CL Last 16 vs Barcelona (feb. 24 & mar. 18)

[conormcfc]

Yep, Spanish teams don't really have the energy to close down the spaces for them as we do, so long as we keep them from show-prancing through us I think we have more ability to hurt them than vice versa.

Not watched Atletico play in the last 3 years then?

Yeah they've had the beating of Barcelona up until this season, their press doesn't work so well without Costa though.

They've beat Barca once in 5 years, wouldn't say they've had the beating of them. Atleti's pressing game is miles better than ours anyway.

 

[Leech]

Not watched Atletico play in the last 3 years then?

Yeah they've had the beating of Barcelona up until this season, their press doesn't work so well without Costa though.

They've beat Barca once in 5 years, wouldn't say they've had the beating of them. Atleti's pressing game is miles better than ours anyway.

Atletico have only really been a truly world class side for a season or so I'd say, and they certainly weren't inferior to Barcelona last season, although I think they lost a little too much quality last summer to replicate those achievements this year.

I would argue that any team that has played with defensive intensity against them in the past few years, be that Heynckes' Bayern Munich, Mourinho's Real Madrid or even Moyes' Sociedad, has given themselves a very good chance of beating Barcelona. If you deny them the space to play around you then they have very little else to offer.

 

[jauganaut]

So, who's going to deny them the space. The ambling Yaya, or is it Octopussy. I'll give you Fernando, but realize he displays about half the energy of one atletico madrid midfielder. Silva won't do that for you, neither will Nasri. I'll give you Navas, and maybe Milner, but both won't play at the same time in that game. Demichelis is slow, Kompany will just upend anything that moves. Dzeko...Dze...hahaha , let's not go there. I'll give you Aguero, but why would you want a genius like that doing grunt work when he should be scoring.
We may win this game and I hope we stuff them, but it won't be because we did not let Barca play. They will destroy us with posession football

 

[Leech]

So, who's going to deny them the space. The ambling Yaya, or is it Octopussy. I'll give you Fernando, but realize he displays about half the energy of one atletico madrid midfielder. Silva won't do that for you, neither will Nasri. I'll give you Navas, and maybe Milner, but both won't play at the same time in that game. Demichelis is slow, Kompany will just upend anything that moves. Dzeko...Dze...hahaha , let's not go there. I'll give you Aguero, but why would you want a genius like that doing grunt work when he should be scoring.
We may win this game and I hope we stuff them, but it won't be because we did not let Barca play. They will destroy us with posession football

Most of the closing will be done by Fernandinho/Fernando, similar to the job they did in Rome, the others mainly just have to stay compact until we retrieve the ball and then break away, not that I'd say any bar Silva (who is likely to be given a more free role than the others) are defensively incapable. And I'd be surprised if Mangala, Milner and Navas didn't all start.

Don't you remember what we tried to do in the first leg last year? Only this year we have much better personnel for it.

 

[Larry Stranger]

So, who's going to deny them the space. The ambling Yaya, or is it Octopussy. I'll give you Fernando, but realize he displays about half the energy of one atletico madrid midfielder. Silva won't do that for you, neither will Nasri. I'll give you Navas, and maybe Milner, but both won't play at the same time in that game. Demichelis is slow, Kompany will just upend anything that moves. Dzeko...Dze...hahaha , let's not go there. I'll give you Aguero, but why would you want a genius like that doing grunt work when he should be scoring.
We may win this game and I hope we stuff them, but it won't be because we did not let Barca play. They will destroy us with posession football

Most of the closing will be done by Fernandinho/Fernando, similar to the job they did in Rome, the others mainly just have to stay compact until we retrieve the ball and then break away, not that I'd say any bar Silva (who is likely to be given a more free role than the others) are defensively incapable. And I'd be surprised if Mangala, Milner and Navas didn't all start.

Don't you remember what we tried to do in the first leg last year? Only this year we have much better personnel for it.

They can destroy us, but it won't be because of possession football. They play a lot different under Enrique. The center backs will play the ball from the back more directly to Messi who hangs out on the right wing. Messi will pull the defenders out and they will try to play Neymar and Suarez in quickly. They play a lot of balls over the top. The offside trap will be tested. If they lose the ball in the final 3rd, Barca will also try to press the opposition in their own half. A midfielder like Iniesta who used to be a possession player now does a lot of the grunt work and tries to force turnovers. So if we give the ball away easily, one of their frontline 3 will be in quickly to punish us.

 

[mac]

Any cheap bars in Barcelona? Was paying €15 euros for Steins last year until we found an off licence?

You can afford it Carl you tight git.
Or take aload of beer from the hotel.
It best warm up as its snowing and sleet here in southern Spain.bleedin freezing.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

Got a pint in at placa reial which was 9 euro's, so just sent my mate to the shop for some cans and used the pint cup to hold the beer in. Will just get straight on the cans this time

 

[inbetween]

Will be in New York for this one, Mad hatter it is!

 

[MCFCRICH]

Any cheap bars in Barcelona? Was paying €15 euros for Steins last year until we found an off licence?

We went to a bar down a side street called London bar was around 5euros a pint it was near the square.

When leaving the square heading on to Ramblas go over the road and you will see a side street with a super market carry on walking down there its on your right, was a few blues in there too was decent but quite a small place so don't everyone pile in otherwise I won't be able to get served and sat

 

[dingdongbell8]

Head to Temple bar just off rambles was buzzing in there last season on Tuesday day/night.. only going this year to see if i can find my phone.... that some thieving git pinched outside ground.. Same again for me Tuesday till Thursday, Temple bar around 2ish