Let the drama unfold. Seriously our first serious challenge. Actually Super Cups does not matter to me. But this Cup is special. A bragging right cup. The Cup from which the momemtum will be decided. With Holy Trinity back together we can win this one, but underestimating Madrid would be stupid as they can still beat us with their brand of 10 men defence. Would be interest to see how will Messi play after the heartbreak penalty shootout loss. I bet he is more hungry to prove himself. As usual we will be using our flexible 433 with Messi being the false 9. Hope to see our new prodigy Thiago and also the new boy in the town Sanchez.

 

madrid have had the better preseason and antifootball is generally easier to gel back into one's system after a summer break compared to our game. They have the advantage imo.

This match is more important than it looks mainly for psychological factors... it will set the tone for the season. whoever loses it will start a bit more frustrated in la liga. if madrid lose the super cup then it will demotivate their players from the very start and will reconfirm Barca's superiority which they already know on the inside(even if they wont make that claim.. except gago)

While the cup is not very important, the psychological sting is!

bring the trophy...

 

madrid have had the better preseason and antifootball is generally easier to gel back into one's system after a summer break compared to our game. They have the advantage imo.

This would make sense if Madrid were playing "anti-football" in the preseason.

 

I agree, though i think the psychological burden will be heavier on madrid, as I can see our team recovering easily from a loss. Considering what they achieved last season
Madrid on the other hand will have a massive blow to their confidence if they lose.

Having said all that, a win is still a MUST

 

Whats our likely line-up for this one?

 

In my opinion, if we can score the first goal, Madrid will have to come out and play big time to stop us. Frankly, I don't see that happening with Jose there. We didn't see it in the Champions League semifinals, and we're not going to see it here either, I'm sure.

 

I have no idea, but Puyol is out for this match.

I'd go with -

Valdes
Alves - Mascherano - Pique - Abidal
Xavi - Busquets - Iniesta
Pedro - Messi - Villa​

 

Its more likely that Busquets will partner Pique in the centre, because they have been playing together in every preseason game.

And Keita will play as holding midfielder, like every preseason game.

I wouldn't be surprised to see:

------------Valdes------------
------------------------------
Alves--Busquets--Pique--Abidal
------------------------------
-------------Keita-------------
---Thiago------------Iniesta---
------------------------------
Pedro----------------------Villa
-------------Messi-------------


Why Thiago? Well, Xavi wasn't called up for Spain due to injury...

Anyway, I'm not expecting a win here. Messi and Alves haven't played with the team all preseason, Thiago and Keita are not first choices in midfield. Busquets in defense does not fill me with confidence. And our preseason has basically been quite average, while Madrid has won every game with force, and have been in preseason longer than we have.

 

Jose underestimated us one time (probably because he read too much into his Inter "win") and it costed him 5-0. He was humiliated and wont ever want anything like that on his resume even if it means he never beats Barcelona.

Last year's encounters have shown that madrid's style wont change no matter how many we score. They start conservatively hoping to nick a goal against the run of play.. when they concede they still try to steal that same goal from a set play etc... when they concede again it becomes about damage control. They dont open up at any time.

 

Busquets at CB / Keita at DM is not good.

Mascherano straight in at CB and Busi as DM with Thiago and Iniesta I would have thought.

 

Here's another option -

Valdes
Alves - Pique - Abidal - Adriano
Thiago - Busquets - Iniesta
Pedro - Messi - Villa​

 

Perfect :thumbsup:

 

Hard to predict a lineup without knowing will Pep dare to use players who didn't have preseason with the team (except Messi, obviously, who is always super ready), and have only few training sessions in this week (Alves, Sanchez, Mascherano). All in all we don't even have 18 available players for the match squad. What we have is:

12 players, who had preseason: Valdes, Pinto, Pique, Villa, Iniesta, Keita, Busquets, Pedro, Adriano, Abidal, Fontas, Thiago.

3 players, with no preseason: Alves, Sanchez, Mascherano

1 superman: Messi

1 who is functional even on wheelchair: Xavi

The sum of the above names is 17.

We have 3 injured players: Puyol, Afellay and Maxwell (he may recover though).


Montoya recovered from injury, but he was training with the first team and didn't play CC like other available B players (like dos Santos for example), this makes me think that Montoya is 18th man for the match squad. So, can't predict the starting eleven, but I'm pretty sure I'm good at predicting the match squad 18.

 

1 big Q as we are the Champion League winners of last season and this is our first official game this season, shouldn't Madrid give as a carador or whatever it called when they lineup to greet us as we walk into the pitch ?

I recall Sevilla did so when we won in 2009 if I'm not mistaken??

 

You mean un Pasillo. At the Bernabeu? Heh just forget about it. They will never do that with that low life José "Por Que" Mourinho in charge.

 

Lmao, I doubt it. Moudrid pulling a pasillo for us is unheard of. The time they clapped Ronnie was because they didnt know the scale of domination they'd suffer under for years to come, appreciation quickly turned into mindless desperation and mou-inspired fanaticism. They're not afraid of Ronaldinho like they're afraid of Messi, Pep, SanPedro, XavIniesta, etc.

Jose underestimated us one time (probably because he read too much into his Inter "win") and it costed him 5-0. He was humiliated and wont ever want anything like that on his resume even if it means he never beats Barcelona.

Ahahaha Moe thats actually well put And we all know why.

Not sure Thiago is quite ready for a 90 minutes clasico away game. Think Keita will start with Thiago getting good minutes off the bench, especially if Xavi or one of the other players doesn't have 90 competitive minutes in them yet. I just hope we dont see Busquets in defence. Imagine him vs the pace of Cristiano. He should be in midfield where he belongs:

Valdes
Alves - Pique - Abidal - Adriano (or Adriano - Pique - Masch - Abidal)
Xavi/Keita - Busquets - Iniesta
Pedro - Messi - Villa

Thiago
Masch or Keita
Sanchez

off the bench.

 

If Xavi is definately not ready I would put Thiago straight in there instead of Keita next to Iniesta.

No doubt.

 

Xavi will be ready according to media in Spain... lets see if Cesc will be ready to play p

 

Nah I anticipate Cesc to be with us for the 2nd leg. What better way for Cesc's first game with us to be at CAMP NOU against our bitter rival?

Wouldnt surprise me if thats the big plan. Anyhow, Real are rolling at the moment but Im sure they'll play anti futbol against us like in the first leg of CL at the Bernabeau.

 

That pic of Ronaldo is disturbing. Massive Boner!

Also Thiago should play. He's in the form of his life, and Xavi needs the rest anyway.

 

This would make sense if Madrid would play against Bayern instead of Hertha, or against ManUtd instead of Leicester. Leicester, WTF, OLIMPIJA PLAYED A FRIENDLY AGAINST THEM THREE YEARS AGO. Better preseason, my ass. They are good at kicking beaten oponnents while they are on the ground, like those Chinese nonames losers, but they hide in their mouseholes when they meet a true bully like us. Leicester, for god's sake!

 

Good work Barco, take a deep breath and read the posts again.

Moe said it's easy to get back into the anti-football mentality, implying that we've deployed such tactics throughout the preseason.

That is incorrect.

Now, go off on an unrelated rant and tell me a story about some old man milking a cow in a village that nobody cares about.

 

lol, hey Josh, you got what he meant. This preseason for mou is only about getting prepared not to be humiliated saliza style at home again. But if you guys DO play antifutbol against us, will you change your current avatar for the more accurate Florentino-Mou cagometro one:

:rimshot:

 

No Puyol and no Pique makes me a happy panda.

Hey Josh, know if Ramos will partake? Or was it Mou's usual tricks he has with NTs, including his own porkchop one :undecide: Also do you expect FCB players to play on despite getting injuries during NT games?



The cagometro is strong with these. The kidnapped ones havent even started a thread for this game yet (a feeling of deja vu) so Biina has to share his complete mess for posts here. Despite coming into this game with a longer time to prepare a preseason and less injuries.

 

Dude, get a team back in XT Liga. Need our battles to resume.

 

I'm taking the big breath because we are on talking terms (again). Don't deny it, you prick. I achieved everything there is to achieve in XT for a big guy like me, I'm taking the big breath because of it. It's time to retire, there's nothing left for me here anymore.

 

XT liga isnt what it used to be when K4 left control of things. So do we have a deal, change into the more accurate picture for your avatar if antifutbol is accepted by the bernabeu. OK? : D

Barco seems to be right as per. Montoya training with the first team:

 

@ Joshua: There are two reasons why madrid have the upper hand in the super cup imo

1. they had the better preseason
2. antifootball is easier to gel back into one's system after a summer break compared to our game

Do you need things in point form?

 

1. they had the better preseason

Yes - cos of match fitness.

2. antifootball is easier to gel back into one's system after a summer break compared to our game

No Defensive tactics requires more teamwork, discipline and practice. Attacking is less rigid and can survive on individual moments of brilliance.

 

It's much easier to coach defence than attack, mate. Because there is less skill and talent involved.

 

No. defence require more team work and organization, and the fact that it is less dependent on skill and talent actually makes it more difficult to coach - the coach must be able to recognize error and correct them. Attack on the other depends on talent, skill, and players understanding each other (which is more dependent on how long/often they have played together than under which coach). In the attack the players are able to express their individuality and thus require less coaching than the defenders. You can make a solid defence from mediocre individuals, while talents and skill will most often than not surpass effort in attack