2017 Pre Season | Barcelona vs Manchester United

[Invictus]

VS....

Date - Wednesday, July 26 2017 Local | Thursday, July 27 2017 UK
Kickoff Time - 1930 Hrs Local Time, 0030 Hrs BST
Venue - FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Previous Meeting



Pre-Match Pressers

José Mourinho


Ernesto Valverde



Team News

Manchester United

Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw and Ashley Young ruled out. Juan Mata trained alone after suffering a knock against RSL, while Ander Herrera is also a doubt having been forced off against Real Madrid.

Spoiler: Squad

Goalkeepers (3): David De Gea, Sergio Romero, Joel Pereira

Defenders (12): Antonio Valencia, Matteo Darmian, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Eric Bailly, Daley Blind, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Victor Lindelof, Marcos Rojo, Axel Tuanzebe, Luke Shaw, Demi Mitchell

Midfielders (10): Michael Carrick, Ashley Young, Ander Herrera, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lindgard. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Scott McTominay, Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata, Andreas Pereira

Forwards (3): Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial

Barcelona

Gerard Deulofeu and Rafinha have not traveled with the rest of the squad following significant injuries. Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Andre Gomes are on extended holiday following the Confederations Cup.

Spoiler: Squad

Piqué, Rakitic, Sergio, Denis Suárez, Arda, A. Iniesta, Suárez, Messi, Neymar Jr., Cillessen, Mascherano, Paco Alcácer, Jordi Alba, Digne, S. Roberto, Aleix Vidal, Umtiti, Semedo, Marlon, Douglas, Samper, Vermaelen, Munir, Ortolá, Jokin, Ezkieta and Aleñá.

Know the opposition

Futbol Club Barcelona, commonly known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. On 22 October 1899, Joan Gamper placed an advertisement in Los Deportes declaring his wish to form a football club; a positive response resulted in a meeting at the Gimnasio Solé on 29 November. Eleven players attended — Walter Wild(the first director of the club), Lluís d'Ossó, Bartomeu Terradas, Otto Kunzle, Otto Maier, Enric Ducal, Pere Cabot, Carles Pujol, Josep Llobet, John Parsons, and William Parsons — and Foot-Ball Club Barcelona was born. Gamper later recruited Jack Greenwell as the first full-time manager in Barcelona's history in 1917. After this hiring, the club's fortunes began to improve on the field. During the Gamper-led era, Barcelona won eleven Campionats de Catalunya, six Copa del Rey and four Pyrenees Cups and enjoyed its first "golden age".

The 1973/74 season saw the arrival of the man who would leave an indelible mark on the club - Johan Cruyff, who was bought for a world record £920,000 from Ajax. Already an established player with Ajax, Cruyff quickly won over the Barcelona fans when he told the European press that he chose Barcelona over Real Madrid because he could not play for a club associated with Franco - helping the club win the 1973/74 for the first time since 1960, defeating Real Madrid 5–0 at the Santiago Bernabéu en route. In 1988, Johan Cruyff returned to the club as manager and he assembled the so-called "Dream Team". Along with being one of three founding members of the Primera División that have never been relegated from the top division, on the domestic level - Barcelona has won 24 La Liga, 29 Copa del Rey, 12 Supercopa de España, 3 Copa Eva Duarte and 2 Copa de la Liga trophies, as well as being the record holder for the latter four competitions. In international club football, Barcelona has won twenty European and World titles — four UEFA Champions League titles and one European Cup, a record four UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, a shared record five UEFA Super Cup, a record three Inter-Cities Fairs Cupand a record three FIFA Club World Cup.

The club has a long-standing rivalry with Real Madrid; matches between the two teams are referred to as El Clásico. Barça's local rival has always been Espanyol. And their rival in European football is Italian club AC Milan. The team has played its home matches in the Camp Nou since 1957.


Referee

.
​

ft. @top1whoisman​

 

[Raw]

This should be a bigger test, they've already had a pre-season game unlike City and Madrid. Plus we'll be facing Messi, Suarez and Neymar!

 

[sammsky1]

Unbeaten so far!

 

[el3mel]

De Gea
Valencia - Lindelof - Jones - Darmian
Pereira
McTominay - Pogba
Mikhi - Lukaku - Lingard

Romero
TFM - Bailly - Smalling - Blind
Carrick - Tuanzepe
Fellaini
Rashford - Martial - Mitchell​

I hope Mata is back for this and play the second half on the right with Rashford on left instead.

 

[P-Nut]

De Gea
Valencia - Lindelof - Jones - Darmian
Pereira
McTominay - Pogba
Mikhi - Lukaku - Lingard

Romero
TFM - Bailly - Smalling - Blind
Carrick - Tuanzepe
Fellaini
Rashford - Martial - Mitchell​

I hope Mata is back for this and play the second half on the right with Rashford on left instead.

Rashford would play as striker instead of Martial in your second line up. I'd prefer it the other way round aswell but just won't happen.

 

[el3mel]

Rashford would play as striker instead of Martial in your second line up. I'd prefer it the other way round aswell but just won't happen.

I'll be fine with both solutions, but Martial played well in the first 2 matches as a striker so I was eager to see him against a better opponent in this position.

 

[P-Nut]

I'll be fine with both solutions, but Martial played well in the first 2 matches as a striker so I was eager to see him against a better opponent in this position.

Yeah I think he's much better up top. I personally think he's better than Rashford when played there but I know it's unpopular to most people.

 

[ADJUDICATOR]

.

Yeah, I agree with that.

 

[The No.10!]

.

Point.

 

[Jaap]

Point.

Good point.

 

[FCBarca]

I'm off Thurs & Fri so will be up late watching, useless friendly but have been suffering from Barca withdrawal

 

[Sereques]

I'm going to be at this game with the missus.

 

[11101]

De Gea
Valencia Bailly Lindelof Darmian
Fellaini Pogba
Miki
Rashford Lukaku Martial

I think Jose will want to forge Lindelof and Bailly together at CB. Miki has looked good coming through the middle and Martial is playing himself into the team.

 

[FCBarca]

I'm going to be at this game with the missus.

Nice. How's the football interest in the DC area? And does the missus enjoy the sport?

 

[MarylandMUFan]

Stadium looks a bit different now with the Redskins removing some of the upper end seats and adding some standing room only (party deck) areas.

 

[MarylandMUFan]

I'm going to be at this game with the missus.

I am as well. Dragging my wife to her first ever soccer match. I told her the atmosphere might be more like a minor league baseball game than a soccer match but it should still be fun.
To respond to FC Barca's question, football is pretty big in the DC area. I regular see Madrid or Barca stickers on cars on my commute and there seems to be a fairly large Premier League following in the area. DC United does not get the support that they used to have but that's because they have been really poor for quite a long time. I am hoping when they move to their new stadium, it will bring them back to life.

 

[bdecuc]

Come on Jose, time to give Axel a run out.

 

[Santoryo]

Yeah I think he's much better up top. I personally think he's better than Rashford when played there but I know it's unpopular to most people.

Martial is a better finisher as in more clinical and has better hold up play but Rashford has better movements and runs which allows him to find himself in goalscoring positions much more.

 

[P-Nut]

Martial is a better finisher as in more clinical and has better hold up play but Rashford has better movements and runs which allows him to find himself in goalscoring positions much more.

I'd say Rashfords off the ball movement is better and his work rate in closing down. Apart from that I'd take Martial everytime.

 

[fishfingers15]

Last time we played Barcelona in the stadium, I was in the crowd seeing Michael Owen score the winner. In fact I was right behind the goal in that end.. It was a great day out

 

[Robertd0803]

Half 12 kick off? Hmmmm, work the following morning may prevent watching it live.

 

[minoo-utd]

Any news on Herrera?

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Mata is back.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

 

[sully1]

About time Jose stops sticking Miki on the wing he looks use less out wide, get him in the middle paying behind Lukaku so we can see his strengths.

Jese and Rashford should be fighting for the right wing spot.

 

[VeevaVee]

Has Jose's hair gone extra grey in the sun?

 

[Ronaldo's Mum Eh?]

What does Jose say?

 

[Klopp_De_Klown]

who we playin?

 

[el3mel]

Mata is back.

Good to hear. Just hope we don't pick any other injures in this preseason.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

What does Jose say?

It's not very clear, but something like...

Lingard: ...maybe, maybe.

*A Mourinho suddenly appeared!*

Mourinho: What did he say?

Interviewer: He said we might practice penalty.

Mourinho: He can't score if he's in interview.

^ That looks and sounds too serious though watch the short vid, they're joking around.

 

[Sereques]

Nice. How's the football interest in the DC area? And does the missus enjoy the sport?

We have strong hispanic presence in DC metro area so the interest in football is big but most support Barca and/or Madrid anyway. She's not into sports but I told her she's coming with me. Got her a replica jersey and that makes her happy.

 

[Mcking]

The CB partnerships will likely be Bailly-Lindelof, Smalling-Jones. Valencia and Blind will likely start -TFM and Darmian played against Madrid-. Mkhi, Pogba, Lukaku will likely start too.

 

[FCBarca]

We have strong hispanic presence in DC metro area so the interest in football is big but most support Barca and/or Madrid anyway. She's not into sports but I told her she's coming with me. Got her a replica jersey and that makes her happy.

That is the ideal partnership though eh? A missus that loves or at least can appreciate the game. I am lucky in this regard, she's not passionate about the sport per se but an athlete in her own right + loves Barca

I do miss this about the US, the pickup footy you can find in most big cities

 

[izec]

Has Jose's hair gone extra grey in the sun?

Yes. Some people also get more blonde under it

 

[horsechoker]

who we playin?

Barcelona, a small Spanish side close to Espanyol

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Barcelona, a small Spanish side close to Espanyol

 

[Klopp_De_Klown]

Barcelona, a small Spanish side close to Espanyol

naaa, never heard of em!

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

Let's have a draw in open play, can't wait for those Pee Kays

 

[Peanut Butter]

Can't wait to get this out of the way so we can fly back to Europe. Transfers will happen then.

 

[muller]

Can't wait to get this out of the way so we can fly back to Europe. Transfers will happen then.

Wouldn't the relevant people not be with the actual tour group anyway?