Champions League 11/12: Page 52 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Champions League 11/12

y va marquer

It is quite funny represented like that 🙂 - all that effort for a loss.
I did see it mentioned yesterday that it was a very conservative Barcelona performance, even by their ball hogging standards. Messi played a lot deeper than normal ?
I really do expect them to be a completely different proposition for Chelsea next Tuesday.

Klaus

y va marquer wrote:
It is quite funny represented like that 🙂 - all that effort for a loss.

Aye, it looks a bit funny when it fails. 😆

The thing with Barca is that they do that every game, though. Opponents are running themselves ragged trying to get to the ball. They'll still lose the occasional game every now and then of course, but even against the top teams in Europe they lose about one in ten or twelve. Stats don't lie in this case. It's the single best method out there to win a football game.

The day Iniesta and Xavi aren't good enough anymore they'll be in serious trouble though. Those two are the main reason that Barca haven't had less than 60% possession in over four years.

y va marquer

In general they must be a nightmare to play against, the opposition just has to be so patient and not resort to kicking them to pieces in sheer frustration.

Biggus

As Qs said, the only reason Barcelona are successful is Messi.
Without him they're just a fancy Arsenal.

Timbob

Biggus wrote:
As Qs said, the only reason Barcelona are successful is Messi.
Without him they're just a fancy Arsenal.

Without Messi they're just the World and European Champions.

Tony Montana

Well Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Puyol, Villa and Pique.

I guess that's the spine.

Timbob

Pedro and Cesc from the world Cup too.

Biggus

International teams would be of a lower standard than top CL sides.

Pepe LeFrits

Doesn't stop you wanting us to buy the whole German national team!

Biggus

Touche.

Timbob

Ok, so World cups and European Championships are inconsequential, I guess it also makes no odds that 5 of the Barcelona first team have won a Champions league without Messi then?

Pepe LeFrits

Neuer, Lahm, Mertesacker, Hummels, Boateng, Schweinsteiger, Khedira, Ozil, Podolski, Gotze, Robin. That sounds alright.

Biggus

Minus Wenger. :drool:

Tony Montana

Hoping for a Barca win and preferably Madrid to beat Bayern so we can set up an El Clasico final. If Chelsea go through they will definitely beat whoever they face in the final.

Rex

Chelsea is easily the worst side left in the CL. I reckon they have a decent chance to go through to the final, but even then I can´t see them beating either Bayern Munich nor Real Madrid.

Ricky1985

I think they'd beat Bayern, no chance against Madrid.

Still think Barcelona will do enough to knock them out. Think they'll get found out big time at the Camp Nou.

Timbob

Madrid-Bayern could go either way imo. Would make Madrid slight favourites, but that last minute goal in Germany gives Bayern a good shot.

Still think Barcelona will go through pretty comfortably.

Rex

Chelsea are well capable of fluking a goal. Especially since Barcelona isn´t all that good at shutting good sides out. If they do score, then I think it will be difficult for Barcelona to score 3. Even at 2-0 down Chelsea will only need to score once to go through.

I expect to see Chelsea play exactly the same boring way as they did in London. The longer they can keep a clean sheet, the more Barcelona will commit players forward.

y va marquer

At yesterday's press conference when questioned about playing Tello

Guardiola responded with a long rant as he defended his selection decisions, saying: "He played a f****** good game. The Spaniard was curt in some answers and rambling in others during a lengthy press conference which he brought to an abrupt end by walking out.

He's feeling the heat.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Barcelona-Chelsea-Champions-League-preview-Pep-Guardiola-foul-mouthed-defence-of-team-at-press-conference-article894597.html

Wenger's also been talking up Chelsea's chances, I reckon he'd take pleasure in seeing Barca beaten.

“The Barcelona we have seen last Wednesday[in the first leg at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea won 1-0] is not the Barcelona of last year,”
“It is far from impossible to qualify [at Camp Nou] because Chelsea go in an even better position than we did last season – 1-0 is a fantastic result.”

“Barcelona will have 70 per cent of the ball but is it not worth trying to score a goal?”
“That would, mentally, be a massive blow to Barcelona because I have seen last year when we scored . . . it was a lucky goal but I could see suddenly that they became very nervous.”

“[Lionel] Messi looks a bit tired, although he is still dangerous,” Wenger said. “Chelsea blockesd a few shots from him but usually he has such a short back-lift it is difficult to do that. He is not as sharp as he was before and, if they defend like they did the other night, Chelsea have a chance.”

Timbob

Reportedly Cesc is going to be on the bench again tonight. They're going to play Cuenca instead. He cant be too happy with how it's been going lately.

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