Iniesta, the Unlikely Hero

author: Sid Lowe
source: The Observer
date: 24 May 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





The clock was running down. Time slipped away from Barcelona as they launched yet another attack. A tiny, pale midfielder hovered, waiting on the edge of the penalty area. The ball was pulled back. No room to control, No touch to steady himself. An instant shot, beyond the goalkeeper into the net. Goal! Arms in the air, a screaming sprint to the touchline and Andrés Iniesta was buried under a pile of bodies.

No, not Stamford Bridge on 6 May 2009, but Camp Nou a decade earlier – 21 July 1999, the Nike Premier Cup final: the under-15 club world cup. Iniesta was 14. Captain and player of the tournament, he had just scored an extra-time winner against Rosario Central. The man who presented a shy boy with his trophies shook his hand and whispered: "In a few years' time, I'll be watching you do the same from the stands."

When Iniesta repeated the feat in London, Josep "Pep" Guardiola was, in fact, watching from the bench. "If anyone deserved that goal, it's Andrés," the Barcelona coach insists. "He always moans that he doesn't score enough, as if with everything else he does, he has to get goals too. Tonight he settled his debt forever."
Guardiola, captain of Barcelona's early-90s Dream Team, was Iniesta's hero. The youngster pinned a poster of him next to his bunk at La Masía. Only Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Laudrup could compete for the space. What Iniesta did not realise was how quickly he was becoming Guardiola's hero, too, how completely he had won over his future coach.

It took a little longer to win over others, but now he has; Definitively, absolutely and irrevocably. Iniesta is the apple of everyone's eye; even in Madrid where uniquely he is a Barcelona player you are allowed to love. The campaign builds for him to be short-listed for the Ballon d'Or, a poll has him second only to Leo Messi as La Liga's best and Sir Alex Ferguson admits that, actually, it is Iniesta he most fears.

Guardiola could see it years ago. It is his commitment to Iniesta that has, in part, forced others to see it. "One fundamental change this season is that for the first time Iniesta has been handed full responsibility," argues Felip Vivanco from the newspaper La Vanguardia. Too long confined to cameos, he has taken centre stage.

Iniesta had joined Barça aged 12 and people were already talking about Andrésito (little Andres). On the advice of his brother Pere, Guardiola watched him and reported that he had seen a 14-year-old who "reads the game better than me", a tiny lad with touch, pace and vision. Soon, Iniesta's Guardiola poster was replaced by a signed photograph dedicated to "the best player I've ever seen". On the day Iniesta was called to train with the first-team squad, he could not find the dressing room. Luis Enrique was sent out to find him. Wide-eyed, the 16-year-old thought it was a joke, yet Guardiola was deadly serious when he told team-mates: "Remember this day – the day you first played with Andrés."

One of the secrets of success is continuity, the clarity and commitment with which Barça follow Johan Cruyff's model of pass and move. It is embodied by its midfielders. Guardiola was the prototype, Xavi and Iniesta its custodians. "We are," Iniesta and Xavi agree, "sons of the system." Ferguson says "Rather than their forwards, it's their midfield you have to watch."

And yet Iniesta's game is natural, too. Asked if Iniesta was a born footballer, Guardiola replies: "No, he was already a good player in his mother's womb." Iniesta says: "I play like I always did. At Barcelona you learn loads but it comes out in an improvised way."

Iniesta's style means using his size, or lack of it, as an advantage. "You learn to be sharper, cleverer," he explains. "Small players learn to be intuitive, to anticipate, to protect the ball. A guy who weighs 90 kilos doesn't move like one who weighs 60. In the playground I always played against much bigger kids and I always wanted the ball. Without it, I feel lost." Everything Barcelona does is through the ball. Their defensive record is the best in Spain not because they have the best defenders, but because they dominate possession, limiting exposure by nurturing the ball.

Iniesta can do the other kind of defending as well: when he played at the base of Barcelona's midfield, his anticipation and awareness won him more possession than any player in La Liga, destroying the "lightweight" cliches. "He is the complete footballer. He can attack and defend, he creates and scores," says Spain coach Vicente del Bosque, while Frank Rijkaard adds: "I played him as a false winger, central midfielder, deep midfielder and just behind the striker and he was always excellent."

Jack of all trades and master of them all, Iniesta was one of the few Barcelona players to emerge from last season with his reputation enhanced and became the only Spain player to play every game at Euro 2008. But for long his versatility has played against him.

So too did his timidity. Iniesta was raised in Fuentealbilla, population 1,864, Albacete province, the stereotypical no-man's land on Spain's arid central plain. They say "Albacete, cágate y vete" – have a dump and get out of there – but Iniesta admits he "cried rivers" the day he departed for La Masía. One Catalan journalist recalls being warned not to ask about his family because he was liable to burst into tears. Iniesta's father, José Antonio, still carries a photograph of a little kid in dungarees, a ball under his foot. Andrés has hardly changed. Startlingly plain, in a dressing room of egos, often he played out of position or sat on the bench to accommodate others. One such occasion was the 2006 Champions League final.

Some felt Iniesta needed to be more streetwise; others that he required media backing, someone to champion him. "Iniesta is easily Spain's most complete player. He has everything," Xavi says. "Well, nearly everything – he needs media backing." A pigmentation problem leaves him so pale that the running joke on Catalan TV is that he's a glow worm – the children's toy whose face glows in the dark. Quiet, discreet, a man who admits "discos are not my thing," others have handed him the ironic title of "Party King".

"I can't imagine I've been left out because I'm 'only' Andrés Iniesta, or because I'm the quiet one," Iniesta said just over a year ago. Then arrived Guardiola, who even before he took over had eulogised a man on "a different sphere." Iniesta, he said, "is so good, he deserves to play, so, so much, and yet he never complains". "Everything, but everything, he does makes his team-mates better players," says one of Guardiola's closest collaborators.

Guardiola made Iniesta a fundamental pillar and the results have been spectacular: he has the best average rating in the league, the newspaper El País defining him simply as "Nureyev". "I'm not obsessed with Messi, Iniesta is the danger," Ferguson says. "He's fantastic. He makes the team work. The way he finds passes, his movement and ability to create space is incredible. He's so important for Barcelona."

"Andrés doesn't dye his hair, doesn't wear earrings and hasn't got any tattoos. That makes him unattractive to the media, but he's the best," Guardiola said recently. "Sadly, a humble, discreet footballer doesn't sell like one who's loud," adds Lorenzo Serra Ferrer, his first coach. Goalkeeper Víctor Valdés agrees, pointedly greeting questions about Iniesta's season with a curt: "Andrés has been the best for years."

Now, he has been well and truly discovered: "When you're this good even your own discretion can't hide your talent," insists one columnist. In fact, Iniesta's mumbling, monotone, unremarkable quietness, once a problem, has ended up making him even more of a star. He has become, as the lead singer of Estopa puts it, "an anti-hero". The fact that he is so thoroughly decent and impossible to dislike, is part of his armoury. Phrases like "humble genius", "fantasy without the flashiness", and "the simple star" have become an admiring media's stock in trade.

The pale, quiet, small-town boy has become a hero for his humility, for his football, and of course for that goal. As one overcome columnist put it after Stamford Bridge: "We now know that there is a footballing God. His name is Andrés, he is shy, he is from Albacete and last night he made me cry." Above all, though, he made Pep Guardiola proud.

read the full and original article here


Read more:
Iniesta launches official website
Barcelona Is Winning With Style
Iniesta: "We have to play our game"

Review of Reactions In the English Papers

Barça beat Manchester United in the CL final with what Uefa records as 51% possession. That might well be the lowest possession stats Barça have had all season. By all means, Barça barely tried hard during this game, never having to overextend themselves, easily covering spaces in midfield to keep out Man Utd’s attacks.

The British media in its pre-match build up had many sarcastic observations to make about Barça’s attacking methodology and its ability to beat exalted English opposition. Many of these had to make a quick turnaround and were fulsome in heaping praise on players like Iniesta, Xavi and with a few more qualifications to Messi. Pep Guardiola was another who got a lot of rave reviews.

But the sensation that filters through the applause is one of embarrassment. So anyway, we thought it worthwhile to bring you a short review of some of the articles focusing more on the writers who scrambled to eat humble pie.

MARTIN SAMUEL: So you're the best Barca? Now is the time to prove it...
MARTIN SAMUEL: Yes, they are the masters - no dispute, Barcelona deliver on their boast

The picture of Martin Samuel at the top of the page reminds one of the loud fat guy, you once saw climbing on to his table at the pub making loud proclamations before eventually falling off in a drunken stupor. While it may appear that he was gracious in the second article, with the sort of taunting that he employed in the first and earlier pieces (after the Chelsea semifinals) there was little Mr. Martin Samuel could do beyond publically eat his hat.

The Mail also has Andy Townsend and ‘Spice Boy’ Jamie Redknapp expressing banal opinions on where United went wrong. Redknapp who was gutted after the Chelsea game (perhaps because Frank Lampard is his cousin) had little to say on this occasion beyond weeping over United’s performance.

On Sky Sports, Graham Hunter and Jason Cundy had a debate on whether Barça are capable of winning the Premiership. Cundy (who ?) quite atrociously, suggests that Barça would have trouble beating Stoke City because of the superlative defences that the English League is littered with. Graham Hunter, who is the Sky Sports correspondent for La Liga, promptly rubbishes the suggestion with a reasonable argument. Cundy, nevertheless firmly believes that if Barça had so much trouble beating the eleven 300 million pound worth defenders of Chelsea they are bound to struggle against the total 15 million pound worth sides that are Blackburn and Stoke. Apparently no one reminded Cundy that back at the Club World Cup Man Utd, the best defence in the world had 3 goals put past them by Gamba Osaka of Japan and thereafter struggled to defeat Liga de Quito of Ecuador in the final.

“As their legions of supporters strolled through the Coliseum, mounted the Spanish Steps and marvelled at the ecclesiastical masterpiece famously referred to by Sir Bobby Robson as the Pristine Chapel, the champions of England and Europe were counting down to their date with destiny to ascend to the pantheon of the sporting Gods.

For all the paeans to Barcelona, for all the trumpeting of Lionel Messi’s fabulous talent, and admiring glances at the tempo-setting skills of Andres Iniesta and Xavi, Manchester United look ready to assume their place among the greats of the game. ”

Rather majestic hyperbole from Henry Winter, a respected journalist whose columns, reproduced in many countries, serve to propagate the myth of the Premier League’s unsurpassable superiority. Winter, hit the depths of gloom in his match report and quickly turned to the FA Cup final thereafter to distract himself.

In a more enjoyable read, Jim White teases the Man Utd supporters who claim that the result would have been different but for the absence of Fletcher and Owen Hargreaves. Pointing out that Guus Hiddink is soon to leave Chelsea and thus his reputation as likely to grow in absentia as Fletcher’s and Hargreaves’ did; White reckons that the combination of the three if they ever were to tie-up would be unbeatable.

The Sun, in its own stylised technique of splitting even a single sentence into paragraphs has the most erudite Terry ‘El Tel’ Venables providing the match analysis. Venables reckons it was a master stroke on Guardiola’s part to play Messi in the centre and nobody in the world could have seen that one coming. His praise of Messi and Iniesta is flowing and his criticism of Ferguson rather subdued and back-handed but he lashes out at the media for portraying Barça as a weak side with a flimsy defence.

Surely no hypocrisy there then from the man whose previous article entitled was “Barca cant cope with United” and included comments such as “The astronomic abundance of ability at his (Ferguson’s) disposal is so great that whoever he sends out will be good enough to claim victory.” Indeed the entire article is littered with such pompous statements and if there is anything shocking to a cule, it should be the fact that this man is a former Barça coach who lead us to a La Liga title and the final of the European Cup.

The Guardian, maintained its usual attempt at objectivity by targeting Man Utd on a range of issues, from Goalkeeper Van Der Saar’s age to its lack of ball handlers in midfield. It was left to our favourite La Liga columnist, Sid Lowe to pay tributes to Guardiola and the treble winning Barça squad.

The Times Online was similarly gracious in its praise of Xavi and Iniesta and eloquent in its description of United’s despair. The Mirror published a criticism of the media's hyperbole and trumpeting of the English League and Man United's dominance before the final.

My Take

The initial reaction from a larger number of papers was one of criticism for Ferguson’s tactics. In what seems to me an apparent contradiction in terms, Ferguson set out a team to beat Barça at their own game(as opposed to Chelsea who did everything right) yet did not have a plan B after Barça had scored. This seems a little strange because if you set out a team to attack then you should be in the best position to react if the opposition score first.

I think that in fact the opposite is true. Ferguson set out a team to play on the counter but taken in (and perhaps with some justification) by the hype about Barça’s weakened defence told his team to press early for a goal. He presumed they would score first amd later sit back and defend, counterattacking when the opportunity arose. The plan backfired when Eto’o scored and after that instead of playing the ball through the middle, Man Utd’s forwards to the man hung on the Barça defence and left poor Carrick the enormous task of single-handedly threading through balls to them from deep midfield.

What I was looking for in the papers was a strident criticism of Ferguson’s arrogance. The man talks about Barça defeating Madrid but doesn’t bother to watch the match or could it be that he watched but didn’t notice Messi playing in the centre? Similarly a few videos of Eto’o would soon reveal that in the position that he received the ball from Iniesta, his first inclination would always have been to step inside and his control being poor under pressure (of late), simply waiting a few seconds could have presented Vidic with the opportunity to steal the ball off him.

Everything in the manner of the win indicated that Sir Alex had spent little time studying Barça or even considering the possibility that United might go a goal behind. But perhaps it was the media themselves which brought such a scenario about and any mention of this would be a greater admission of culpability than any of them were willing to accept.


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Preview : Champions League Final

Venue : Olympic Stadium, Rome



When did sport become more than entertainment for the idle, motion with a ball gain aesthetic appeal, disdain turn to derision, placid appreciation to fervent devotion? To many of us Barça establishing its supremacy is the victory of an ideal, purity of form establishing a legacy by its success. And so, from the global crises to the domestic issues which rule our lives, we take a step back, to partake in the fortunes of a club, of players not distantly related yet whose fortunes played out on 7140 sq metres of grass in Rome can cause heartrending agony or overwhelming ecstasy.

A treble is not unprecedented. It has been achieved before in Europe by Celtic, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and by Manchester United 10 years ago. The last, though it was not achieved in the conclusive fashion this year’s will be (where both contenders have dominated oppositions throughout the season), did serve to establish; a legacy of dominance by United in domestic competition and envy across Europe.

10 Years Ago....

It was FC Barcelona’s centenary year and Uefa in recognition of the occasion had scheduled the final of the Champions League in the Nou Camp. Sadly, Barça did not make it to the final, its compatriots in the group stages Manchester United and Bayern Munich instead contesting an engrossing encounter.

Bayern had gone a goal up early, hit the post twice, forced Peter Schmeichel into a few miraculous saves and seemed to have the game wrapped up when in the space of 120 seconds of Injury time the 2 United substitutes, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer struck turning the result on its head. Earlier United had scraped through against Juventus in the semis and got through despite an unimpressive performance against Inter in the quarters.

They had won the league 10 days earlier when they overcame a disinterested Tottenham Hotspur side whose eternal rivals Arsenal finished a point behind United in the final standings. The FA Cup was added to the list of titles 4 days before the Champions League final with a 2-0 win over Newcastle, Arsenal being beaten in a replayed semifinal by a sublime Ryan Giggs goal.

The sketchy performances were glossed over as the media hailed the achievement. Ferguson and the team were placed on a pedestal from which Beckham, formerly regarded as one-dimensional and petulant was deemed invaluable, Roy Keane went from being a hatchet man to an inspirational captain and even players of limited ability like the Neville brothers and Nicky Butt basked in the unfading adulation.

The Legend and the Novice ?

Thereafter Ferguson put in place a team which defended obdurately in numbers for large parts of games and scored the greater percentage of their goals through no mean feat of imagination or skill but rather by the swinging right foot of David Beckham landing crosses on the heads of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole. The spectacle of the late comeback became a regular feature in key United encounters and could be seen to play on the minds of opposition teams.

Spurred on by enthusiastic media support and regular titles long after Keane, Cole and Beckham had left, Ferguson established a Man United tradition of teams which relied on prosaic means to win games when their authority was challenged and more appealing ones when the same was well established. Barça’s footballing philosophy, in contrast, is diametrically opposite in that aesthetically appealing and attacking play is the tool and the form, the structure, the essence, and the only means to success.

Ferguson’s legend is inseparable from Manchester United just as Pep Guardiola’s is from Barcelona although each was established in a radically different manner. In his 100 years as manager (sorry 35) and 23 with Man Utd Ferguson has won countless titles and a knighthood. Pep, on the other hand, is in his debut season as manager of a senior team and while the double has added to his acclaim, much of it is founded on his performance as a player.

Cruijff once famously noted however that he never needed to pass instructions on to the pitch since Pep was already doing it for him. Guardiola, being a child of the Dream Team, possession of the ball and continuous attacking pressure are strictures he effected as a player and ones he rigidly adheres to as a manager.

Barça’s Cruijff inherited legacy of Total Football means that at any point of time during a game it is virtually impossible to say which outfield player will be in which region of the pitch. Ferguson’s formations are more rigidly structured with each player given unambiguous tasks to fulfil. Yet it is Ferguson’s formation which is harder to predict as the wily Scot has learnt to play his hand with discretion.

Recent Form and Past Encounters

Both teams’ league titles were won on the 16th of May, Man Utd playing out a goalless draw with Arsenal and Barça winning by virtue of Madrid’s loss to Villareal. In the following 2 games Barça, employing mostly players from the B squad lost to Mallorca and Osasuna while United defeated Hull City playing a similarly weakened line-up.

Previous meetings between the 2 sides have yielded 24 goals with Barça winning 2 and United 3, although United have done better in the knock-out stages of competitions. A summary of the past encounters may be found here.

Individual Matchups

Ronaldo Vs Messi

Much has been said, nay shouted from the rooftops about who is the greater player. The clash between the two on such a momentous occasion is therefore bound to become the final word in the argument.

Ronaldo is a mesmerising player, who can complete 10 stepovers in the blink of an eye, shift the ball between his feet with blinding speed, twisting and turning until the ball seems to magically appear and disappear. But such displays of bewildering (?) skill are usually carried in a forsaken area of the pitch more as an indulgence than to any useful effect. Ronaldo’s most effective weapons are not quite the sublime ones but weapons they are and present in sufficient measure to trouble any defence in the world. They may be listed as :
1. Speed
2. A swerving long range shot
3. A dangerous header
Of the three, the one that could prove the most influential on this sort of occasion could well be the header which has a habit of popping up in big games. The long range shot extending to free-kicks is a more recent development, a kicking technique previously used by Messrs. Juninho and Pirlo which makes it virtually impossible for the goalkeeper to predict which way the ball is likely to swerve.

Messi’s skills are of the more traditionally admired “ball strung to his bootlaces” dribbling variety, combined with a perfect shifting of balance between lightening quick feet. His contribution to the team by occupying more than 2 defenders at a time and thus creating space for others is often overlooked. Indeed, it seems on most occasions, the opposing team may as well play a defender as Left Winger since the effective offensive contribution is marginal due to his necessary role in tracking back to double-team Messi.

A comparison by stats is available here.

The influence of either will surely be secondary to the success of their respective teams and therefore it is quite likely that this year’s Ballon d’Or and Fifa World Player titles go to the player whose team wins the final.

Carrick Vs Xavi

An understated but perhaps more influential battle will be played out in the centre of the pitch between Michael Carrick and Xavi. The two ball distributors, each elegant and efficient in his manner compete with each other not just in being the engine for their teams but also in restricting the other’s influence.

Xavi is the heart and soul of Barça’s possession game, passing, collecting, directing movement, creating and utilising space. Carrick generally plays deeper as is English tradition, in order to cover for the defence. Consequentially, there is less freedom to his movement but yet he plays an important role in starting and supporting United’s attacks.

Other matchups worth noting include a Pique Vs Ferdinand clash where 2 defenders with excellent positional sense and composure in possession try to make the more significant contribution and a Rooney Vs Iniesta one in which the determining factor will be who provides the better linkage between midfield and forwards.

Iniesta is absolutely irreplaceable for Barça and his determination over the past week to regain fitness speaks volumes about his commitment and dedication to the team. Samy Eto’o has allowed the number of his detractors to pile up with not just poor finishing but poor overall performances as well in the last few games. He is due a goal and would obviously like to play a more pivotal role rather than just the foil to Henry and Messi.

Starting Lineups

The injuries and suspensions make the Barça formation difficult to predict while Ferguson is likely to vary his options on the basis of the strategy he adopts. The following starting lineups are predicted on the assumption of a counterattacking setup from Man Utd aiming to crowd out Barça in midfield with Barça looking to kill any counters starting in midfield.

Predicted Lineups :

Barça 4-3-3: Valdes, Puyol, Pique, Caceres, Keita, Toure, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Eto’o, Henry

Man Utd 4-4-2: Van Der Sar, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, JS Park, Carrick, Anderson, Scholes, Rooney, Ronaldo

Strategy

Needless to say a heavy toll has been inflicted on the Barça squad due to injuries and suspensions. Hopefully both Iniesta and Henry will be sharp and match fit which will allow Barça to lineup with their full offensive complement in place if not the defensive.

A distinct change in tactics was employed by Pep Guardiola in the Classico at the Bernebeu where Xavi and Iniesta controlled possession closer to the halfway line. This caused the Madrid defensive midfielders to push up creating space between the midfield and defensive lines, a hole for Messi to operate from and space between the defence and goalkeeper for Henry to exploit as Eto’o moved to the right to keep the left defence occupied. But it should be noted that the same strategy was not employed against Chelsea in the 2nd leg as Busquets took Toure’s place in midfield. Much as Guardiola may trust in Busquets’ ability to help retain possession he probably realises that Busquets is unlikely to provide the sort of defensive cover Yaya can in case the ball is turned over.

Man Utd do not possess a physical forward of the Drogba variety who can dominate the defence even were Berbatov to start and hence there seems little reason to push Toure into defence again. If the ball is lost on the halfway line, Cristiano Ronaldo will definitely seek to quickly gain a few yards and unleash a difficult to handle shot from 30-40 yards out. Hence the need for Yaya Toure to cover this zone and minimise such opportunities.

Such a system though is not without its drawbacks. With Messi, moving into the centre, he can no longer isolate defenders and his predominantly left sided movement means he is more likely to engage an Henry of doubtful fitness rather than Eto’o. Additionally Man Utd are likely to engage Anderson to cover just such an option, leaving Carrick, Scholes and Park to harass the rest of the Barça midfield.

By crowding the midfield, United can defend deep while still spacing out the midfielders to negate Barça’s possession. Any loose ends picked up can be quickly transmitted though Rooney to Ronaldo with the tireless Park supporting. Rooney and Ronaldo’s roaming role will have to be countered by Barça’s defensive mid and wingbacks.

Freekicks and corners have always troubled Barça who will have to deal with the powerful trio of Vidic, Ferdinand and O’Shea besides Ronaldo should they concede any. Playing Caceres given his frequent errors may be dangerous but Barça do not have any other central defenders. Sylvinho as left back tends to pull the centre back out of possession often and while there is no guarantee this will not happen with Keita, his utility is supporting the midfield makes him a better option.

While Ferguson has numerous trump cards in Tevez, Giggs and Berbatov on the bench, Pep Guardiola will be thankful for the sharp surge in the confidence and form of Bojan which gives him at least one possibly game changing offensive substitution worth employing.

Conclusion

That’s it then, collect all your lucky charms and hold them tight, this is about all I can type with my fingers crossed. And let us believe as Guardiola has from the beginning of the season that with the players we have and the footballing philosophy they embody, Barça only have to play to their potential and no one can stand in their way.

Prediction : FC Barcelona 2 – 1 Manchester United


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Preview : Mallorca

Venue : Ono Estadi, Palma de Mallorca






“We haven’t won anything Yet”

Well they cant say that anymore.

WE HAVE WON !! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF THE LEAGUE AND THE COPA !!

In the span of 3 days Barça demolished Athletic Bilbao to win the Copa and were handed the Liga title even before stepping on to the pitch at the Ono Estadi by Real Madrid’s loss to Villareal. So after going title-less for 2 seasons Barça have won the double in Pep Guardiola’s first season as manager with a revamped and reinvigorated squad.

THIS SEASON’S SUCCESS

Obviously the biggest change from the 2 barren years has been the appointment of Guardiola. Guardiola, the mason, if Cruijff was the architect of the original Dream Team has turned from conductor to composer, orchestrating a Barça squad which simply by the poetic beauty of its passing game and attacking play this season would have been regarded by many as a success even without the concrete proof of the Double.

It may be argued that Barça never truly deviated from its characteristic style but Guardiola invoked a sharpness and definition to Barça’s game that made the passing triangles more than just pretty sequences which do not really influence the game. Incorporating discipline into the side brought in an effectiveness and purposefulness into Barça’s fluent but erstwhile unthreatening offense.

CONTINUING PROGRESS

It was only meant to be a transition year for Barça in the hope of building a team which would rise to its true potential in the following season or the one after. These early fruits will doubtless cause other teams to wonder where this team might be headed in the upcoming seasons. Routinely logging above 65% possession Barça have improved defensively by refusing to allow the opposition sufficient time on the ball to build attacks while at the same time adding a cutting edge which translates the greater possession eventually into goals.

Recent matches have seen the team adding a new dimension by reducing clearances and instead passing the ball out of defence at every opportunity. This is perhaps indicative of where Guardiola is willing to compromise in order to thwart teams which try to park the bus against Barcelona.

Most noticeably in the Copa final against Bilbao, we saw Pinto, Pique, Puyol and co. taking goalkicks short and playing the ball calmly out of defence and sometimes as far back as their own touchline. Since most teams sense greater opportunity when the ball is so close to Barça’s goal they invariably come out hunting for it, opening up large spaces in the midfield which are quickly exploited by Barça.

Most other teams which would regard such a tactic as too risky to even consider and it remains to be seen if this will be used regularly in the next few games and next season.

DOWN TO PALMA DE MALLORCA THEN

The team travels to Mallorca in the midst of celebrations in the Catalan capital at the first coming of silverware in 3 yrs. Mallorca is famous as the most popular tourist destination for Britons, its mild weather and granting personhood to Great Apes.

Gregoroio Manzano’s squad after looking hapless and certain to be relegated earlier in the season have pulled themselves together to reach a position of assured safety from the drop. With matches against Barcelona, Madrid and Villareal remaining, Mallorca sits 11 points above the relegation zone breathing easy at 10th position in the league table.

Manzano has a decent squad to work with which makes the apathetic performances earlier in the season seem strange.

STATS AND PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS THIS SEASON

Barça have met Mallorca 3 times already this season, in the first leg of this clash in La Liga and in the Copa semifinals.

In the la Liga encounter in January, Mallorca went a goal ahead courtesy of Aduriz before Barça came hard at them to finish with a 3 – 1 win.

In the first leg of the Copa semifinals Barça won 2 – 0 by virtue of an Henry header and a Marquez free-kick.

In the second leg, Mallorca again took the lead before Barça equalised late through a Messi goal.

Mallorca has been on an impressive run until it came up against Sevilla last weekend. In the second half of the season, Mallorca have lost only 3 matches, winning 9 and drawing 4. Against the top 5 teams however they have only managed a win against Valencia. In a season where a number of sides have found playing at home more intimidating than away Mallorca have won two-thirds (66%) of their points at home.

The results of the last 5 matches are :

18 Apr 09 Malaga 1 - 1 Mallorca
23 Apr 09 Mallorca 2 - 0 Valladolid
26 Apr 09 Huelva 2 - 4 Mallorca
3 May 09 Mallorca 2 - 1 Getafe
9 May 09 FC Sevilla 3 - 1 Mallorca

STARTING LINEUPS

With the league already in the bag it is expected of Guardiola to give a number of players an early break. He can also use the next 2 games to evaluate the ability of a number of players, both those progressing from the Barça B squad as well as the few journeymen internationals (a.k.a Caceres, Guddy and Hleb) who have had lesser opportunities this season. It still would be necessary to incorporate one or two of the regulars to retain the structure of the squad. Samuel Eto’o returns to the pitch from where he launched his career but may be expected to watch this one from the bench.

Manzano may be expected to use his top striker Aduriz and the youngster Jurado on loan from Atletico who is threatening to overtake him in the goal scoring charts. A few regular defenders are missing in the squad named, the veteran right back Lionel Scaloni, Nunes and Navarro among them.

Predicted Lineups :

Mallorca : Moya, Josemi, Ramis, Corrales, Ayoze, Varela, Cleber Santana, Marti, Arango, Aduriz, Jurado

Barcelona : Valdes, Victor Sanchez, Puyol, Caceres, Sylvinho, Gudjohnsen, Busquets, Keita, Pedro, Bojan, Hleb

CONCLUSION

The importance of these two games for Pep, lies in deciding who between Sylvinho or Caceres to field in the Champions League final against Manchester United. Basically the decision will be dependent on Sylvinho’s durability to handle what might be an exhausting encounter and Caceres’ tendency to make vital errors. A clean sheet would be a great confidence booster.

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS FOR A GREAT SEASON !!!

Prediction : Mallorca 0 – 2 Barcelona


p.s. : Those watching the game on Sky Sports will have to hear for the 151st time about how Jerry Armstrong once played for Mallorca.



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Preview : Copa Del Rey Final

Venue : Mestalla, Valencia





A legend is being created and we are in the midst of its making. FC Barcelona have always stood for more than just winning. The form of footballing achievement being regarded as just as vital as the conquest itself. But yet, the ultimate glory, the proof of the pudding as it were, lies in tasting victory with this purposeful and seminal style of play.

It is fitting then that this etching into the annals of history should start at the lesser conquest of the Copa Del Rey and move on unwavering against the vicissitudes of fortune to the loftier targets of the League Crown and then the Champions League. Standing in the way, like a metaphor come to life lies the hard as granite stumbling block of Athletic Bilbao. The two grandfathers of Spanish football, who have waged separate battles against the enforced totalitarianism of the central Castilian power and are responsible for much of the rich tapestry that is Spain’s cultural history, face each other once again for the original footballing crown, the Copa Del Rey.

History
Athletic Club Bilbao were formed in 1898 (although there is some dispute about the year) one year ahead of FC Barcelona in 1899. The two clubs contested the final in the first edition of the Copa Del Rey in 1902 with Bilbao coming out on top. Barcelona did win the inaugural edition of the Primera Liga in 1929 but finished second behind Bilbao the next season. Along with Real Madrid these 2 sides enjoy the unique distinction of never having been relegated in the league’s history.

As for the Copa Del Rey, each has won the Cup on 24 occasions, more than any other team in Spain. They have managed to meet in the final on 6 occasions with the honours being even, 3 going each way. The last such occasion was in 1984 when Athletic emerged winners (1 – 0). Neither has fared too well in the competition in recent years with that 1984 triumph being Bilbao’s last while Barca’s was more than a decade ago in 1998.

Contrast in Playing Styles and Approach
Bilbao’s famed cantera policy of fielding only home-grown players has won them acclaim internationally although the theme is much disputed within the Basque province itself due to the club’s poaching of talents from other regional powerhouses such as Sociedad and also its rather loose definition of who may be regarded as home-grown. Nevertheless, in this era of big money transfers and bulk signings it is creditable that Bilbao have 14 of their current squad emerging from the cantera, a larger number than the 11 which Barça proudly tout. However, in the managerial role, while Barça have the cantera product Guardiola who wears his Catalan identity proudly on his sleeve, Atletic Bilbao have had no qualms about engaging foreign or Spanish managers.

Indeed, much of their style of play is defined by the influence of English managers and the home-bred Javier Clemente who favoured the “old 1-2-3” style of play (involving 3 touches of the ball from Goalkeeper to Centre Forward). Consequentially, Athletic Bilbao teams have always maintained a reputation for being dour and destructive. Nonetheless, their tenacity in remaining relevant in the Spain’s Primera Division with the limited resources intrinsic to their ”only Basque players” policy makes them difficult opponents. Joaquín Caparrós, in charge since 2007, has done little to change this entrenched style of play.

Recent Form
Athletic Bilbao came through the semifinals with a 2-1 win at Seville and thereafter beat Sevilla 3-0 in the home leg. Barça on the other hand came through with a win (2-0) at home and a draw (1-1) away against Mallorca having earlier made it past city rivals Espanyol.

The two league games earlier in the season saw Barça coming out on top on both occasions with a 1-0 win at San Mames and a 2-0 win at the Nou Camp. The last 5 league matches for the 2 teams yielded the following results :

FC Barcelona
18 Apr 09 Getafe 0 - 1 FC Barcelona
22 Apr 09 FC Barcelona 4 - 0 FC Sevilla
25 Apr 09 Valencia 2 - 2 FC Barcelona
2 May 09 Real Madrid 2 - 6 FC Barcelona
10 May 09 FC Barcelona 3 - 3 Villarreal

Athletic Bilbao
18 Apr 09 Athletic Bilbao 0 - 1 Deportivo
22 Apr 09 Numancia 1 - 2 Athletic Bilbao
26 Apr 09 Athletic Bilbao 2 - 1 Racing
3 May 09 Sporting Gijón 1 - 1 Athletic Bilbao
9 May 09 Athletic Bilbao 1 - 0 Betis Sevilla

Bilbao have hit a good vein of form to drag themselves back to midtable (11th position currently) after hovering close to the relegation zone earlier. With the European places out of sight as is also the threat of relegation, the Copa Del Rey offers to them what it has to many in the past, a chance to finish the season with some consolatory silverware.

The Copa Team Vs The Effect of Fatigue
Pep Guardiola has put out a distinctively different team for the Copa matches using his first team starters only occasionally and to good effect with substitutions. Here is a list of the minutes of the 13 players most used in the Cup matches.

1. Pinto 751minutes
2. Busquets 688mins
3. Bojan 669mins
4. Sylvinho 655mins
5. Alves 648mins
6. Hleb 583mins
7. Caceres 553mins
8. Toure 470mins
9. Pique 468mins
10. Iniesta 453mins
11. Gudjohnsen 376mins
12. Keita 376mins
13. Messi 376mins

Since the first week of April which was the last time they got a midweek break the team has played 2 matches per week continuously for the last 11 games, this being the 12th on the run. Since the game on April 4th against Valladolid :

Victor Valdes has started all 11 matches
Andres Iniesta has also started all 11 matches. (In fact, Iniesta has started every single game since his return from injury in the Copa semifinal 2nd leg against Mallorca)
Xavi did not start 1 game although he came on as a sub.
Dani Alves did not start 1 game but did come on as a sub.
Pique missed 1 game.
Eto’o missed 1 game.
Messi missed 2 games but came on as a sub in one of them.

A good deal of criticism, stemmed earlier by the positive results, against Guardiola’s abandoning of his rotation policy, has begun to surface as the effects of the taxing schedule begin to take its toll. It is also reasonable to suggest that Barça’s passing and movement based offense and full-court press style of defense require greater running and effort than that of other teams.

Starting Lineups
The question of whether to play the strongest lineup available or trust to those who have played a greater part in the Copa campaign has perhaps been simplified slightly for Pep Guardiola by the misfortune of injuries. This will allow him to strengthen the lineup to some extent while still retaining the majority of the squad from the players listed above. Besides, the vital role that could be played by these players given the possible absence of some regular starters before the season ends, makes it important for Guardiola to instil confidence within their ranks and display his faith in their ability.

Joaquin Caparros, rested many of his starters over the weekend in what Barça should take as a warning regarding how seriously Athletic are approaching this final. He should have Yeste and Orbaiz back after suspensions as well as Llorente who came off the field with thigh muscle contusions against Sporting Gijon in an earlier match. Caparrós who generally uses a 4-4-2 switches to a 4-5-1 against teams like Barça and Madrid with Yeste playing just behind Llorente.

Barça 4-3-3 : Pinto, Dani Alves, Pique, Caceres, Sylvinho, Gudjohnsen, Toure, Busquets, Messi, Bojan, Hleb

Bilbao 4-4-1-1 : Iraizoz, Iraola, Ocio, Amorebieta, Koikili, Lopez, Orbaiz, Martinez, Susaeta, Yeste, Llorente

Gameplay
The difficulty of beating Athletic is perhaps best illustrated by the 1-0 win for Barça in the San Mames earlier in the season. It was a game which Athletic seemed to dominate for long stretches and Barça would have counted themselves lucky to come away with the 3 points. It is notable that Barça used all their tallest players and best headers of the ball in Marquez, Pique, Yaya and Busquets (who came on in the first half) but yet failed to nullify the threat from the Bilbao side. The presence of Llorente had an important part in this as the talented young striker is capable of directing his headers to the players running in from the flanks even while being challenged for the high ball.

Bilbao are likely to concede possession to Barça up to the halfway line and then close down on everything beyond that. The 2 defensive midfielders that is a Bilbao tradition adds to the depth in defense while Yeste will drop deep to help in the distribution with an eye to getting onto Llorente’s layoffs. The long punt upfield to Llorente is likely to Bilbao’s favourite route into Barça’s penalty area.

On set-pieces Bilbao have the advantage by means of their superior strength with the Venezuelan born Basque Amorebieta and the veteran Ocio joining Llorente in the box. The delivery of set-pieces (as well as the chance of a direct goal from a free-kick) is superlative from Bilbao with the right foot of David Lopez and the left of Yeste being equally threatening.

Barça are not going to get much change trying to outmuscle the Bilbao defense and without Henry they do not really have the weapons to attempt as much either. Deception and quickness have to be Barça’s major weapons for this game. A quick transition from defense into offense so as to catch the Bilbao defenders on the back foot with Messi or Bojan running at them will be Barça’s best bet of getting goalside. The discipline and organisation of the Bilbao team means that many a Barça build-up may come up against a stone wall and their best chance of getting a goal will be on the counterattack.

One may also note that the Mestella has never been a favoured hunting ground for Barça in the recent past and the state of the pitch as witnessed in the Valencia game may not be conducive to a smooth flowing passing game. The refree for this game is Medina Cantalejo, a neutral from the Andalusian region who has frequently officiated in the Classico encounters.

Conclusion
Guardiola said “all the squad deserve to play. I know what team I’ll put out, but I’m not going to let it out till match day. If we win, the same as if we win the league, it’ll be a squad effort. You know, I think, even I deserve to get on and play for a while!” Irrespective of whether Guardiola plays or not the task remains a difficult one. Bilbao are very likely to show the sort of discipline backed with physical presence and robust challenges that Barça faced against Chelsea. Perhaps like against Chelsea it may take a single moment of individual brilliance or collective inspiration to decide the tie.

Prediction : FC Barcelona 2 – 1 Athletic Bilbao


kamikaze kontiki

Which brand of boots do Barcelona players wear?

FC Barcelona has been sponsored by American sports goods manufacturer, Nike since 1998.

The sponsorship contract due to expire in 2008 was recently extended by 5 years in October 2006. The new deal, valid till 2013 and with the option of another five-year extension, is reportedly worth 150 million euros ($ 189 million) plus bonuses and royalties.

Besides this deal on a club lever, most Barcelona players also have individual contracts and endorsement deals with sports suppliers. The players from Barcelon's first team are listed below under the icon of their corresponding shoe sponsor.




Víctor Valdés
Martín Cáceres
Eric Abidal
Carles Puyol
Rafael Márquez
Gerard Piqué
Dani Alves
Andrés Iniesta
Yaya Touré
Sergi Busquets
Bojan Krkic
Pedro



Gabriel Milito
Xavi Hernandez
Eidur Gudjohnsen
Lionel Messi




José Manuel Pinto
Seydou Keita
Alexander Hleb
Samuel Eto'o



Thierry Henry












Sylvinho



Albert Jorquera



Victor Sánchez



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Preview : Sevilla

Venue : Camp Nou, Barcelona



A regular follower of any league is accustomed to taking delight in big encounters between the top clubs as they turn up during the course of the season. The arrangement instituted by the Spanish League authorities where all such encounters are played within the space of 4 weeks creating a minileague of sorts is unusual to say the least and downright inconvenient when they also coincide with the final stages of European competition. Still, as it is, the last few weeks are a treat in store for Barça fans who have the opportunity to watch their team make the final push for glory through the most taxing schedule possible.

The minileague restarted last week when Sevilla took on Valencia and lost 3-1 in a heated encounter. Barça established their superiority by winning all the matches in the minileague in the first phase of the season, starting with a 3 - 0 rout of Sevilla (including a Messi special) at the Rámon Sánchez Pizjuán. They took away 12 points from the 4 matches, scoring 11 goals and conceding only 1, against Sevilla, Valencia, Madrid and Villareal. By comparison, Sevilla got 7 points and Madrid 6 from these games.

Manolo Jimenez’s dour and defensive tactics have withstood much abuse by Sevilla fans and taken them to 3rd in the standings with a lead cut to 5 points after the loss to Valencia. They are 15 points behind Madrid but seem likely to see European football next season. Sevilla have a good away record with half their points and goals scored coming away from home. After the loss in the Seville derby to Betis they went on a run of 6 wins and 1 draw before losing to Getafe and Valencia. The 44 goals they have scored however is the worst offensive record among the top 6 teams.

Sevilla are heavily dependent on Freddi Kanoute for their offense. In the offensive build up, Kanoute drops deep in to midfield(into the Yaya Zone) to hold up the ball and redistribute it to the flanks. Kanoute’s intelligence and physical presence make it difficult to steal the ball from him. Guardiola in the first leg, hence used Keita to try and curb the distribution to the flanks and he may very well use the same tactic again.

Jimenez has shifted from his earlier traditional true wingers formation to a more fluid one by removing the left winger and allowing Navas the freedom of both wings. Renato operates in a creative role behind the strikers while the impressive Perotti, recently promoted from the Sevilla Athletic squad, turns up in the box to score goals. Diego Capel of the giddying runs is relegated to the bench while Adriano has been shifted to a full-back position where Sevilla are yet to find an adequate replacement for Dani Alves.

The heated Valencia game means that Adriano and GK Palop are suspended. Javi Varas who had one start in the league against Numancia so far this season will line up in goal while Jimenez may have to revert back to using Mosquera at right back. The leaden footed Mosquera is likely to face more problems with the tricky Iniesta rather than Henry who has started to shade more to the centre in recent games. The right full-back position is Sevilla’s weakest link in defence and Guardiola will look to target it.

Abidal may be expected back in the line-up for Barça to deal with Jesus Navas. Navas is an intelligent winger who does not attempt to beat his marker every time, before he delivers his cross. His crosses are thus often low or early but Kanoute and Fabiano are savvy to this type of service. Playing Fabiano and Kanoute together will complicate things for Barça’s defence when handling Navas’ crosses besides also allowing Sevilla to keep the Barça defensive line deep, when Kanoute drops into midfield. Jimenez has indicated that he does not think it is possible to win at the Camp Nou by parking the bus and playing on the counter yet, it will be unexpected from him to line up 2 strikers rather than 5 across the midfield.

One of the 3 centre-backs might have to drop to the bench for Barça and it could most likely be Marquez since Pique is required for his height and captain Puyol with his ferocious drive and inspirational presence will be difficult to keep out of the line-up. The holding position in midfield should see the return of the commanding Yaya.

At the time of writing there is no word yet on Messi’s condition. A stomach bug can be energy sapping so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Messi start on the bench. Barca have more than adequate cover in Iniesta, perhaps the only player in the world who can come close to Messi with his dribbling skills. Xavi is likely to be subject to some tough challenges from Romaric and particularly Dushcer, the hard tacklers in Sevilla’s midfield.

Predicted Lineups :

Barça : Valdes, Alves, Pique, Puyol, Abidal, Toure, Keita, Xavi, Henry, Eto’o, Iniesta

Sevilla : Javi Varas, Mosquera, Squillaci, Escude, Navarro, Duscher, Romaric, Navas, Renato, Perotti, Kanoute

Thats both former Sevilla players Keita and Alves lining up in my formation and hopefully both will play out of their skins against their former club. Speaking of former players, a bit of trivia for you: Undoubtedly the biggest name to play for both clubs was Diego Maradona who, after his first ban, made his return to football at Sevilla joining mentor Carlos Bilardo who was then the coach of Sevilla.

Well anyway, here is looking to another Barça win and another 90 minutes to record in Valdes’ portfolio when he presents his renewal claims in the summer ... sorry, I mean another clean sheet. Busquets, Toure, Eto'o and Xavi are all within one yellow card of a suspension and it may be better off to have at least a few of these being incurred during the Valencia game up next rather than risk having them miss El Classico next week.

Prediction : Barça 3 – 0 Sevilla

Preview : Getafe

Venue : Coliseum Alfonso Perez, Getafe


The irksome Getafe are up next on the road for a meandering Barca. In the context of the tough fixtures up ahead, the bench strength of the squad assumes vital importance as they would be relied upon to deal with ties such as these. Pep Guardiola has been short-changed by the inadequate performance of his reserves and as the season draws into its final and most arduous stage the rotation policy that was enthusiastically pursued earlier in the season seems to be churning ever slower.

Getafe with Madrid socio card waving President Angel Torres are eager to play a critical part in the title battle. A poor run of results since the winter break has seen Getafe slide close to the relegation zone and a win against Barca will buy them considerable breathing space too. The club which partly traces its origin to a bunch of Madrid supporters who couldn’t break into the capital, host matches in its 17 000 capacity Coliseum Alfonso Perez. The stadium is named after the player Alfonso Perez who played for Madrid, was the leading light at Betis, spent 2 seasons at Barca and popularised the use of white football boots.

The staid and practical Victor Munoz as coach of Getafe has never been the recipient of any popularity awards and his approach to the game is very much inclined to functionality rather than flair or entertainment. Nevertheless, he has knit together a compact and disciplined side which are likely to be well organised in defence and direct in their attacks. Besides this, Getafe’s consistency in ending the last 4 seasons since their promotion (in 2004) in mid-table is indicative of their resilience and growing confidence.

Getafe have won just 3 of their last 15 league ties, drawing 4 and losing 8. They keep talking about turning the 17 000 seater stadium into a fortress but their home record is only marginally better this season, than their away, 56% of their points being garnered at home and 44% away. The goal scoring and conceding percentages are similar with 55%of their goals scored at home and 45% conceded. Yet, they have proved troublesome for Barca over the last few years with the last win at the Coliseum for Barca coming in March 2006. These are the results over the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.

Copa Del Rey

Apr 07 : Barca 5 – 2 Getafe
May 07 : Getafe 4 – 0 Barca

La Liga

Apr 08 : Barca 0 – 0 Getafe
Nov 07 : Getafe 2 – 0 Barca
May 07 : Barca 1 – 0 Getafe
Jan 07 : Getafe 1 – 1 Barca

Thats 2 wins, 2 losses and 2 draws.
The first leg at the Camp Nou this season ended in 1 – 1 draw, breaking a 9 match winning streak for Barca. Currently, Barca are on a 5 match winning streak.

Pep Guardiola cannot ignore the fixtures(8 matches against the top 4 Liga teams besides the Copa Del Rey final and the CL semis) coming up in the next 2 weeks as he decides his game plan for this encounter. Against Sevilla and Valencia (the next 2 games), Guardiola will have to put the big guns out since their greater attacking potential will warrant more edge in attack from Barca. Getafe do not have such potent attacking options to trouble the Barca defence. So Barca can go into this game with fewer regular starters and possibly come out with the same result.

But expecting a tough encounter, Pep will probably opt for more physical presence in midfield in order to break down any Getafe attack easily. So Busquets might get the start next to Toure in midfield rather than as the lone defensive midfielder. This will afford the forwards and Xavi the luxury of not having to chase down the Getafe midfield in trying to regain possession. Xavi was rested during the Recré game therefore seems the likely choice to start in the playmaker role but for this sort of game Iniesta might be a better option with his ability to beat defenders one-on-one and work his way into the box, giving Barca the possibility of winning penalties which could decide the game.

Thus, predicting a scrappy encounter with less of the neat build-up play we have seen from Barca for most of the season I would put Etoó in the starting eleven for his sharpness in finishing off loose ends, such as in a goal-mouth scramble. However Henry having sat out the Bayern game is the more rested and might be partnered with Bojan up front. Alexander Hleb has been left out of the 19 member squad named and that is a strange one perhaps indicating that either Messi or Iniesta has to start in one of the wide positions, perhaps with Gudjohnsen manning the central midfield.

Dani Alves could do with some time on the bench as well since a more solid defence capable of functioning independently will be preferable for this game. That means Puyol could slot in at right-back with Marquez and Pique pairing up in the centre while Abidal continues his reintegration into the system at left-back. 3 goalkeepers were named in the squad since Valdes suffered a minor knee injury so Pep could save his rickety legs and reward Pinto with another start.

The Azulones usually start with 2 up front in Soldado and Uche. Soldado has scored 10 goals this season and feeds on the service from Granero, Casquero and particularly ex-Valencia man Jaime Gavilan in midfield. Casquero is suffering from an injury however and may be replaced by Manu with Granero slotting in at the centre or by Celestini. Goalkeeper Jacobo can be expected to make a return after being suspended for the Sevilla game.

Predicted Lineups

Getafe 4-1-3-2 : Jacobo, Cortes, Mario, Belenguer, Licht, Polanski, Granero, Celestini, Gavilan, Soldado, Uche

Barcelona 4-3-3 : Pinto, Puyol, Marquez, Pique, Abidal, Toure, Busquets, Xavi, Bojan, Henry, Iniesta

A scrappy encounter may be in the offing. Barca have tougher games coming up and will be looking to finish this one off with the least expenditure of energy.

Prediction : Getafe 0 – 1 Barcelona

Preview : Bayern Munich

Venue : Allianz Arena, Munich

Bayern are still smarting from open wounds and will be looking to wreak vengeance at home. A club with a much chequered history and the pride that is incrementally built up by this, they will be thirsting for revenge in the 2nd leg of the CL encounter with Barca. Initially, Bayern may go into the game looking only to play for pride but deep down they will surely entertain hopes that a few early goals will provide the impetuous to achieve an unlikely conquest.

That is what Bayern will hope. To put those hopes in perspective, after the 4-0 thrashing at the Camp Nou, a single goal by Barca in the Alliance Arena will mean Bayern require to find the net 6 times in order to progress. Perhaps as unlikely but just as wistfully will Barca and Victor Valdes hope, to extend the run of clean sheets they have managed over the last 5 games Valdes has played. Valdes had a great match over the weekend where he looked commanding and bailed out a limping defence only to pay tribute to the same after the game.

The influential English media have started to sit up and take note of Barca’s sublime performances. Yet they have quite distastefully refused to acknowledge anything in Barca’s overwhelming results beyond the individual brilliance of Messi, Etoó and co. Pep Guardiola’s remarkable success in playing a fluid passing game, inextricably linking defence and offense with persistent retaining of possession, is worthy of invoking a paradigm shift in footballing consciousness towards a game based on more skilful approach play. With typical obtuseness the media and coaches refuse to acknowledge anything that might challenge their long cherished Long-ball style or any tenet beyond sheer physical strength and velocity as skill.

It is highly probable that Messi may be rested for this game and the impact of this for Barca is likely to be more pronounced in defence than in attack. More on that later but first a word on Andres Iniesta: This is the man who has to fill in the shoes of both Messi and Xavi when either is absent and yet when both are present, complements their presence by adding a different dimension to the attack. Iniesta was pulled out in the 75th minute against Recreativo and replaced by Alexander Hleb for whom the management surely envisaged a similar role when they signed him at the start of the season.
A look at the weekend games for the 2 sides before we go any further.

Over the Weekend

Bayern : By all accounts (or at least this one), Bayern produced a comeback performance worthy of their reputation in a 4 – 0 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt. The stinging criticism they faced after the mauling by Barca seems to have struck home and Bayern produced a highly motivated performance.

Lahm failed to make the team as did Van Buyten. Lucio made his return however and scored a goal. Ribery, Toni and Schweinsteiger were the other scorers. Ze Roberto filled in at Left Back, Lell started as Right Back and Ottl took Ze Roberto’s place in midfield. In a show of continued disenchantment with Rensing, the 34-yr old Butt lined up between the posts. Jose Sosa played behind Luca Toni, Altintop being relegated to the bench.

Barca : A workmanlike performance was on display at the Nou Camp as they saw off relegation threatened Recré. Iniesta produced another sterling performance scoring the first goal and taking the shot that resulted in the 2nd. Messi missed a penalty. Xavi and Etoó started on the bench while Krkic failed to make the most of the starting place he got. Also rested was Carles Puyol while Abidal returned to the team, although, he didn’t get any minutes on the pitch. Henry and Messi played the whole game as did 35 year old Sylvinho .

For those who missed the first leg, here is an account from the Guardian website.

Tactics and Formation
Messi’s ability to dribble past defenders, twisting and turning, frequently changing direction causes defences to counter him simply by creating obstacles in his path. Thus they put more defenders in place so that he has more players to beat and hence his path to goal is lengthened. If Bojan for instance was used instead of Messi, even without the presence of the left-back, the centre-back can handle him by closing down the angle to goal and pushing him out wide from where his options are limited.

That in the absence of Lahm, Klinsmann opted to use Ze Roberto in his position bodes trouble for Barca. What this essentially implies is that Ribery is going to get some support while going forward on that flank. Countering this is going to be a hard task for Barca. When Keita came on in the first leg he spent a notable amount of time on that flank in an effort to nullify the Ribery threat. Although it is difficult to envisage this happening for an entire match it may be the most effective way to deal with the combined threat of Ribery and Ze Roberto/Lahm.

To maintain stability this will involve a reconfiguration of the formation. So Keita starts from RM, Xavi LM and Iniesta plays the Messi role from the left flank. The return of Abidal will allow the defence, i.e the centre backs to spread further to the right. Puyol at RCB may be another small change introduced as his greater mobility will help Barca push Ribery into a corner from where, any crosses can be better handled with Pique’s excellent positioning.

If Bayern play with 2 strikers or an extra forward looking to play off Luca Toni, it could complicate matters for Barca because then the centre-backs will have to stay closer to the centre in order to handle any headed lay-offs. But with the presence of Yaya Toure and Abidal, Guardiola will believe that there is sufficient cover to handle this. And Alves would do well to be more discreet while embarking on his kamikaze bombing runs.

Of course Guardiola may decide that the threat of Ribery does not warrant such rotation of the formation or might use a less marked deviation from the current system. After all, he has, to fall back on, the invisible pillars of Barca’s defensive success : its possession based attacking play and relentless harrying of the opposition which induces anxiety when they finally do gain control of the ball. So in the presumed absence of Messi and Henry, it will be upto the ever-reliable Iniesta and Etoó ( who was absolutely awesome in the first leg ), besides Xavi, to keep Bayern preoccupied with defending their goal.

Predicted Lineups :

Bayern 4-4-2 : Butt, Lell/Oddo, Lucio, Demichelis, Ze Roberto/Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Van Bommel, Ottl, Ribery, Toni, Podolski
Barca 4-3-3 : Valdes, Alves, Puyol, Pique, Abidal, Keita, Toure, Xavi, Bojan, Etoó, Iniesta

In Conclusion
Its Bayern’s home pitch so besides their 12th man home support they are also free to plant as many sausages as they wish under the Allianz Arena. Bayern will probably come charging out of the blocks in the first half until an unexpected Barca goal deflates them. Or perhaps it will just take a spell of Barca possession and before Bayern know it 10 minutes have passed and that familiar sensation of chasing phantoms, who just will not give up the ball, starts to creep in. Barca will play to win, as they always do, after all, the team owes El Capitan Puyol a win to commemorate his birthday. But surely after all of Klinsmann's defeated acceptance, Rummenigge's anger or disappointment confusion, Udo Lattek's tears and Beckenbauer's unmitigated condemnation, Bayern will have their backs up and manage to scrape through a victory?

Prediction : Bayern Munich 2 – 1 Barcelona



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Preview : Recreativo

Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona

Barca take on “El Decano” Recreativo de Huelva at the Nou Camp on Saturday in a clash between the oldest and third oldest football clubs in Spain. This is Recreativo’s 3rd and longest run in the Primera Division after gaining promotion in June 2006. The previous two times they clawed their way into the top division in 1979 and 2003, they slipped straight back down. The grand-daddy of football in Spain as they like to be known, have nevertheless shown remarkable tenacity in staying relevant over 120 years and also considerable improvement in the new millennium.

Their struggle to consolidate continues this season which they have spent the greater part of; in the bottom 5 places. They currently sit at 18th in the table within the relegation zone, 2 points ahead of Numancia and 1 point behind Getafe and Betis. To put this in perspective though, Valladolid at 9th are only 9 points ahead of Recreativo so another 10 points from the remaining 9 matches might be enough to see them to safety.

Recré have 7 wins overall, 3 of them coming away from home. Their cohesiveness in defence is perhaps illustrated by the fact they have conceded 41 goals which is the same as Valencia and the 8th best in the league. With the available talent though scoring goals has been a lot harder and their record of 27 goals scored is currently the poorest in La Liga. There is little to pick between their home and away records, 53% of their points coming at home and 47% away.

Pep Guardiola might be inclined to dig out the video of the Osasuna game to remind his players just how tough matches against the relegation zone clubs can get. An attitude typical of the bottom of the table clubs in Spain is to go for it, trying just as hard every game while paying little reverence to rank or reputation. Hence they tend to fare better against the big teams than the mid-table clubs who regard them as a genuine threat. Recré have lost all their matches so far to the top 4 clubs but none of those have been by a wide goal margin; the largest being the 2 – 0 loss to Barca.

In that game, the first goal came in 52nd minute and the 2nd in the 86th. After the Bayern win however caution may be an easy thing to preach but much harder to truly instil for Barca. Therefore Pep might help his cause by using for this game, players who still have a lot to prove and hence the motivation to push hard even against weak opposition.

First on the list is Hleb. Guardiola has used Hleb predominantly in the wing positions but Xavi being due a rest after playing a full 90 mins in the international matches and the Valladolid and Bayern games, Hleb might get his chance in the playmaker role. Gudjohnsen or Iniesta are the other options in that position. Caceres will be hoping to get a run out though giving Sylvinho some warm-up before the Bayern game will be the priority. So, I reckon Sylvinho will play about half the match and then be replaced by Caceres. Busquets should be a certainty to start and Bojan will fancy the same.

For the rest of the line-up, it is pretty much shooting in the dark. The key point is that there has to be enough regulars to retain some of the Fear Factor to keep Recré worried while at the same time saving the players for the tough run of games coming up. After this one, the next is Getafe and then the mini-league kickstarts with the CL semis sandwiched in between them.

Lucas Alcarez is the coach of Recré and has had some success getting teams promoted from the Segunda Division to La Liga. However the teams he has handled in the Primera Division invariably drop back to the Segunda; a record he will be hoping to break this time. He hardly has any household names to call on and hence the collective effort of the players will be his only hope to thwart Barca. Additionally some of his best players are ruled out with injuries or suspensions including team joint top scorer Colunga although Camunas is available.

Predicted Lineups

Barca : Valdes, Alves, Marquez, Puyol, Sylvinho, Busquets, Iniesta, Keita, Hleb, Bojan, Henry

Recreativo : Riesgo, Lamas, Poli/Morris, Casado, Barber, Nayar, Sisi, Camunas, Ruben, Maidana

Recré are a plucky team and it is unlikely they will roll over and play dead. At home though, even a reserve Barca team should be able to handle them without overexerting themselves. Barca have to maintain the rhythm they have built up, retaining the 6-point advantage over Real and the psychological edge that goes with it heading into El Classico in the first week of May.

Oh, and another clean sheet will put us on 5 consecutive in La Liga alone.

Prediction : Barcelona 3 – 0 Recreativo



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Match Preview : Bayern Munich

Venue : Camp Nou, Barcelona


The most eagerly anticipated match of the quarterfinal stage, in which the 2 leading goal scorers of the Champions League clash, is finally here. Both Barca and Bayern have scored 24 goals each so far in the Champions League. Bayern are unbeaten while Barca’s record is tarnished only by the reserve team’s loss to Shaktar in the final group stage match.

Bayern are 4 times winners of the Champions League/European Cup, their last triumph coming against Valencia in 2001 after famously having the title stolen from them at the Nou Camp by Manchester United in 1999. This is their 21st appearance in the quarterfinal stage a record only surpassed by Real Madrid, making them the most successful team remaining in this year’s CL.

Therefore, it is understandable that beyond the statuary tributes to Barca’s flowing game, much of the talk emanating from Munich has been focussed inward, intent on creating the impression that Bayern playing to its prodigious capacity is the key point in winning over the 2 legs rather than thwarting Barca. Long associated with efficiency and effectiveness, their poor performance over the past few seasons has galvanised a shift in approach emphasized by the appointment of Jurgen Klinsmann as coach. This season Bayern have displayed an admirable commitment to attacking football, often sacrificing the stability of their defence in the process.

About Klinsmann,
Jurgen Klinsmann took over at Bayern in July 2008 on the back of the League and Cup double which his predecessor the wily Ottmar Hitzfelds achieved after introducing wholesale changes to the squad at the start of the 2007-08 season. Klinsmann’s performances as a coach have gained acclaim and popularity more because of the refreshing change in direction they brought rather than any tactical genius. He predominantly favours a 4-4-2 formation with 2 wingers and an attacking central midfielder, supported by attack-minded wingbacks.

The 5-1 defeat at Wolfsburg over the weekend has provoked a measure of introspection with the coach asking for more commitment from his players. Blaming the loss on individual errors due to lack of concentration, Klinsmann also made the point that Bayern’s season hinges on the Barca game.

And Guardiola
A more resolute performance by Barca allowed Guardiola to balance his objectives of rest and reintegration over the weekend for the players returning after injury layoffs and international duty. Pep, has indicated a more guarded approach to the game by revealing that he spent the time during the national team break studying tapes of Bayern Munich’s matches. Additionally he has sought to play down the favourites tag by stating that if anything Bayern are the favourites, having the advantage of playing the final leg at home.

Stats and Recent Results

Last 5 matches

Barca :
Home Win 2-0 Athletic Bilbao
Home Win 5-2 Lyon
Away Win 2-0 Almeria
Home Win 6-0 Malaga
Away Win 1-0 Valladolid

Bayern :
Home Win 5-1 Hannover
Home Win 7-1 Sporting Clube
Away Win 3-0 Bochum
Home Win 1-0 Karlsruher
Away Loss 5-1 Wolfsburg

Marquez and Busquets for Barca and Borowski and Van Bommel will incur suspensions with their next bookings. Ribery with 6, has more assists in the Champions League this season than Messi or Xavi . Bayern have been fouled-on the most number of times this season in the CL with 153 fouls while Barca are the team to commit the least number of fouls with just 92, amongst the quarterfinalists.

In European competition Barca have generally had it good against German opposition but against Bayern they have fallen short in the past with 3 losses and 1 draw in the 4 matches played.

Tactics and Strategy
Formations of both teams are almost set in stone with each team sticking to its 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 formations respectively. To combat the creativity of Barca’s midfield what Bayern need is a quiet, tireless worker to pick up the pieces left after Van Bommel’s robust (and inevitably late) challenges. They have that player in the perpetually underrated Tim Borowski but playing him goes against Klinsmann’s attacking methodology and he is likely to start a player with more flair such as Ze Roberto. Nevertheless, their idea will be to shackle Xavi and Iniesta as far as possible.

More than Lahm’s left side Bayern have looked vulnerable down their right flank where both Christian Lell and Massimo Oddo have failed to adequately replace Sagnol. Injuries have created a soft centre in the defence with the pairing of Dimichelis and Breno(as talented but as inconsistent as Caceres) about the only option Klinsmann has. The arrangement of space however makes penetration and crossing from the right more probable than creating shooting opportunities. The best way for Barca to take advantage of this may be to have Iniesta starting from midfield to move wide with the ball on the left while Henry moves simultaneously towards the centre.

Etoó has his work cut out for him as a lot will depend on his movement and ability to draw the centre-backs out of position. The Messi vs Lahm battle will turn on the support that is afforded to Lahm from Ze Roberto. Messi will hence benefit from the presence of Iniesta on the far side, drawing the midfield cover towards the left leaving Lahm isolated against him.

Defensively, Barca have to work out a way to deal with Ribery for; of course no force on earth can keep Dani Alves from rampaging forward. A quick witted player with great close control, Ribery is adept at taking advantage of any space offered. The return of Yaya Toure, will be a great asset to Guardiola. His ability to cover space and disrupt breaks will allow Alves the time to get back into position. The defence will be occupied in dealing with Luca Toni and his clever layoffs to Podolski who is ever ready to shoot on sight of goal. On Barca’s left flank, Sylvinho will be well-advised to stay back and conserve his energy to deal with the nimble footed Schweinsteiger or the Turk Hamid Altentop.

Predicted Lineups :
Barcelona : Valdes, Alves, Marquez, Puyol, Sylvinho, Toure, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Etoó, Henry

Bayern Munich : Rensing, Lell, Breno, Demichelis, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Van Bommel, Ze Roberto, Ribery, Luca Toni, Podolski

And So .....
At the very minimum Barca would like a 2 goal cushion to carry into the return leg. Anything more will be magnificent but Bayern are as dependent as Barca are on attack as the best mode of defence. So Barca have to look to weather the early storm, control the pace of the game and hold onto possession which, of course, is what they have done for most part of the season. Bayern will look to break with as much speed as possible so slowing down the game initially may be to Barca’s advantage. Barca possession is certain to eventually yield goals just as conceding an early goal will embolden Bayern. Barca should be comfortable but yet careful to ensure they don’t have to go into the second leg needing a win.

Prediction : Barcelona 4 – 2 Bayern Munich


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