcelona): It is this diminutive midfielder that Real Madrid must keep off the ball. When he starts turning and twisting into the box with energy, every other Barcelona player starts getting into the right space.

Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid): The Dutchman is perhaps the best strike partner Raul has had in all his years with Madrid, and the combination is almost certain to cause plenty of problems to Barcelona.

PREDICTION

Both the defences can crack under pressure, which means that there will be goals at both ends of the pitch. It won't quite be the thrilling 3-3 draw of last season, but it could be close.

Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid

Abhishek Thakur

I'll probably won't be here tomorrow before the game so I just wanted to say PUTA REAL MADRIT i VISCA EL BARÇA!!!!!

After we massacre the c**ts they will stop beleiving their hype!!!

FIGO HIJO DE PUTA, FIGO MUERETEEEEE
TU MADRE ES UN PUTA, FIGO MUERETEEEEE
LO LO LOOO LOLOLOLO LO LO LOOOO
FIGOOOOO MUERETEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Llega la peste, el madridista
Con esos cuernos que saltan a la vista
el madridsta, HIJO DE PUTA
Los buenos cules de su muerte disfrutannnnnn
ALE ALEEEEEEE ALE ALEEEEEEEE

Para que venis aqui?
A reirnos del mandril
Los vikingos chuparan
Nuestras pollas sin parar!!

I PUTA REAL MADRIZZZZ I PUTA REAL MADRIZZZZZ I PUTA PUTA PUTA REAL MADRIZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!

@Oleguer

Company, que tinguis un bon dia demà, beguis molt (carajillos i cubatas espero) i ja veuràs com guanyem a la purria madridista!!!!! VISCA EL BARÇA I VISCA LA TERRA COLLONS!!!!!

And to all cules:

Have a great day, drink plenty and enjoy watching our glorious club beat the cheating fascist dishonourable c**ts

Shame that Ronaldinho isn’t what he used to be; without Messi, Henry, Ronaldinho and Deco this game doesn’t have the same magic.

Schuster's honorary Germans will win , of course

the trick is to bench the Dutchies like Drenthe, Sneijder and Robben

Barca lost La Liga when they employed the Dutch Lama and failed to buy Klose, Schneider, Podolski or Ballack

wahre G

This is my last post before the game so I just wanted to say:

HALA MADRID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Torrente wrote:This is my last post before the game so I just wanted to say:

HALA MADRID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

does anyone give a f@ck wen ur last post is?

Torrente wrote:This is my last post before the game so I just wanted to say:

HALA MADRID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a perfect football day for me! And in a couple of hours it will be even better!!

barca to win 3-1 ma prediction

the biggest club game in football. o i cant wait

No Guti That team is out of balance!! And we have to wait until the 70th minute for subs!!