Today Barcelona is no longer a threat to anyone. Dropped to Europa League two seasons in a row. Since 2015 being eliminated from the ucl in an overwhelming way. Today we only fear Real Madrid
Barcelona vs Manchester United | Build-up Thread
- Thread starter Samid
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Barcelona away to Real Madrid currently on. Top of the table clash should give a decent idea to what shape they are in.
It's their Community Shield.
I stand corrected. Both have started with strong teams so both taking it serious.
The bastards have only conceded 6 goals in the league. If they go full strength against us I think we'll get knocked out unfortunately. Worst case draw especially with our record against Spanish teams.
The good thing is they have only played 16 league games in mid January. So they have 22 left in 4.5 months in a tight and competitive league. Hopefully they focus on that and don't take the EL seriously.
They have to. It’s being played in Saudi Arabia. I imagine starting a weakened 11 would have them getting an invite to the embassy.
Have to admit, before the start of the season I thought we'd finish outside the top 4 but would win the Europa League. Now we're doing so well in the Premiership I wouldn't be devastated if we got knocked out here, especially with the fixture congestion.
Obviously want to see us win but we've got a massive chance of winning the League cup, top 4 looks very realistic, and we can easily go far in the FA cup.
Obviously want to see us win but we've got a massive chance of winning the League cup, top 4 looks very realistic, and we can easily go far in the FA cup.
Not sure if Barcelona are good here or making the most of Real Madrid who look so poor in defence and making a pile errors. 3-0 as i type. 18 year old Gavi the stand out player on show.
Well Barca are winning 3-0 so maybe we shouldn't underestimate them anymore?
Dependent on how the League and cups shake out I wouldn't be too downbeat losing to them over two legs. I think most of us believed the EL was our only shot at CL football next year but it's looking increasingly likely that we will get top 4 anyway.
We’ll need to match their energy in midfield. Gavira and Pedri are two little livewires. Fred / Casemiro / Fernandes for me.
I used to fear Barca and was a nervous wreck whenever we played them but current Barca side don't have the fear factor. Mainly because they lost Messi I reckon.
Nowhere near as confident as others are.
6 goals conceded in 16 games in the league. The best in Europe. They are more than capable of completely nullifying us. Xavi seems to be bringing back the nauseatingly effective tiki-taka shite.
6 goals conceded in 16 games in the league. The best in Europe. They are more than capable of completely nullifying us. Xavi seems to be bringing back the nauseatingly effective tiki-taka shite.
Current Barca have been shit against european teams, their 6 goals conceded are just against spanish teams.
And no Messi anymore, if they play like shit they get spanked
Tiki Taka is outdated, Xavi has stoped being stubbornly obsessed with it and added verticality to his game.
I still fancy our chance against them, they have dominated a La Liga composed of fodder and beat a Madrid team that hasn’t played well since the season restarted. We will beat them at Old Trafford and need to be solid at the Spotify.
That being said, I hope ETH gives everything for a top four finish and winning the League Cup. I don’t see europa as important anymore.
Yeah I feel bad for thinking it but IF we can somehow pick up an unlikely six points this week then should switch priorities
They bloody scared of us
Nah they aren't that great defensively, but will certainly be a test for our midfield and backline. They conceded 12 in the their UCL group alone. I think it will be similar to an Arsenal style game. Both sides will create chances, and it'll come down to who is more clinical
They. Are. Worried.They bloody scared of us
So am I. They dismantled Madrid last night. Gavi and Pedri are pests when they get going.
Still a long way to go but both teams in good form lately. Looking like a great tie in store. Really should have won our group. Sigh.
Madrid where missing Casemiro
I don't know why but I really feel confident about this, if anyone's going to break our abhorrent Spanish streak ten hag should be the man and he has certainly shown the tactical guile required to pull it off.
My very amateurish analysis is that as long as we shut down their attack we should be able to kill them on the counter, I feel they're too lightweight in the middle and casemiro should be able to handle a terribly past it Busquets , they'll definitely have most of the ball although I doubt they'll do anything productive with it aside from recycling ad nauseum.
My very amateurish analysis is that as long as we shut down their attack we should be able to kill them on the counter, I feel they're too lightweight in the middle and casemiro should be able to handle a terribly past it Busquets , they'll definitely have most of the ball although I doubt they'll do anything productive with it aside from recycling ad nauseum.
Ten Hag already broke it, he won away at Sociadad in the EL
Well technically even ole beat viallreal last year it's just that we've never seem to have beaten them when it matters.
(We did beat celta vigo in 2017 europa but that's it pretty much)
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Yeah o saw a passage of play - close to the end - where they just danced around Real in triangles for ages. All I could think was “not this shit coming back again”
Probably been mentioned in these 8 pages, but we haven't beaten them since Scholes 08.
That has to change.
That has to change.
Before that we had a winning record against them now they have a twice as many wins as us.
We could cut into their lead well if we win both home and away.
I haven’t slept for days and the iPad just slammed into my face as I lay in bed… waking me up.
Even then we were lucky not to get knocked out, I remember Guidetti missing a huuuge chance at the end that would have sent them through.
I dread it whenever we have to play one of them.
What streak is that? Since Feb 2021 we have 11 meetings with Spanish teams and a GD of 16-6. We beat and also knock out Spanish teams regularly, it's just that we keep facing them almost every round until one eventually shithouse their way past us.
Actually quite happy we got them now because if they're too good for us, I'd prefer to lose now.
If we beat them, we're favourites for the whole thing. We either clean our fixture list or we go for it!
If we beat them, we're favourites for the whole thing. We either clean our fixture list or we go for it!
True.
Europa isn't looking quite so vital like it was at the start of the season either. We've got a decent gap to 5th as long as we can keep chipping away.
Speak for yourself. I want the trophy, pot 1 in the CL and then start next season with winning the Super Cup. We need to put ourselves on the map again.
There's no reason to feel especially confident or unconfident. These are two very strong sides, either one of which can win the cup.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to win it too but it's a lengthy competition and we're still in the other domestic cups too.
Our squad isn't THAT deep, I worry more about burn out. Cementing ourselves as a top 4 regular will put us back on the map more than a plucky cup run will.
There's still Arsenal in the EL
Malacia would have slammed into one of them by now