The Ultimate Game: Get Inside Guardiola's head

With Frank Rijkaard you couldn't get any honour by predicting Barcelona's starting line-up. Even hockey moms could. But this has dramatically changed this summer. Until this very day, nobody has been able to crack the code of Josep Guardiola's brain. Nor has anyone got inside his sleeves.

So this is your chance to prove not only your knowledge about the game of football but also your psychological insight:

PREDICT BARCELONA'S STARTING LINE-UP

This is not (as in: NOT) a place for discussion on team tactics or personal player preferences. You just give the system and the eleven names you think will start the game against Sevilla on Saturday.

You put them in the right position, so using the 4-3-3 (or whatever you think they will play) and putting the players from the right to the left, so the right back defender is your first name after the goalkeeper. If your line-up isn't clear, my interpretation counts.

Don't forget to add your (nick)name by clicking Name/URL under the comment box and fill it in, otherwise your after-game claim to glory will be dismissed.

You can give your starting line-up until three hours before the start of the game, in this case: until 7 pm barcelona time.

If you give your line-up before Guardiola announes his match list (or if all the available players or at least 20 players are included in the match list), you get one point for the correct line-up. If you do it after that announcement, you get half a point. Who will have the most points at the end of the season, can call himself the winner.

This is the twelveth time this game is organized.

Table

1.5
vj

1
Severian
Zeli
jepoy
temeldinho
granche
Henry
Jerry
GrandeMessi
Maximus
Hung
FCBFan

0.5
mario ch
Dan R
Davor

Quote of the day: Bojan

I want to thank Xavi and Gudjohnsen, who gave me the ball to take the penalty. It was a human and affective gesture.

Bojan Krkic, Barcelona player

more quotes

The Video: Sporting

Gudjohnsen: "We're ready to play against Madrid"

Barcelona player Eidur Gudjohnsen gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.





How did you feel when you got injured after a good start of the season?
It was bad luck, but it was just horrible. After I got injured, I suffered a lot. It was difficult to accept, but it was counterbalanced with the fact that the coach let me play immediately when I came back. The first game I was ready, I could play and I scored a goal. I worked hard to be able to return as soon as possible.

I was surpised to see you come back on top of your game.
I have been working hard during the recovery. Besides that, and with all my respect towards my country and my national team, I got aware that sometimes it's not really "worth" it to play a game with Iceland, if you understand what i mean.

Is it too much of a risk?
It's always an effort, but look, I don't think that Iceland will win the World cup.

You're considering to leave the Iceland team so you can focus on Barcelona?
No, because it's still an honour to play for my country and people expect a lot from me. I enjoy every game I play with them, but with moderation. I will pick the games from now on.

You don't think three points is a too narrow lead looking at the difference in playing styles between Madrid and Barcelona?
Yes, looking at how we have been playing, there's not a lot of distance with the other teams, but winning 6-0 or 1-0 is the same. They both give you three points. The best thing for us is that because of the way we play, we should only focus on ourselves.

What happened to Real Madrid in the Cup, we all could see that coming. Something like that could also happen to Barcelona?
It's not likely these days, but in football there's a thin line between success and disaster. We were lucky to qualify for the next round and now we can put the cup aside until January and focus on the Liga and the Champions League.

The coach thinks the games against Malaga, Valladolid, Recreativo and Getafe are more important that the games against Madrid, Sevilla or Valencia. Do you agree?
I don't think those December games will be decisive. You don't win the league in November or December, but with a bad series you can lose it.

You're anxiously waiting for the Madrid game?
Of course we want to play against Madrid! But we need to keep or even improve our level in the meanwhile. I don't care about Madrid coming today or tomorrow, they can come whenever they want. We'll be ready.


This was the first part of this interview. You can read the second part tomorrow with Gudjohnsen talking - among other things - about José Mourinho and about how close his exit was this summer.

Read more interviews with Barcelona players here

The Pictures: Sporting

(click on the pictures to enlarge)

(click on the pictures to enlarge)





#