La Liga 2020/21

wr8_utd

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Coutinho slowly getting back to top form. According to some of my Barca friends he has been one of the best players during pre-season and the first league Games. Interesting that 2 written off position 10 players ( + James Rodriguez) are performing again.

Happy for him , such a nice player on and especially off the pitch.
He wasn't great vs Villareal tbh but today was one of his better performances for Barca. Far more influential and with good touches and passes all around and should have scored a goal as well.
 

carvajal

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I am so envious of Ansu Fati. My poor Vini is going to suffer constant comparisons all season.
A gift for the national team.
 

GatoLoco

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I am so envious of Ansu Fati. My poor Vini is going to suffer constant comparisons all season.
A gift for the national team.
Supporting Vini will be the hipster option now :D
 

Pretzels81

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You can clearly see how much they have improved in 6-7 weeks. Griezmann should play as a CF or be sold. Awful as a RFW.
 

Xaviesta

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Very happy with last night's performance and result from Barcelona at a ground which has been tough to win at in the last few years. The conditions weren't easy to deal with either.

For somebody so young, Ansu Fati makes putting the ball in the back of the net look so easy.

Lenglet might have been unlucky but what he did was uneccassary and gave the ref the opportunity to give him a 2nd yellow. As a supporter of the offside law as it sits right now, I won't argue with the decision to disallow the goal Messi appeared to have scored in the 2nd half.

A win at home against Sevilla on Sunday will represent an excellent start to the season.
 

PedroMendez

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For someone who made fun of Koeman, I am fairly impressed. Early days, but almost everything looks better. Ansu is incredible, but I also think that de Jong looks special (again). I am really curious if this is just a flash in the pan or sustainable.
 

Paul_Scholes18

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For someone who made fun of Koeman, I am fairly impressed. Early days, but almost everything looks better. Ansu is incredible, but I also think that de Jong looks special (again). I am really curious if this is just a flash in the pan or sustainable.
He is a good manager. Tactically potent and can play both defensive and attacking football.
I was impressed with him both at Everton and Southampton.

He had some bad luck at Everton. Lost Lukaku without getting another top forward in and got old Rooney.
Then had crazy hard run of games with playing City (draw), Chelsea, Tottenham and Man United.
Had another poor result I think and got fired.
 

Xaviesta

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He is a good manager. Tactically potent and can play both defensive and attacking football.
I was impressed with him both at Everton and Southampton.

He had some bad luck at Everton. Lost Lukaku without getting another top forward in and got old Rooney.
Then had crazy hard run of games with playing City (draw), Chelsea, Tottenham and Man United.
Had another poor result I think and got fired.
I think Koeman was sacked a few days after his Everton side lost 5-2 at Goodison against Arsenal.
 

Paul_Scholes18

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I think Koeman was sacked a few days after his Everton side lost 5-2 at Goodison against Arsenal.
You are probably right. So he had a few more bad results. Mainly bad ones against the big sides.
He might not be the best in the transfer market too, but not sure how much power he got at Barcelona.
 

GatoLoco

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I think Barcelona will win the league without much problems. Why? Because, unlike Real Madrid, they can score goals very easily and that's what gets you the points in complicated games. Also in terms of attitude and concentration they seem to have improved enough not to lose away games like the ones at Real Sociedad or Celta as we saw last season.

For Madrid to get points on a consistent basis they have to continue being very good in defense and improve their ability to score goals. None of those, especially the latter, are a given.
 

Morty_

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It looks like Atletico will have the same problems as usual, lack of goals and chance creation, difficult to win a league with those issues, i dont see them really challenging RM and Barca.

Yes, im aware they scored plenty in their first game, but thats probably an outlier.
 

Yagami

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I hope Fekir can stay fit. What an incredible player.

Also, Merino is carrying on his brilliant form. A really good central midfielder.
 

giorno

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We've now missed 3 absolute sitters in the space of 5 minutes :lol:

Watch us draw this now
 

giorno

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Saint Thibaut comes through again :lol:

Let's just close this please :(
 

PepG

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Uuuuuffff :cool:
After watching this game today my prediction is this - Real will win the league again but i dont think they are ready to fight for the CL yet so will fall short there..
 

giorno

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My prediction is we win feck all since we still can't score to save our lives AND we can't defend anymore either
 

FootballHQ

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Ronald's first real test.....incoming. ;)

FFS 1-1 after a minute of Sevilla leading.
 

De Portago

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Coutinho has been reborn under Koeman
Valverde played him as a right and left midfielder in 4-4-2 and as a left winger in a stale and static 4-3-3, hardly a surprise it didn't work. Of course he is better when deployed as an attacking midfielder centrally.
 

Xaviesta

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Sevilla deserved their point and are going to be a hard team for anybody to play against. Barcelona's ball retention, particularly in the first half wasn't at the level it needed to be at. All in all, 7 points from 3 games is a decent start from which to build on. It was nice to see Coutinho score.
 

Mb194dc

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Watched most of game last night. Barcelona just looked very similar to last year for me. Still pretty much Messi FC and he just doesn't look that interested a lot of the time. Seville dominated the game for most of the second half, just couldn't put it together to get a clear chance and shooting was poor. Busquets got lucky being disposed on edge of own area as looked a good tackle to me. Coutinho and Griezmann still very unconvincing, what I'm wondering is can Coutinho and Messi play in the same team without unbalancing it.

Can seem Barcelona getting hammered again when they come up against good opposition away from the Camp Nou. They should have moved Messi on in the summer and started building again. Surely he's going to go for free anyway at the end of this season?
 

Daysleeper

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Watched most of game last night. Barcelona just looked very similar to last year for me. Still pretty much Messi FC and he just doesn't look that interested a lot of the time. Seville dominated the game for most of the second half, just couldn't put it together to get a clear chance and shooting was poor. Busquets got lucky being disposed on edge of own area as looked a good tackle to me. Coutinho and Griezmann still very unconvincing, what I'm wondering is can Coutinho and Messi play in the same team without unbalancing it.

Can seem Barcelona getting hammered again when they come up against good opposition away from the Camp Nou. They should have moved Messi on in the summer and started building again. Surely he's going to go for free anyway at the end of this season?
We were tired due from lack of rotation. The first half could've been anyone's game and Sevilla are the best team in Spain right now. Messi is actually less involved than ever while Coutinho has been our best player so far. Feels like a new signing. Long way to go, I still fancy our chances to win the league once our rotation is set. We have the best depth we've had in years.
 

Daysleeper

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nope. Sevilla would need to add about 15-20 goals to be a title contender. Barca struggled to create much and Sevilla didn't just give up like so often in the past in the camp nou.
We created more than enough and should've had a second goal, 5 shots on target and some very very good chances not just long range strikes aimed at the keeper. But Sevilla were the better team, no shame in admitting that. They played Bayern to a stand still fairly recently.
 

PedroMendez

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Real Madrid:
In
: Ödegaard (back from loan), Odriozola (back from loan)
Out: James, Hakimi, Reguilon, Mayoral, Oscar, Bale (loan) and Brahim Diaz (loan).
Overall little change. They sold various loaned/fringe players, trimmed their wage bill and are saving money for next summer. They have a couple of young players who will get the chance to prove their worth. Ödegaard, Fede Valverde, Vini, Asensio, Rodrygo, Jovic. Someone has to help Benz to score goals.

Barcelona:
In: Pjanic, Trincao, Dest, Matheus Fernandes, Pedri, Coutinho (back from loan), Araujo (from Barca B)
Out: Arthur, Semedo, Rakitic, Suarez, Vidal, Rafinha, Carles Perez, Cucurella, Todibo (loan)
Shipped out some big earners. Pjanic aside, they bought a couple of talents to bolster their squad.

Atletico Madrid:
In
: Suarez, Torreira (loan)
Out: Thomas, Morata (loan), Arias (loan)
No big signings. Replaced Morata with Suarez and Thomas with Torreira. I am surprised that they kept Lemar.
They probably thought that the 6 goals against Granada are enough for the first half of the season and continued with two goalless draws against Huesca and Villarreal. They were quite fortunate to get a point against Villarreal. They'll only be anywhere near the title race if Suarez is able to find top form again. I don't see it.

Sevilla:
In: Rakitic, Oscar Rodriguez, Oussama Idrissi, Marcos Acuna, Karim Rekik // players back from loan: Carlos Fernandez, Gnagnon, Aleix Vidal
out: Banega, Reguilon + some deadwood/loaned players.
Rakitic + Acuna are the replacements for Banega and Reguilon. Carlos Fernendez (youth player) might get a few minutes as striker. I am not sure what to expect from the other new players and how they fit in, but at first glance its more or less the same as last season.

Villarreal:
In: Estupinan, Coquelin, Kubo (loan), Parejo, Jaume Costa (back from loan), Foyth (loan)
Out: Santi Cazorla, Alvaro Gonzalez
They have a pretty good squad. Kubo is imo special. It remains to be seen if Emery gets the best out of them...

Athletic Bilbao:
In
: Alex Berenguer
Out: Benat, Mikel San Jose (both were already phased out last season)

Valencia:
In: Jason (back from loan), Racic (back from loan), Toni Lato (back from loan).
Out: Rodrigo, Ferran Torres, Coquelin, Parejo, Piccini (loan), Garay, Jaume Costa (loan ended), Florenzi (loan ended)
some of their youth players are getting a chance. Hugo Guillamon (CB), Yunus Musah (MF), Esquerdo (MF).
They probably didn't add any new players, becaues they couldn't find buyers for Kondogbia, Diakhaby and/or Cillessen. According to the media, their manager already thought about resigning. 7 points after 5 games is decent, but they were outclassed by Betis last game. I am not sure that they can hope for much more than a solid midtable finish. Its going to be a long season for them.

RSSS:
In: David Silva
Out: Ödegaard (loan ended), Diego Llorente
 
Last edited:

carvajal

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Real Madrid:
In
: Ödegaard (back from loan), Odriozola (back from loan)
Out: James, Hakimi, Reguilon, Mayoral, Oscar, Bale (loan) and Brahim Diaz (loan).
Overall little change. They sold various loaned/fringe players, trimmed their wage bill and are saving money for next summer. They have a couple of young players who will get the chance to prove their worth. Ödegaard, Fede Valverde, Vini, Asensio, Rodrygo, Jovic. Someone has to help Benz to score goals.

Barcelona:
In: Pjanic, Trincao, Dest, Matheus Fernandes, Pedri, Coutinho (back from loan), Araujo (from Barca B)
Out: Arthur, Semedo, Rakitic, Suarez, Vidal, Rafinha, Carles Perez, Cucurella, Todibo (loan)
Shipped out some big earners. Pjanic aside, they bought a couple of talents to bolster their squad.

Atletico Madrid:
In
: Suarez, Torreira (loan)
Out: Thomas, Morata (loan), Arias (loan)
No big signings. Replaced Morata with Suarez and Thomas with Torreira. I am surprised that they kept Lemar.
They probably thought that the 6 goals against Granada are enough for the first half of the season and continued with two goalless draws against Huesca and Villarreal. They were quite fortunate to get a point against Villarreal. They'll only be anywhere near the title race if Suarez is able to find top form again. I don't see it.

Sevilla:
In: Rakitic, Oscar Rodriguez, Oussama Idrisi, Marcos Acuna, Karim Rekik // players back from loan: Carlos Fernandez, Gnagnon, Aleix Vidal
out: Banega, Reguilon + some deadwood/loaned players.
Rakitic + Acuna are the replacements for Banega and Reguilon. Carlos Fernendez (youth player) might get a few minutes as striker. I am not sure what to expect from the other new players and how they fit in, but at first glance its more or less the same as last season.

Villarreal:
In: Estupinan, Coquelin, Kubo (loan), Parejo, Jaume Costa (back from loan), Foyth (loan)
Out: Santi Cazorla, Alvaro Gonzalez
They have a pretty good squad. Kubo is imo special. It remains to be seen if Emery gets the best out of them...

Athletic Bilbao:
In
: Alex Berenguer
Out: Benat, Mikel San Jose (both were already phased out last season)

Valencia:
In: Jason (back from loan), Racic (back from loan), Toni Lato (back from loan).
Out: Rodrigo, Ferran Torres, Coquelin, Parejo, Piccini (loan), Garay, Jaume Costa (loan ended), Florenzi (loan ended)
some of their youth players are getting a chance. Hugo Guillamon (CB), Yunus Musah (MF), Esquerdo (MF).
They probably didn't add any new players, becaues they couldn't find buyers for Kondogbia, Diakhaby and/or Cillessen. According to the media, their manager already thought about resigning. 7 points after 5 games is decent, but they were outclassed by Betis last game. I am not sure that they can hope for much more than a solid midtable finish. Its going to be a long season for them.

RSSS:
In: David Silva
Out: Ödegaard (loan ended), Diego Llorente
Sevilla have signed well. Now we will see if Rakitic can replace Banega , for the moment I have not seen him very fit.
As you said a few days ago they would need a better striker to be a candidate for la liga.
Apparently they were negotiating with William José on the last day.

This year in particular the teams seem very bad economically and they continue to lose too many players with other leagues.

Atlético couldn´t pay for Marc Roca and could not finance Suárez until they got rid of Morata, and Barça with their massive debt, although their attack seems quite promising.
They have a short team and they are going to have problems in the back but it seems an exciting time for their fans with many unknowns.

Yesterday I heard that Javi Gracia is very disappointed and is thinking of resigning, as he feels cheated by the lack of signings.
From the outside it seemed obvious that they were going to sell to whoever they could.

I don´t see Madrid fighting for the Champions League, unless many of the young people take a huge step forward.
 

PedroMendez

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Sevilla have signed well. Now we will see if Rakitic can replace Banega , for the moment I have not seen him very fit.
As you said a few days ago they would need a better striker to be a candidate for la liga.
Apparently they were negotiating with William José on the last day.

This year in particular the teams seem very bad economically and they continue to lose too many players with other leagues.

Atlético couldn´t pay for Marc Roca and could not finance Suárez until they got rid of Morata, and Barça with their massive debt, although their attack seems quite promising.
They have a short team and they are going to have problems in the back but it seems an exciting time for their fans with many unknowns.

Yesterday I heard that Javi Gracia is very disappointed and is thinking of resigning, as he feels cheated by the lack of signings.
From the outside it seemed obvious that they were going to sell to whoever they could.

I don´t see Madrid fighting for the Champions League, unless many of the young people take a huge step forward.
I am not the biggest fan of the Rakitic transfer, but under these circumstances its decent business. He is a bit too similar to Jordan and doesn't have the quality on the ball, that Banega had. I hope he is not an automatic starter every single game and the likes of Oliver and Oscar get their chances. I would have liked to see another 4-5 player being sold, but its hard to sell bench/loan players currently. Great that Kounde and Ocampos stay at least another season. I have never heard of Idrissi. Maybe @KirkDuyt knows him.

Some of the la liga teams are so poorly managed in terms of finances. Valencia is now paying the price for it, but they are not the only ones. Atletico are also spending every penny. If they ever miss out on CL, they'll have to sell some of their top players. Corona certainly hurt the league, but it also forces teams to give some of their top youngsters more game time and there are plenty of exciting prospects around.

If Hazard doesn't contribute due to injuries or form, the CL is going to be tough. There is still a bit time for him to recover and show some of his talent. With our without him, the league title is certainly in reach.
 

mazhar13

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If Hazard doesn't contribute due to injuries or form, the CL is going to be tough. There is still a bit time for him to recover and show some of his talent. With our without him, the league title is certainly in reach.
The good thing for Real Madrid is that both Rodrygo and Vinicius have progressed way faster than expected. Vinicius is almost always an attacking threat for Madrid, whilst Rodrygo offers some of the creativity that Hazard offers. If they can get Sergio Asensio more involved, they probably wouldn't miss Hazard as much though he would eat into their finances considerably.
 

KirkDuyt

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I am not the biggest fan of the Rakitic transfer, but under these circumstances its decent business. He is a bit too similar to Jordan and doesn't have the quality on the ball, that Banega had. I hope he is not an automatic starter every single game and the likes of Oliver and Oscar get their chances. I would have liked to see another 4-5 player being sold, but its hard to sell bench/loan players currently. Great that Kounde and Ocampos stay at least another season. I have never heard of Idrissi. Maybe @KirkDuyt knows him.

Some of the la liga teams are so poorly managed in terms of finances. Valencia is now paying the price for it, but they are not the only ones. Atletico are also spending every penny. If they ever miss out on CL, they'll have to sell some of their top players. Corona certainly hurt the league, but it also forces teams to give some of their top youngsters more game time and there are plenty of exciting prospects around.

If Hazard doesn't contribute due to injuries or form, the CL is going to be tough. There is still a bit time for him to recover and show some of his talent. With our without him, the league title is certainly in reach.
Idrissi was one of the promising young attackers at AZ last year. Fast, good dribble and can score a goal. However, with the recent track record of young AZ talents after they leave AZ (Vincent Jansen, Alireza Jahanbaksh, Guus Til) I find it hard to predict he'll do well.

Talented kid though, and fun to watch.
 

Daysleeper

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The good thing for Real Madrid is that both Rodrygo and Vinicius have progressed way faster than expected. Vinicius is almost always an attacking threat for Madrid, whilst Rodrygo offers some of the creativity that Hazard offers. If they can get Sergio Asensio more involved, they probably wouldn't miss Hazard as much though he would eat into their finances considerably.
vinicius is a poor finisher and I question his decision making a lot. However, there is no doubt the talent is there
 

carvajal

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The good thing for Real Madrid is that both Rodrygo and Vinicius have progressed way faster than expected. Vinicius is almost always an attacking threat for Madrid, whilst Rodrygo offers some of the creativity that Hazard offers. If they can get Sergio Asensio more involved, they probably wouldn't miss Hazard as much though he would eat into their finances considerably.
Vini is progressing a lot, and although he continues to make unforgivable mistakes, he looks much calmer in front of the goal.
Rodrygo however seems to have stalled a bit (since that hattrick in the Champions League).
Sometimes unnoticed in games, or very shy in 1v1.
Too manny passes back, or zero risk in easy situations.
In recent months he has built up a lot so we will see if there is some change.

I would like to see him closer to the goal, even as a forward
 

PedroMendez

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Idrissi was one of the promising young attackers at AZ last year. Fast, good dribble and can score a goal. However, with the recent track record of young AZ talents after they leave AZ (Vincent Jansen, Alireza Jahanbaksh, Guus Til) I find it hard to predict he'll do well.

Talented kid though, and fun to watch.
cheers. sounds a lot better than expected.

The good thing for Real Madrid is that both Rodrygo and Vinicius have progressed way faster than expected. Vinicius is almost always an attacking threat for Madrid, whilst Rodrygo offers some of the creativity that Hazard offers. If they can get Sergio Asensio more involved, they probably wouldn't miss Hazard as much though he would eat into their finances considerably.
I agree with the previous two posters. Vinicius has to mature (for the lack of a better word) quite a bit. He had some great moments but often dwelled on the ball or fluffed it. He scored two goals in the last two games, so maybe thats him taking the next step. I havn't seen much from Rodrygo, but at time I thought he might be best as CF. Maybe I am totally wrong about that. They are both young and certainly talented, but having to rely on them consistently might come a bit early. Real would be in great shape if one or both kick on. I am less convinced about Asensio. He is a useful player to have, but I am not sure he is more than a good squad player for Real.