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UCL | QF (Second leg)| FC Barcelona vs AC Milan

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#1 ·
FC Barcelona vs AC Milan

Camp Nou | Tue, Apr 3 | 20:45 CET



After the solid dispaly over Bilbao, we host Milan on the return leg of the CL.

As everyone is aware, this is a vital game for Barca to win to defend the CL title and Milan is a team that can change the dynamics very effectively, with a strong attack comprising of Zlatan, Robinho, El Shaarawy and Boateng. Pato is also traveling with the team. We also welcome back Maxi Lopez.

For Barca, we will have to bring our complete focus and intensity, since this is the knock out round and we are aware of the danger posed by Milan. If we play to our strengths of ball possession, pressuring up high and relentless attack, we should be able to emerge victorious. Lady luck smiling on us will help too!

Probable line-up:
Valdes
Alves-Pique-Mascherano-Puyol
Xavi-Busquets-Iniesta
Alexis-Messi-Fabregas

FORÇA BARÇA!
 
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#138 ·
Partly echoed. Was hoping for a 4th goal.
 
#120 ·
Congrats guys. Clearly the better side over the two legs.

Ignore the haters and the jealousies or some that may just be bored with seeing Barca win football matches, still the best footballing team around with the best player in the world. Think this present team could be a bit inferior to previous recent teams but as said when the team put their mind to it still the best around. Enjoy.

Fabregas still not on the wavelength of the others. Lacks that real Barca style of play, the quick movement and real short, sharp passing skill. Maybe will come to him in time.
 
#121 ·
Well deserved win. We were clearly the better team. Both penalties were deserved and there really should be no debate about that.

Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc, and Cuenca were good. This really could have been a game for Alexis, though. At least in the 2nd half I think his pace and workrate would have given those tired legs of Milan alot of problems.

Thiago had some moments when he came on but he still gave away possession quite a bit. Adriano should have buried that shot and he probably would have had he elected the far post.

Nevertheless, no complaints. Bring on whomever.
 
#124 ·
Job Done!. Barcelona would've come through even if that Penalty wasn't given.It was like Man U equalizing in CL final -- We would've scored very easily. Hiding behind such excuses is only going to make them lose the league as well.

I loved how we conserved all our energy to defend. Even Messi was supporting the left back at one point.

Let MADRID,MILAN and other M'f$$$#s talk about the REF while we enjoy this moment.
 
#126 ·
It's incredible when you consider that we didn't play a particularly good game, but we still ousted the Serie A leader with a goal to spare.

The tie met expectations IMO. Now the semis, Chelsea are not as strong as Madrid or Bayern so I reckon we are well on our way to the Finals. We made a huge step tonight to make this a great season.
 
#128 ·
We go through and the haters are quick to point out how everyone is helping us. No need to bring up the penalties not called for us in the first leg. Clear as day but only Barcelona gets favors from Uefa. :rollani:
Just accept the fact that calls are missed and refs can make mistakes. But who am I kidding.
 
#129 ·
Back to the match. Again we missed some clear chances which we should have scored. Milan scored very easily from their first shot which is just not acceptable in a game like this.

I didn't think Fabregas had a good game. Off the pace For me today. Thiago when he came on also didn't impress me. Was trying to impress a bit with his back heels which didn't work out and gave away the ball easily. Cuenca was better in the second half I think, same for Iniesta. Our defense was good I thought.
 
#142 ·
After the game Ibrahimovic told Viasat Fotboll: "We got back to 1-1 and then we saw a penalty decision given against us that I cannot understand. The ball was not in play, but he whistled. It was an odd decision, a strange decision. It ruined the game.

"They don't need to be given favours. We're talking about the best team in the world. I'm starting to understand Mourinho's reaction every time he comes here. I've been through it myself now. I understand more and more."

Ibrahimovic also felt he might have been given a penalty when he was brought down in the area in the second half under a challenge from Javier Mascherano.

He added: "Also, I wasn't given a penalty. The referee was blowing for fouls every time you touched them. It was a shame. Had the referee given out decisions equally to both teams we'd have had a better chance. They did well, though - we shouldn't just complain about the referee."

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola felt the officials had made the correct call.

"Ibrahimovic can say the same as Mourinho but we respond on the pitch. They were two penalties," Guardiola said. "They were fouls in the area and they were given so they were two penalties. This is what I have been taught since I was a child.

"If Ibrahimovic says it is thanks to the referees then fine, but we have qualified five times and the players speak on the pitch, which is where they should do their talking."

On his team's performance, he added: "In the first half, we played with three at the back to create more scoring opportunities, so by the end we had 21 shots on goal against three for Milan.

"We defended well and, after going 2-1 up, we returned to a four-man defence to control the game. Lionel Messi is a wonderful player and we have the great fortune of having him in our squad."
 
#133 ·
Congrats on the win & 5th consecutive semifinal appearance. Impressive stuff. :thumbsup:

Ref was courageous to award the penalty but I believe it was a good call. If the same incident happened outside the box its a foul, so the same applies inside the box and its a penalty.
 
#135 ·
Congrats. You were better than us, although we had some extremely good individual performances and a solid, tactically smart team play overall.

With a little bit of luck it could have gone the other way. But also with some luck you could have scored more goals - and I am including the penalties as part of the "luck" factor: sometimes they are called, sometimes they are not.
 
#136 ·
I am happy with the performance and result, though I consider we are not on top form right now judging from recent results. Even today, Xavi was operating on may be 70-80%, and we couldn't dominate as usual. It's in part thanks to a good job by Milan, but also in part because of some injuries and poor form of our team.

I was glad to see Cuenca play, but he was afraid I felt. He did not do much, he was hiding. I don't blame him, he is a young, inexperienced player, probably he felt like peeing. Thiago on the other hand came on with supreme confidence. In fact, he was overconfident, giving away simple balls, and trying to do unnecessary. All in all, this is a learning process, and I hope they learned something out there.

Messi was a beast as usual. Cesc did a good job, Iniesta was magical. Busquets was a colossus, once again. Adriao, I favored him to start BTW, was a bit shaky in defense, and that finish made me almost puke. I would have if it were a closer scoreline. You gotta put those away. Same goes with Thiago's miss.
 
#140 ·
Can't believe all the ridiculous talk about referees favoring us in this game--what a joke to focus on one marginally controversial incident and decide its evidence of favoritism. Price of success, I guess.

Quick note: the Thiago and Adriano 1-on-1 misses remind us how difficult what Messi does day-in day-out actually is.
 
#143 ·
Nesta, meanwhile, accepted that he had pulled Busquets' shirt but claimed he was fouled by Carles Puyol at the same time.

"I pulled Busquets a bit, but I was being blocked from behind by Puyol," Nesta told Sky Sport Italia. "It was a foul on me as well. At least from what I saw on the pitch, the referee awarded the foul before the ball was in play.

"In Italy they give many more fouls in general, whereas in Europe they give fewer fouls and more of these penalties for shirt tugs. I think the referee could've done a lot better tonight."

Massimo Ambrosini added: "In every level and on every corner things happen, but the interpretation changes from referee to referee. There is no uniformity. It takes some courage to make such an important decision in a tie like this. There are always going to be some tugs on set plays and always have been.

"We knew Barcelona are the strongest team in the world. We leave without regrets and there were differences between the teams over the two legs, but not all that much."

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/s...-hits-out-at-favouritism-to-barcelona?cc=5901
 
#144 ·
Its funny how so many believe that UEFA want a Barcelona, Madrid final.

Then the draw should've been:

Bayern vs Milan
Chelsea Vs Barcelona(the eventual champions, anyways, according to UEFA atleast)
----------------------------
Madrid vs Apeol
Marseilles vs benefica

This way Barcelona is anyways going to the final, with the usual Ref thingy, and Madrid chances too would not be as low as they appear now :).

And in any case if people believe in such things why is a Match against Barcelona such an attraction for the Clubs. Guess it should be played in empty stadiums.
Why should stupid Madrid fans watch it and play spot the favor context and even discuss it like their wife's pregnancy and child's early care --- its not even against them and it does not affect them unlike La Liga matches.
The only explanation I can think of is they would hate to have us in the competition and are looking for excuses to discredit us. But why watch??????.
I have the right to watch a madrid vs Bayern match as I would not know whats going to happen. Why would you watch matches and why would fans come to stadiums if its certain that Barcelona is going to win.

It must be really hard to be our players because as a supporter I just feel helpless and irritated.My regard for them has gone up with the way they handle this mudslinging.
 
#145 ·
Was at the game last night. Not the best game I was ever at, but the boys gotl the job done.

Funny as **** listening to everyone who hates Barcelona giving out about the referee.....it's like teams think that no matter what they do they don't deserve cards or penalties against them. Has pulling an opposition players shirt in your own box and dragging him to the ground been made legal in football or something?
 
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