Juve appears stronger than Barce based on each one's performance vs Athletico.
La Liga 2018/19
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
They just had to score the chance they had from that free kick. Was an absolute sitter and I don't think Barca would have equalized then.
Last minute fight?
Costa and Simeone tag team vs ref an a linesman?
Costa and Simeone tag team vs ref an a linesman?
Great goal Suarez. Of course Messi had to have his say.
That was Juve's best performance of the season by a mile. This has been a below par Barcelona.
You can't help but admire them. We're fecked though. Just hope it's not a cricket score.
I turned on for the last 15 minutes and during that time he’s run through the whole team twice and scored once, so if he’s playing shite then we should probably be worried
That is standard Messi but the decision making was very poor at many a time today. Atleti is not a team where you can dribble through the entire defense. This win is on Suarez though and his moment of genius wins it.I turned on for the last 15 minutes and during that time he’s run through the whole team twice and scored once, so if he’s playing shite then we should probably be worried
Also brilliant block from Lenglet on that shot on Morata.
Gimenez doesn't get the recognition he deserves, he is 100% in contention for being the best CB in the world.
This Barca side are actually way too good for us for me to have any hope of us progressing in the CL. And when I say Barca, I really mean Messi +10.
Despite all that he should have two more assists with Alba and Suarez' misses!
That Alba miss was shocking really. That assist deserved a goal!Despite all that he should have two more assists with Alba and Suarez' misses!
Haven't they been below par for a while now? Even today it's looked like atletico was close to 0-1 despite the ten men. Messi looked to be running into some blind alleys too until the defence got tired and space opened.
I'll be supporting United. I absolutely love Messi though and if Barca go through then I'm obviously supporting them for the rest of the tournament.
They've not been very good this season by their standards. They actually dropped a lot of points earlier in the season but it's just that Atleti and Madrid were far far worse.
they look pretty ordinary
of course they'll wipe the floor with us and then lose to liverpool
of course they'll wipe the floor with us and then lose to liverpool
I worry about this too, but I think they'll handle Liverpool too.
Doubtful, they're very weak defensively, I'd say on par or even worse than Bayern. Of course you never know with Messi but I'd say the scousers have a pretty good chance, unlike us
Their defense is easily better than Bayern's IMO. And Ter Stegen is better than Neuer now.
Liverpool's defense haven't dealt with a player like Messi either.
Pique is arguably having just as good a season as VVD, only you’ll not hear it because the Premier League hype machine is in full effect.
I hope Messi puts an ankle breaker on VVD.
Yeah Pique looks back to his best and Lenglet has formed a good partnership with him. Alba's the best full back in the world too.
Their defense is much better than Bayern's for me and they've become much adept at conventional defending compared to their days under Pep.
I would go with 3 at the back in this one, with smailing, Jones and Lindelof centre backs. Matic and Herrera holding in midfield and Pogba much more advanced to start or join in counter attacks. With Rashford and lukaku up top. They leave a lot of space in behind their midfield. But I know lingard will be there somewhere despite only scoring 1 goal this calender year. We have to nullify the threat of Messi and Suarez
I thought Athletico were comfortable then Suarez pulls out that bit of magic and Messi finishes it then.
Saying that DDG needs to be as good as Oblak was tonight
Saying that DDG needs to be as good as Oblak was tonight
Atletico did well with ten men, but Barça were poor and Atletico didn't really give Ter Stegen anything to do, despite the effort. Meanwhile, Messi created a one-on-one for Suarez and a one-on-one for Suarez. Arguably the tie should have been over before it eventually did. Suarez' runs were off all evening.
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There are some on here who will try make it look like this Costa decision was ridiculous but Pique got a direct red 2-3 years ago as well for insulting/abusing a ref.
Also the ref for today's game has included in his report that Costa hurled abuse at him twice.
Also the ref for today's game has included in his report that Costa hurled abuse at him twice.
I hope we see more reds given like that.
No other sport let's players abuse the ref as much as football
No other sport let's players abuse the ref as much as football
No sport has the pressure and importance of football.
Have you played? Tension is very high in games like this one, ref has to understand it’s nothing personal and control the game. Not have his ego hurt for random insults.
Should give a talking to and a yellow card on the first time. Then send the player off if it continues. Sending him off at the first go in the first half of a game like this when it’s such a common thing to happen without punishment is awful refereeing at this level.
Players get warned every season about respecting refs, well deserved red card. It's too easy to blame it on tension
Can't defend Costa, just would be good if referees always punished dissent with at least a yellow in all the leagues. Ref's shouldn't have to put up with being sworn at.
Atletico going to have a massive clear-out this summer, looks like Saul / Rodri off, they already sold L Hernandez, Griezmann probably off as well.
Hopefully Atletico and Real put in a much better challenge to Barcelona next season and we get a decent fight for the title.
Atletico going to have a massive clear-out this summer, looks like Saul / Rodri off, they already sold L Hernandez, Griezmann probably off as well.
Hopefully Atletico and Real put in a much better challenge to Barcelona next season and we get a decent fight for the title.
He called the refs mother a whore! It was a personal insult and then you're blaming the ref for taking it personally.
Yes, I've played football and other sports. I've also reffed kids game and been abused - mainly because these kids take their cue from brats like Costa.
Football's is the world's greatest sport but this is one of its greatest failures. Its ludicrously stupid to think other sports have less pressure or importance. Take rugby: a broadly similar high-octane team sport where refs are respected no matter the level of competition.
Its only a common feature in football because scumbags like Diego Costa have been able to get away with it. Just need to send a few more players like this, footballers will wise up and the game will be in a better place for it.
Oh noes, poor Costa, the tension and importance of the game led to the tirade, nothing to do with the utter bellend that he is. Must be why he's been a cnut on the pitch for years as well.
Of course it's not a personal insult, when you call someone a son of a bitch it's just a generic insult, not something to be taken literally as insulting the person's mother...
It's not ludicrously stupid to think other sports have less pressure or importance. Football is the only sport in the world that's as big as religion. It's not the same as other sports, at least for a lot of cultures.
Just like players need thick skin to deal with the pressure and abuse involved, so do the referees. If they can't take it then they won't be as good as they should be. Obviously there are lines that shouldn't be crossed, but a referee needs to have the common sense to understand he's part of the game and he's there to manage it, not to be above all of it. In a big game like this, that should never happen. Killing a football match and a whole season of matches because of something like that is ridiculous. If the ref deemed it serious, should have been a yellow and a harsh talk with the player and then send him off if he repeats it. Not get him off the pitch at the first go, especially when everyone watching knows that if the game is at the Wanda Metropolitano or if it was Suarez doing the same at Camp Nou then the ref never has the balls to pull that off.
I thought we did very well to corrupt the game last night. Forced Costa into insulting the ref and made the ref react to it. Assist and goal.
Having watched the match last night, and also the Newcastle United v Crystal Palace match, one thing I did notice was there were two instances of fouls with elbows. The first was Benteke who was jumping for the ball therefore he had to use his arms as leverage. It was an unfortunate accident and Benteke; by the rules of the game should have received either a yellow, or a red, depending on the referees interpretation.
However, in the Atletico Madrid v Barcelona match last night, I think the referee did have a shocking start to the game and Madrid should have been a man down earlier than expected. Clement Lenglet has the ball near the line and Diego Costa comes charging in and instead of using his shoulder or body to barge Lenglet over, somehow he managed to connect his elbow to the face of Lenglet. This was clearly no "unfortunate accident", we have to call it out on what it really was; a deliberate attempt to injure a player when it was unnecessary to do so. The referees assistant only flagged, the referee clearly made no attempt to call for VAR to validate his decision but in the end, no yellow card was given. You could say that the referee gave Costa the benefit of the doubt.
With all that being said, I am guessing that the referee reflected on his decision on not giving either a yellow/red card to Costa, by trying to even it up later on should there be an occasion. It didn't take long as we all know, most Spanish referees have thick skins and get abused all the time. I am sure that he was waiting for that particular moment and Costa obliged. The only person Atletico Madrid fans should be blaming is Costa himself, and not the referee (in spite of the fact he made an error of not sending Costa off earlier for a deliberate elbow which is red card worthy.)
Cautions and dismissals (double yellows or straight reds) for dissent are rife in Spanish football compared to other leagues.
Last night's game:
http://actas.rfef.es/actas/RFEF_CmpActa2?cod_primaria=1000144&CodActa=56222
B.- EXPULSIONES
- FC Barcelona: Ninguna
- Club Atlético de Madrid SAD:
+ En el minuto 28 el jugador (19) Da Silva Costa, Diego fue expulsado por el siguiente motivo: Dirigirse a mí a viva voz, en los siguientes términos:"¡¡ME CAGO EN TU PUTA MADRE!!, ¡¡ME CAGO EN TU PUTA MADRE!!".
C.- OTRAS INCIDENCIAS
Otras incidencias: (Jugador: Diego Da Silva Costa) Una vez expulsado, aún en el terreno de juego, me agarró en sendas ocasiones por el brazo con el objeto de impedir que no mostrara las amonestaciones a sendos compañeros dorsales 24 y 2, respectivamente.
2015-16 Supercopa 2nd Leg at Camp Nou :
http://actas.rfef.es/actas/RFEF_CmpActa2?cod_primaria=1000144&CodActa=27159
B.- EXPULSIONES
- FC Barcelona:
+ En el minuto 55 el jugador (3) Pique Bernabeu, Gerard fue expulsado por el siguiente motivo: gritar a un árbitro asistente: "Me cago en tu puta madre".
- Athletic Club:
+ En el minuto 86 el jugador (9) Sola Clemente, Enrique fue expulsado por el siguiente motivo: Ser culpable de juego brusco grave al disputar el balón con un adversario,con su pie en forma de plancha impactando en su pierna.
(But it was only a glorified friendly...)
Last night's game:
http://actas.rfef.es/actas/RFEF_CmpActa2?cod_primaria=1000144&CodActa=56222
B.- EXPULSIONES
- FC Barcelona: Ninguna
- Club Atlético de Madrid SAD:
+ En el minuto 28 el jugador (19) Da Silva Costa, Diego fue expulsado por el siguiente motivo: Dirigirse a mí a viva voz, en los siguientes términos:"¡¡ME CAGO EN TU PUTA MADRE!!, ¡¡ME CAGO EN TU PUTA MADRE!!".
C.- OTRAS INCIDENCIAS
Otras incidencias: (Jugador: Diego Da Silva Costa) Una vez expulsado, aún en el terreno de juego, me agarró en sendas ocasiones por el brazo con el objeto de impedir que no mostrara las amonestaciones a sendos compañeros dorsales 24 y 2, respectivamente.
2015-16 Supercopa 2nd Leg at Camp Nou :
http://actas.rfef.es/actas/RFEF_CmpActa2?cod_primaria=1000144&CodActa=27159
B.- EXPULSIONES
- FC Barcelona:
+ En el minuto 55 el jugador (3) Pique Bernabeu, Gerard fue expulsado por el siguiente motivo: gritar a un árbitro asistente: "Me cago en tu puta madre".
- Athletic Club:
+ En el minuto 86 el jugador (9) Sola Clemente, Enrique fue expulsado por el siguiente motivo: Ser culpable de juego brusco grave al disputar el balón con un adversario,con su pie en forma de plancha impactando en su pierna.
(But it was only a glorified friendly...)
Rugby has just as much pressure, importance and much more physicality. Yet you will never see refs get abused like they are in football.
And it happens a lot more often without any punishment. Refs have to take the circumstances of the games into account, in the first half of a title dedicer he should be more lenient towards that behaviour than in a random match. It's not the same.
The exact same thing happened to Dinamo Zagreb away to Benfica a few weeks ago in the Europa League with 15 minutes of extra time to go and I wrote the exact same thing here about it.
Marca hitting (yet again) a new low by claiming that the referee made Atlético lose the Liga yesterday!! As if 8 points were not big enough already (0-0).
Mental.
Do you want to know how Atlético "lost" this Liga? With 8 miserable draws and 3 defeats prior to their "crucial" (not really) match vs Barça in Camp Nou. And a disappointing season by Griezmann.
They have totally lost the punch, teeth, confidence and agression of 2013-2016.
Mental.
Do you want to know how Atlético "lost" this Liga? With 8 miserable draws and 3 defeats prior to their "crucial" (not really) match vs Barça in Camp Nou. And a disappointing season by Griezmann.
They have totally lost the punch, teeth, confidence and agression of 2013-2016.
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They need to sign some cnuts like Gabi and Raul Garcia. They're lacking in the shithousery department which used to be their biggest strength.
Either that or change playstyle to one that suits their more technical midfield. Either way, this is going to be a big summer for Atletico and Simeone.