Barcelona Vs Liverpool - The European classic..

10 days untill the first leg gets underway, how will this one go? I expect Liverpool to give them a challenge at the Nou Camp, hopefully get out of there with a lot to play for in the second leg, should be a cracker.

Pre-match comments here please

I can see Barcelona triumphing, my opinion.

However, it could go the other way ..

Liverpool need a positive result at the Camp Nou and then at Anfield where Liverpool fans love European nights, will spear Liverpool to a possible win.

Barcelona needs the team to be flying on all cylinders .. Messi/Ronaldinho/Eto'o connection could be the difference.

Iniesta will be my man to watch, such brilliance this season so far..

We don't have a chance. All of the world's great football thinkers have ruled us out; LRD, Rez, Merson. We might aswell not turn up

I guess this is a thread for sensible buildup...so, I'll say what I said when the draw was made - all the "external" factors around this match point to us losing:

- Former players (Reina but thankfully not L. Garcia) always do well against their old team
- Benitez knows how to play against us and had our number with Valencia as well
- Liverpool can play the long ball to Crouch and exploit our weakness at crosses
- Our attack is misfiring and Etoo/Messi won't be 100% fit (maybe Etoo)
- We always struggle against English teams and their physical approach
- Liverpool have the Anfield home crowd in the 2nd leg, whereas Camp Nou will just get quiet and nervous if things go against us on the pitch

But I still think the tie is slightly in our favour, because I believe that we are better in what matters most - not the extra factors described above, but simply at playing football, and the players raising their game and mental approach when it matters for a crucial match like this. Let's see what happens, and I'll admit, I'm more nervous about this than I was in any CL match last year (Chelsea, Milan, Arsenal, all included).

shame Luis is missing, you'll have to deal with the mighty Mascha though..

Someone post some history between these two sides.

There are not many teams that can point to a winning record over Barcelona but Liverpool are one of them. If past results are any omen, the Reds should get past the Catalan side in their Champions League Second Round tie.

Liverpool have twice eliminated Barcelona in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup and gone on to lift the trophy. The first occasion was in 1975-76 but the second is comparatively recent. It seems strange to think that both sides were in the junior European competition back in 2000/01.

The Reds had the ‘midas’ touch in knockout football that season and the UEFA Cup was the third leg in an amazing treble. Resilience was the hallmark of that Houllier side- they forced a goalless draw at the Nou Camp and won a tense home game with a Gary Mcallister penalty.

Hyppia, Carragher, Fowler and Gerrard were all in the Liverpool team that might- The Spanish keeper was Pepe Reina. Carlos Puyol is the only Barca survivor and he will captain the Barcelona side for this tie.

In the next campaign Barca took revenge by coming away from Anfield with a 3-1 win in a Champions League group game. The Reds still managed a gritty draw in the away return to qualify second in the group.

Back in 1976 it was the old combination of Keegan-Toshack that produced the goal that won the Nou Camp leg but it was Keegan with the knockdown for his bigger colleague to score.

55,000 turned up for a great Anfield night. Phil Thompson’s goal ensured a tense 1-1 draw and progression to the Final.

Hopefully Liverp00l will get stuffed.

Go and have some deep-fried fudge and sit on your bag-pipe you kilt wearing, knife-wielding, ginger-tosser.

Luis wrote:shame Luis is missing, you'll have to deal with the mighty Mascha though..

Surely only one of him or Sissoko will play? Or are you going for a 4-5-1 "let's park the bus" with Crouch up front?

Obispo wrote:Go and have some deep-fried fudge and sit on your bag-pipe you kilt wearing, knife-wielding, ginger-tosser.

Deep fried fudge wouldn't work, it would have to be something chocolate, not that I've ever had a deep fried bit of confectionery.

Surely Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich is the real European classic?

Parks lives wrote:Surely Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich is the real European classic?

13 European cups between them.

There's only 7 between Liverpool and Barcelona.

kas wrote:

Luis wrote:shame Luis is missing, you'll have to deal with the mighty Mascha though..

Surely only one of him or Sissoko will play? Or are you going for a 4-5-1 "let's park the bus" with Crouch up front?

Maybe both will play..doubt it though

....................Reina...................

Finnan.......Carra.........Agger...........Aurellio.........

...................momo........Alonso......................

........Pennant...........Gerrard.................Kewell....

..............................Kuyt.............................

??

Personally, I think Liverpool would be better off playing 4-5-1 at the Camp Nou with Crouch up front on his own, and 4-4-2 at home, with the pace of Kuyt and Bellamy. So...

1st leg:

....................Reina...................
Finnan.......Carra.........Agger...........Aurellio.........
...................momo........Alonso......................
........Pennant...........Gerrard.................Kewell....
..............................Crouch.............................

2nd leg:

....................Reina...................
Finnan.......Carra.........Agger...........Aurellio.........
...................momo........Alonso......................
........Pennant...........................Gerrard...........
...................Kuyt......Bellamy.......................

Kewell?

Kept him in preservation all season long just for this game? We're honoured

Bellamy will play at Camp Nou for sure. Gerrard back on the right, not sure if Kewell's fit

You certainly can't pick the team for the 2nd leg now, it'd be results dependent.

kas wrote:Kewell?

Kept him in preservation all season long just for this game? We're honoured

Nah, he may make the home game, will probably be Gonzales on the left, he destroyed you whilst at Sociedad anyway..

Wouldn't be surprised if Gerrard doesn't play.

Just check how many times he's actually played in a European away tie.

Hasn't started in one at all this season and he didn't start in Betis last season for definite. Can't remember what others he's missed.

Luis wrote:

Parks lives wrote:Surely Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich is the real European classic?

dont quite see whats funny with this but okay.

Liverpool to run barca close but ultimately lose.

Wednesday, 21 February 2007
Barcelona v Liverpool, 19:45
FC Porto v Chelsea, 19:45
Inter Milan v Valencia, 19:45
Roma v Lyon, 19:45


Wednesday, 21 February 2007
Everton v Tottenham, 20:00
Watford v Wigan, 19:45

Fuck







Liverpool's best bet:

-----------------Reina

Finnan--Carragher--Hyypia--Riise/Aurelio

Bellamy--Alonso--Sissoko--Gonzalez

---------------Gerrard

---------------Crouch


which could change to and from:


-----------------Reina

Finnan--Carragher--Hyypia--Riise/Aurelio

Gerrard--Alonso--Sissoko--Gonzalez

---------Bellamy------Crouch



Bellamy is the one Liverpool player who has to start.

Liverpool should defend deep and soak up the pressure (a game for the more experienced Carragher and Hyypia rather than Agger) and then hope that Gerrard, Alonso or Riise can hit decent balls over the top for Bellamy to get behind Barcelona's high line in the hope that he can change the game in the way that Duff did for Chelsea a couple of years back.

Playing Gerrard in a 2 man central midfield would be suicide and there's no way Rafa will do it.

Rosicky wrote:

Luis wrote:

Parks lives wrote:Surely Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich is the real European classic?

dont quite see whats funny with this but okay.

I think its the fact that they're both utterly shit.

Not Hyypia! Don't care about his experience. He's a liability unless the ball is being launched into the box and Barca won't go down that route.

Is Mascherano even allowed to play for Pool in the CL, because he featured for West Ham in UEFA Cup?

I think Barcelona will edge this tie, and for footballing reasons I'd like them to go through as well. Tho if Pool out play them over the two legs, then there will be no complaints from me.

Dinho's form, I imagine may be the difference as to whether Barca go through or not. I'd like to see young Andres start as well, standout for the Barca side this season. Fantastic player.

Calidad wrote:. Tho if Pool out play them over the two legs, then there will be no complaints from me.

This won't change anything. We outplayed them home and away, yet we're still called boring

Calidad wrote:Is Mascherano even allowed to play for Pool in the CL, because he featured for West Ham in UEFA Cup?

One player who's played in the UEFA cup can have play in the Champions League so yeah, Mascherano can play. Whether he'll be risked or not (atleast in the away leg) remains to be seen. He hasn't played competitive football for months and Rafa's said he's off the pace at the moment.

I imagine he and Arbeloa will get their first starts at home to Sheffield United in a fortnights time and we'll see how they do. Can't imagine him starting either in this game.

I think Rafa will play for a 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou, but he might hope to knick an away goal so pace will be important in the side. i predict the team will be:

- - - - - - - - - - Reina - - - - - - - - - -

Finnan - - Carragher - Agger - - Riise

Gerrard - Alonso - Sissoko - González

- - - - - - Bellamy - - Kuyt - - - - - - -


i think González will start, if fit, because he played in la liga or maybe Aurelio. Bellamy and Kuyt upfront because they last started against Newcastle.


But what will cause Barca more problems?

Pace


or

Height

Height and long balls will cause us more problems. I'm pretty sure Benitez will be happy to sit back and let us have the ball in the Camp Nou match.

In the 2nd leg they'll need to use their home support to run non-stop for 90 minutes and try to get the ball from us and force our midfield into mistakes or bad passes. But if we can get a lead going into the 2nd leg, then the onus will all be on them.

maybe a bit too early in Barça's case to talk about potential line-ups.

In the first leg, I expect Eto'o and Messi to still be subs.

the line up may then be the same as against Racing except Oleguer for Belletti. (I wouldn't switch Zambrotta to allow Gio in - he really seems to have found his feet on the left and combines well with Dinho).

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

Ole ---- Puyol ---- Marquez ---- Zambrotta

----------------Edmilson

------- Deco --------------Xavi

Iniesta ---------------------------Ronaldinho

-----------------Saviola

Eto'o and Messi to come on.

Contrary to popular belief, I think 0-0 at home may not be a bad score, even if I'm confident we can score.