Barcelona is going to walk the league, who would have expected ?
La Liga 2017/18
- Thread starter Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87
- Start date
Indeed. What's happened to Real? Still expect them to do well in the CL, mind.
after they lost Neymar, after Madrid beat them in both supercup games and after Dembele got injured, I was convinced they are in for a very difficult season and now they are on +8 
but still, I think they're one Messi's injury away from coming back to reality. the current lead is mostly due to him and the fact they defended pretty well so far, otherwise I'm far from being impressed by their overall play. I expect Madrid to close it on +4 before first el clasico.
but still, I think they're one Messi's injury away from coming back to reality. the current lead is mostly due to him and the fact they defended pretty well so far, otherwise I'm far from being impressed by their overall play. I expect Madrid to close it on +4 before first el clasico.
after they lost Neymar, after Madrid beat them in both supercup games and after Dembele got injured, I was convinced they are in for a very difficult season and now they are on +8
but still, I think they're one Messi's injury away from coming back to reality. the current lead is mostly due to him and the fact they defended pretty well so far, otherwise I'm far from being impressed by their overall play. I expect Madrid to close it on +4 before first el clasico.
Messi had a great role in Barcelona leading but tbh Madrid are the ultra stupid one losing points in very easy matches they're supposed to win. Losing twice in the league coming November against teams like Betis and Girona is unacceptable. If they keep on line this, the gab will increase more and more.
He might be at his best but his team just isn't going to be good enough in the biggest CL games imo.
Yes they're more important but I don't think that makes you better than the other based on 3-5 games. Anyway that's a discussion for another thread.
I hope so but dips will come when even Messi wont be able to help. Hopefully Dembele and Suarez can step up at that point and share the load. 8 points is great but it can disappear in the span of weeks as we saw at the end of last to last season.
Ronaldo being only on one goal is crazy.
heh all those caftards who gave the title to Madrid during pre-season...
Lack of motivation a shocking transfer window.
He'll go score 5 against team at home and the numbers will look fine again though.
The team is not good enough to win a CL like they won it in 2009, 2011, and 2015, that is by flat out outplaying every team they faced. But it is good enough to win the CL with some luck, on finer margins, sort of like Madrid did it in 2016. Everything is possible in CL.
Doesn't really matter how many strong teams exist in the bracket stage, eventually you will face only 4 of them at worst.
2015 was a road with City, PSG, Bayern and Juventus, I don't think it could get harder than that (City and Bayern are in somewhat reversed roles right now, PSG are stronger but Juventus are weaker, and then you have alternative versions of those teams in similar strenghts like Real, or maybe Tottenham/United/Chelsea?.
It's all good unless we don't cross paths with fecking Atletico de Madrid again, so they can defeat us to give Real Madrid another title
Doesn't really matter how many strong teams exist in the bracket stage, eventually you will face only 4 of them at worst.
2015 was a road with City, PSG, Bayern and Juventus, I don't think it could get harder than that (City and Bayern are in somewhat reversed roles right now, PSG are stronger but Juventus are weaker, and then you have alternative versions of those teams in similar strenghts like Real, or maybe Tottenham/United/Chelsea?.
It's all good unless we don't cross paths with fecking Atletico de Madrid again, so they can defeat us to give Real Madrid another title
True, but knowing our 'luck' at the draws we'll probably face 4 top 6 teams if we make the final.
I think their main problem is down to a sort of arrogance that has come in after beating Barca in the Spanish Super Cup, plus their lack of signings.
Real haven't played that fantastic in the league last season too, they were really motivated in the big matches. Against the smaller teams they won a lot of matches in the last minutes by reason of will. This is not happening so far this season.
Maybe they should go back to a 4-3-3 with wingers, Ronaldo is nearly not involved in their attacks. Yeah, he gets older but he needs the ball. He is just waiting for runs or for crosses this season.
Maybe they should go back to a 4-3-3 with wingers, Ronaldo is nearly not involved in their attacks. Yeah, he gets older but he needs the ball. He is just waiting for runs or for crosses this season.
Which system are they using now?
I think it's more a 4-4-2.
------Ronaldo---------------------
------------------Benzema--------
---------------Isco-----------------
They are just passing the ball to Marcelo/Theo and Achraf and they are crossing or hoping for a moment of brilliancy from Isco. That's not enough.
Real don't really have the players to play that system, tbh.
Which? 4-3-3 or 4-4-2? I think they can play both.
------------Ronaldo--------------------/Mayoral
----------------------Benzema---------/Bale
---------------Isco---------------------/Asensio
------Kroos-----------Modric----------/Ceballos, Kovacic
-------------Casemiro-----------------/Llorente
--------------------Benzema-------------------
--Ronaldo------------------------------Bale---- /Asensio, Isco
........
4-4-2 is the perfect system for the players, but it's not working at the moment. But the fullbacks are very important for this system. Hakimi isn't Carvajal and Marcelo isn't in form.
Barca can win UCL, their defense is the best it has been in a long time which is huge for UCL chances. I think if Suarez can find his form again and Dembele returns this team has the potential to win UCL. They just need to play Semedo at RB instead of Roberto (which they have been doing for the big games) and play Roberto in midfield and they'll be fine.
Umtiti is a top 2-3 CB in the world.
Umtiti is a top 2-3 CB in the world.
He really is. Composed, strong, great tackler, reads the game well and has superb technique. Has it all. A bit nervous that he has a 60m. release clause.
Pique is the weak link though. His form is horrible and is just a magnet for feck ups.
They don't have any proper winger to adapt the 4-4-2 formation.
I sort of felt that Real was going to be in for a rough season when they didn't adequately maintain the depth of last season. Selling Morata without properly replacing him was nuts. And while Danilo was a bit shit, he's more experienced than Hakimi.
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Wonder which big striker Real will go out and get in the summer. Surely they won't persist with Benzema any longer.
Lewandowski or Aguero would be my guess.
Lewandowski or Aguero would be my guess.
Or praises Pep.
Not that I can remember, no.
I liked him at Blackburn but wasn't sure he was ready to make the step up. I thought he looked really good at Stoke and was surprised no one took a chance on him in the PL. At Sevilla he's been even better.
Girona beating Madrid a day after Catalonia declared independence. Couldn't make it up.
I am surprised Real Madrid have been this poor. I did think Barcelona would win the league this season just like Real last one. Often defending a title can be a bit harder, but 8 points already and Real don't really look like killing off the easier teams.
Zidane is good tactically for the big games and have managed Real very well. Although he don't seem to find the attacking formula to break down the smaller teams.
Some of the players don't seem to be in the form they have been before and the smaller squad might hurt Real Madrid more. Last season they had such a great squad, but now they need the big stars to perform all the time. Carvajal out is a big blow for them and fullback area has not been as great as last season with Marcelo in poor form.
I have no freaking idea what Ronaldo is doing in the league. He got 5 goals in 3 champions league games, but only 1 goal in the league. With no Bale around a poor Ronaldo hurt them a lot.
I look forward to el classico though. Think Real will probably step up for those games. The form will probably come sooner rather than later, but at the moment they don't look like the best team in the world for sure and right now I feel a bit scared about Man City actually potentially being the best team in the world at the moment or very soon.
Zidane is good tactically for the big games and have managed Real very well. Although he don't seem to find the attacking formula to break down the smaller teams.
Some of the players don't seem to be in the form they have been before and the smaller squad might hurt Real Madrid more. Last season they had such a great squad, but now they need the big stars to perform all the time. Carvajal out is a big blow for them and fullback area has not been as great as last season with Marcelo in poor form.
I have no freaking idea what Ronaldo is doing in the league. He got 5 goals in 3 champions league games, but only 1 goal in the league. With no Bale around a poor Ronaldo hurt them a lot.
I look forward to el classico though. Think Real will probably step up for those games. The form will probably come sooner rather than later, but at the moment they don't look like the best team in the world for sure and right now I feel a bit scared about Man City actually potentially being the best team in the world at the moment or very soon.
What happened to Asensio?
He was up there with Mbappe for a few weeks and then nothing.
He was up there with Mbappe for a few weeks and then nothing.
whole team minus isco is stinking
I don't think it's a tactical problem, it's just that all of their key players aren't playing as well as last season. Don't know if it's complacency or they're just bad physically.
All of Cristiano, Modric, Kroos, Asensio and Marcelo haven't been up to their standard in the league, Isco has been the only one performing at his best. Lucas Vasquez has been terrible coming off the bench too. Then add that to an incredible amount of suspensions and injuries and you get the current results. Even last season they had a lot of games like these in the league where they ended up pulling through in the last minutes which also hasn't been happening.
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feck sake even Citehs feeder club are doing great.
You always have to upgrade your squad, regardless of what you have won in the last season. Madrid did the opposite, by selling an important squad player like Morata and didn't buy anyone.
This summer would have been perfect for them to buy a young talent, given that a lot of their players are 30+. Also, they should have sold Bale and bought someone like Mbappe.
This summer would have been perfect for them to buy a young talent, given that a lot of their players are 30+. Also, they should have sold Bale and bought someone like Mbappe.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/foot...-facing-ban-scraping-girona-real-madrid-news/
This is shocking, I mean he never does stuff like that.
This is shocking, I mean he never does stuff like that.
that is really stupid from someone of his stature.
I would absolutely not say he has been so good and certainly not adding anything to the midfield - he has only been useful in attack as he has a nose for goal and linking up with Messi
Madrid are dreadful. Spurs have a real chance to beat them if Kane is fit. The only reason I don't want that to happen is because we'll end up facing them in the round of 16.
Espanyol-Betis and Las Palmas-La Coruna play today.