Barcelona vs. Chelsea CL SF discussion thread

kas wrote:Big news: Henry is out injured for 2 weeks (blow to his knee during the Madrid game), so he'll miss the match. Which means Iniesta on the left, and probably Keita in midfield. As Keita tends to cover the left area, that opens up the possibility of Sylvinho at LB and Abidal in the middle. Busquets is another possibility, but less likely IMO. Or Guardiola may throw a surprise and start Gudjohnsen in midfield (which I would not be happy with at all).

Let's see what Guardiola decides. Whatever he does though, I'm pretty sure it won't include Hleb

You are better off without Henry. He would choke in such an important match.

Barca deny henry is out for two weeks

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11827_5277934,00.html

Mind games...

Henry is apparently fit according to the BBC Website.

Goods news for Barca

johnny_bravo wrote:What is the card situation for this match?

I remember seeing the on screen graphic during the start of the Camp Nou match saying that Alves was on a yellow, would he miss the final if he were to get another yellow?

Ballack wrote:Yup

I could have sworn they've changed the rules to prevent another Keane/Nedved situation happening again.

they did, yellow cards don't carry over into the finals

So the only way to miss the final would be to get a red card? (assuming your team goes through of course)

Nope, as I posted a few days ago, they changed it to reduce the likelihood, not cancel it completely...IIRC you still miss the final if you get 3 yellows in the entire knockout stage, instead of a yellow in 2 consecutive matches as the rule used to be.

Anyway, who cares about the rule, when you're given the info straight up. Here's the official situation as per Reuters:

Arsenal v Manchester United

Misses next match if booked:
Abou Diaby (Arsenal), Samir Nasri (Arsenal), Alex Song (Arsenal), Robin van Persie (Arsenal)

Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Carlos Tevez (Manchester United)


Chelsea v Barcelona

Suspended: Carles Puyol (Barcelona)

Misses next match if booked: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Alex (Chelsea)

Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona)

Yo Kas! or Chelsea fans! will the Blues continue to park the jumbo plane in the return leg? or will they go mano a mano against Barcelona?

I don´t know about you all, but it´s CLEAR to me that Barcelona are the best team in the world in this ´08-´09 season without a doubt. EVEN if the Catalans don´t win the CL, they are the best.

Many times THE BEST don´t win. Just ask the Germans. Sure they´ve won world cups, but they weren´t the best team...´58 Hungary, ´74 Holland, ´90 Italia etc etc. How´re you doing Otto!

I don't think they'll park the bus, but in terms of their attacking tactics, we'll see more direct (long) passes towards Drogba and Anelka...they won't try to pass it around in midfield because otherwise our pressure on the ball will force them to give possession back to us.

It'll be a similar way to how we played against you in 04/05 with direct balls to both Cole and Duff to then put straight into the middle for Kezman or Gudjohnsen to finish. The start of that game was based around Lampard playing Duff around the back of your right back (Belletti?) and Joe Cole through on the right, with Gudjohnsen making the late runs from midfield.

Not sure how we'll approach the game this time around, but hopefully it's similar. Lampard being the Gudjohnsen type player this time. My only worry is that we go 4-4-2 with no real width from our midfield players. In this case, it'll be long long balls to Drogba to knock down for the advancing Lampard or to Anelka. That'll be more of a smash and grab performance from us if we do attempt that.

I hope we play it like we did in the 06/07 season; Drogba's goal showed that we weren't just launching it in directly to him but actually passing the ball direct to the man (in that case on the floor) SIMILAR to the 04/05 home game.

How exciting.

I don't think Anelka will be playing for knockdowns all the time...watch for him to use his pace and run in areas around the left side of Barça's defense.

Also, Hiddink will have noticed the high defensive line we play, and Anelka's pace is a great weapon to use to try and spring the offside trap.

Who's going to partner Pique? Please. Say. Abidal.

Nobody knows...Caceres, Abidal, or Toure are the options.

oh no ballack could really miss a big final again

but i think he have enough experience to not get a yellow card

If we get through I hope Ballack is suspended for the final. We might actually win it.

pep calls up every available player

Valdés,
Jorquera, Pinto, Alves, Víctor Sánchez, Piqué, Cáceres, Abidal,
Sylvinho, Touré Yaya, Keita, Busquets, Gudjohnsen, Xavi, Iniesta, Hleb,
Bojan, Henry, Eto'o, Messi and Pedro.


Pinto,pedro,sanchez will be dropped.

it would be cool, if sanchez started at CB and had the game of his life.

Is that list correct? I read that Botia has also travelled with the squad (as has Puyol, though he's suspended anyway). Pep wanted the whole squad there, except the two injured players Marquez and Milito.

its from the website, so it must be correct.

they said botia trained with the squad, but his name wasn't on the list.


----Alves---Pique--Botia--Abidal

Who the fuck is botia?

He is a fucking barcelona atletic and Spanish U-21 CB

Tweedle wrote:Who the fuck is botia?

Another product of the world's best academy
(note: this is not hype, I'm not saying he's necessarily destined to be a great player...he's hardly played with the first team, but I have to admit I liked what I saw in pre-season, considering the generally poor CBs that our academy tends to produce)


Anyway, I'd be surprised if he plays.

Messiah wrote:He is a fucking barcelona atletic and Spanish U-21 CB

He's only got the one cap with the U21s!

Jaime wrote:

Messiah wrote:He is a fucking barcelona atletic and Spanish U-21 CB

He's only got the one cap with the U21s!

So what, he is still a U-21 international.

its one of what will be many.

kas wrote:

Tweedle wrote:Who the fuck is botia?

Another product of the world's best academy
(note: this is not hype, I'm not saying he's necessarily destined to be a great player...he's hardly played with the first team, but I have to admit I liked what I saw in pre-season, considering the generally poor CBs that our academy tends to produce)


Anyway, I'd be surprised if he plays.

What are you doing signing players from West Ham

Messiah wrote:pep calls up every available player

Valdés,
Jorquera, Pinto, Alves, Víctor Sánchez, Piqué, Cáceres, Abidal,
Sylvinho, Touré Yaya, Keita, Busquets, Gudjohnsen, Xavi, Iniesta, Hleb,
Bojan, Henry, Eto'o, Messi and Pedro.


Pinto,pedro,sanchez will be dropped.

it would be cool, if sanchez started at CB and had the game of his life.

Pedro>>Hleb

3-2, Barca to go through is my prediction.

Goals

Messiah wrote:

Jaime wrote:

Messiah wrote:He is a fucking barcelona atletic and Spanish U-21 CB

He's only got the one cap with the U21s!

So what, he is still a U-21 international.

its one of what will be many.

Delusional hippy.

Jaime wrote:

Messiah wrote:He is a fucking barcelona atletic and Spanish U-21 CB

He's only got the one cap with the U21s!

Farca hype