No way Barca will play into Liverpool's hands if they meet them. They would have far more trouble with City imo.
Barcelona 2017/18
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They have stopped dominating teams.
They still have the ball most of the time but their opponents are getting more territory than before.
I still think they lack legs in midfield.
I'd fancy Madrid to turn them over in a one off game.
I actually feel this Bayern team or even Liverpool with Klopp are the teams who can better disrupt Barcelona or Real Madrid, as always Guardiola likes to overthink and create troubles for his teams in the later stages of the competition.
I didn't said nothing before, and now its easy because they lost, but I always felt Liverpool was a bit underrated here, I even think they would struggle more facing a Mourinho team today than Guardiola, reason why you can't never compare domestic leagues with the Champions League imo.
they should build Messi a statue if he drags them to final because it's frightening how average they look at times. I've watched almost all of their matches this season and it seems that they can't significantly outplay anyone anymore. they rely on enduring opponents attacks and hope Messi will do his part.
lucky for them it was only Roma tonight, beacuse team with supperior individual quality will murder them if they expose them to same amount of pressure. Bayern seem mature enough not to let Messi handle them like Chelsea did and Madrid in current form would be favorites, imo.
everything looks fine now because it is still more than enough for Atletico, Chelsea and obviously Roma, but I fear they will get exposed badly in next stage, whoever their opponent might be.
lucky for them it was only Roma tonight, beacuse team with supperior individual quality will murder them if they expose them to same amount of pressure. Bayern seem mature enough not to let Messi handle them like Chelsea did and Madrid in current form would be favorites, imo.
everything looks fine now because it is still more than enough for Atletico, Chelsea and obviously Roma, but I fear they will get exposed badly in next stage, whoever their opponent might be.
I think the only reason for that it's that we have a clear leader, a guy to pass the ball to all the time, and to play and build the team around, when Neymar was here, it was similar, but with the problem of the team flipping the coin to see which one, Leo or Ney, had to receive the ball in that play. Not having 2 players do the work only one of them could do is an advantage, it hindered us.
With Ney out, everyone has an anchor to play around in Leo, we can strengthen our midfield with an extra guy (and Iniesta has been a luxury player for almost 3 years now, so Ney made that 2), and is easier for specialists to do their role better when they can play to that, not wait in midfield like they just called a taxi.
Honestly, I can't wait to see this team getting minutes with Coutinho and Dembele, Iniesta gone or on reduced minutes, and see if Valverde can improve the current block with more leeway in the left part of the pitch, can anyone point why are we playing a 442 with Iniesta in midfield in games like today? I don't see a point beyond shoehorning a club legend.
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I switched over after Liverpool scoring the 3 goals. I watched them a few times this season in La Liga and against Chelsea and today, based on that, i dont think they look great. I was impressed with their win at the Bernabeu, but the recent performances werent great. As sime mentioned, i feel on a bad day they could lose hard in the semis. They know how to play Real, but against Bayern and especially Liverpool i feel they could lose in similar fashion to Juve or Paris away. They are such a weird team. They dont concede too much but look kind of open at the back and too relaxed. At the same time they can punish you any time. They werent much better against Chelsea and still progressed with relative ease somehow
That’s by far my biggest gripe with this team. We lack intensity. Real and Liverpool are absolutely ruthless. We play every game like a friendly these days, we are a walking team.
Part of me hopes that Valverde is just conserving energy for the most important part of the season.
I doubt anyone can beat us hard. We play to the level of our opponent. We play terribly against terrible teams like Espanyol (but we still win somehow), but when we play against top teams like Real or Juve, we raise our game.
Deary me. I am not a fan of Barcelona, but the idea of Liverpool could handle Barcelona is an absurd of highest level.
Barca play without Coutinho and Dembele, playing the weakest team in the stage. And look at Roma players, they were so afraid to be smashed down so they donated 2 own goals.
Just because Liverpool could beat City 3-0 at home tonight, does not make them a stronger team. Pep was afraid tonight. Attacked most of the times via Sane. It was an easy strategy to be countered.
Without Salah or with half fit Salah next week, at Emptyhat, i am fancy that Citeh will turn back the situation.
And if, by luck, Liverpool passes City, all other 3 teams (Barca, Bayern, Real) will sink them down. If our half good Man.Utd can beat them, how on earth Liverpool could beat teams with most of the world best players around ?
However, i dont care about Pool or City. Logically, this week City will play fringe players, so it is our chance to take an advantage and secure 2nd spot
Barca play without Coutinho and Dembele, playing the weakest team in the stage. And look at Roma players, they were so afraid to be smashed down so they donated 2 own goals.
Just because Liverpool could beat City 3-0 at home tonight, does not make them a stronger team. Pep was afraid tonight. Attacked most of the times via Sane. It was an easy strategy to be countered.
Without Salah or with half fit Salah next week, at Emptyhat, i am fancy that Citeh will turn back the situation.
And if, by luck, Liverpool passes City, all other 3 teams (Barca, Bayern, Real) will sink them down. If our half good Man.Utd can beat them, how on earth Liverpool could beat teams with most of the world best players around ?
However, i dont care about Pool or City. Logically, this week City will play fringe players, so it is our chance to take an advantage and secure 2nd spot
Liverpool hasn't faced anything close to as good of a defense as Barca have. Their attack is phenomenal no question, but their midfield is much weaker than Barca's and Barca has much better defense although Liverpool's defense isn't too shabby. You are severely underrating Barca. They have the best defense in Europe, which is the exact type of recipe Liverpool would struggle with.
Respectfully disagree, Ter Stegen is a top 3 keeper in the world, Umtiti is a top 3 CB in the world, and Jordi Alba is a top 3 LB in the world.
Pique has been a little up and down but he was superb in both the Sevilla and Roma matches recently. Semedo was also a gem the other night. They have one of the most talented backlines in the world. Much more talent than United's, where only De Gea is comparable.
No way, they thrashed Madrid at the Bernebeau, and while Madrid looked great the first 35 minutes or so, it was all Barca the rest of the way. Barca have a psychological advantage over Madrid, and obviously it can go either way but the team best equipped to take down Madrid and the one Madrid would want to avoid most is Barca.
Liverpool are fantastic, but you're absolutely right. Put them up against an elite defensive team and they will struggle. They can be deadly with their front 3 but they always have a very hard time breaking down a wall. Teams that will play an open game against them would benefit Liverpool the best, but none of Barca, Madrid, or Bayern would play into their hands like that.
AMEN
I don't think Barca are UCL favorites by any means, and I admit their attack outside of Messi is a little bit lacking, but I actually think they're much better equipped to go further in the tournament due to their elite defense the same way it benefited Juventus and Atletico in years past.
Valverde is easily the most underrated manager in Europe. We are in April for god's sake and they're still undefeated in both CL and La Liga. The sample size is too big for it to simply be luck.
Bad angle. Semedo's knee clips the back of Dzeko's tight, which alters the movement of the leg and causes him to trip himself. It's a clear penalty
Now, it wasn't an easy call to make live. Even more so at the camp nou
Semedo was used to do this at Benfica, nothing new for me, unless you want to say Barcelona isn't protected by the referees.
From what I saw from Barcelona at Stanford Bridge, there is nothing guaranteed they will not suffer there, far from it.
And then look what happened to Chelsea at Camp Nou. Same could apply to Liverpool just as easily.
Every chance Chelsea had at stamford was from outside the box. Barca will gladly live with that against Liverpool.
Madrid get protected from the referees as well, Casemiro never gets a red card even though he should have had multiple games of being sent off.
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Of course Real Madrid is the same, but I have to remember the last big match at Camp Nou where the referees scored a penalty against Barcelona.
Regarding Liverpool vs Chelsea, I think Liverpool can cause other type of problems to Barcelona, but it is true and some Barcelona fans may not like to hear this, I think Valverde is more prepared to block Klopp than Guardiola, not saying Guardiola is worse than Valverde, but there is a trend in the last years where he messes up in the CL knockout games.
I agree with you there, I love Pep but his away record in CL left much to be desired.
I think valverde is much more defensive and that could stymy Liverpool but Barca also haven’t faced an attack as potent as Liverpool in CL so it’ll be a great matchup if it happens.
Guardiola for me is the best manager in the world when it means winning domestic leagues playing atractive football, but winning knockout competitions I think he overthinks too much, prime Mourinho or Benitez (in the past), Heynckes, Klopp, even Valverde now are more suited to win this type of competitions.
Not to mention Zidane, after all Real Madrid hasn't been the best team in Spain in the last 10 to 15 years and that doesn't stop them to win the Champions League, its a different competition, we just have to see last time Mourinho won was in 2010 and Guardiola 2011...
Reason why I think its just stupid to say managers are the best when they win the Champions League, where you can see in the long run if you are good is on the number of times you win your domestic leagues, of course its unfair to judge Klopp based on that because he managed BVB and now Liverpool, it will be easier for Liverpool to win cups than leagues in the future imo.
Roma 3:0 Barcelona (CL QF)
Been living dangerously all season.
Bottlers
True. Their manager I assume is going to be torn to pieces as well.
Two teams coasting their leagues look to be going out. You need the competition to keep you sharp.
Holy feck, this really is true ain't it?
A deserved hiding. They have been in poor form for over a month now.
What the hell, talk about an upset.
Overdue. They have been poor. Messi has dragged them to an unbeaten domestic campaign, somehow.
What a night for the followers of St Pep.
How the feck did they blow a 4-1 lead???????
It's been coming.
Messi has carried them all season.
If they were smart, they'd sack Valverde.
Messi has carried them all season.
If they were smart, they'd sack Valverde.
I've been patient for months but this seals it, Valverde is a disgrace as a coach for a team like Barcelona.
Keep trusting Iniesta when he's totally out of form, keep believing in Gomes when he hasn't shown anything, Suarez eating minutes and offering 0, the 442 til the dead when games like this one asked for another thing, and guys like Dembele and, even worse, Denis Suarez and Alcacer being wasted on the bench.
I-d rather lose the cup and see him gone by June, that eat another year of his nonsense.
Keep trusting Iniesta when he's totally out of form, keep believing in Gomes when he hasn't shown anything, Suarez eating minutes and offering 0, the 442 til the dead when games like this one asked for another thing, and guys like Dembele and, even worse, Denis Suarez and Alcacer being wasted on the bench.
I-d rather lose the cup and see him gone by June, that eat another year of his nonsense.
Valverde to get fired after an unbeaten league season?
Does Valverde survive this?
Valverde will probably be sacked for this.
Aye it was mind boggling how he thinks it was ok for a Barca coach to go there with such conservative tactics. Dembele also on the bench until minute 85, when you struggled all match for something different.
Really? He's gonna win the league.
They do have a habit of getting humiliated away from home in the CL, don't they? PSG, Juve, now Roma... and that's just the last two seasons.
So now i hope people will realise that the quality of the play the style is MORE IMPORTANT than some random victory. Valverde should be sacked right now because he betrayed the DNA of Barcelona! Coward and nothing to offer. Such a shame!
Not just being conservative, him having 0 clues of the leg is the worst part.
He fielded the same 11 that got lucky in the Camp Nou, and then left Dzeko keep controlling long balls alone for 80 minutes, 2 defenders + Semedo and Alba were a huge missmatch today, not only he failed to predict it, he did nothing at half time and took 80 minutes to make his first move, and what a move bringing Gomes in, Dzeko was still free to do as he pleased.
He has Vermaelen to field a 3-3-3-1 and kill Roma at the counter, he has Denis to swap Iniesta when he was totally wasted 60 minutes into the game, and still... nothing. I haven't seen a worse tactical job in this club since Charly Rexach.