How to play against Barcelona?

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

If Celtic can beat em, we can.

Personally I think over 2 legs they will be too strong and we will go out but hopefully we will give em a good game.

 

[Groke]

big question is do we play two up front or try and be more evenly matched in midfield? Bayern bullied us in midfield at home until we matched up numbers - by which time it was too late

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

big question is do we play two up front or try and be more evenly matched in midfield? Bayern bullied us in midfield at home until we matched up numbers - by which time it was too late

One up front. Anything else is football suicide as Bayern highlighted. Switch to two if needed.

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

Has he ever beaten them though?

Pellers record vs Barca

Lost 10, Draw 2, Won 0

Oh dear

But most of them were with Villareal and Malaga.

 

[ifiwasarichfan]

The best I have ever seen them play was when they put 5 or 6 past Madrid in what I think might have been Jose's first "classico" and then in a Champions League home tie against Arsenal - where Arsenal just couldn't get the Ball off them and Arsene's team ended up in the same state as the La Liga mid -table cannon fodder. I don't think they have hit those heights for a while now though.

I think that if when they are knocking the Ball around our final third and we can steal it and spring forward we can cause them plenty of problems. Also, they are not the greatest at defending set pieces. I think their keeper is average at best and might drop a bollock; and I am pretty sure that Kun, Negredo and for this game especially, Dzeko could rip Mascherano a new one.

We also have built up a bit of a fear factor. All the headlines in the Catalan papers the day after the Draw was made headlined with " Oh no, it's City".

 

[Burtonblue]

big question is do we play two up front or try and be more evenly matched in midfield? Bayern bullied us in midfield at home until we matched up numbers - by which time it was too late

I wonder if he will change his stance with the Bayern home game in mind.
May see a variation of the 442 with Aguero playing a deeper role with the Beast up front if MP insists on his favourite formation.
If he goes with 5 in the middle then Jovetic may get the nod as he has played in that position for Fiorentina.
Amazing really to have the players that give us the options to change things...
All said and done I reckon he will just go with a 442. It's what he believes in and is working. Lets not forget the Bayern home game came pretty early in the season and we are flying atm. Why change formation. Let Barca adapt. They must be the more worried playing us at fortress Etihad!

 

[M147WN]

big question is do we play two up front or try and be more evenly matched in midfield? Bayern bullied us in midfield at home until we matched up numbers - by which time it was too late

I think you're right mate!
3-0 btw now!
We got mullered with 2 up front by Bayern at home!
If we do the same (especially away) ...yeah it's a more potent goal threat but if our midfield never get the opportunity to get it forward to the Beast or Sergio cos they're outnumbered it might be a case of déjà-vu?
Maybe a play on 4-4-1-1 where Sergio plays deeper behind Negredo as our 5th midfielder??
My gut tells me we need to play em both!
If we can take a lead over there might be a case to just start Aguero at the Nou Camp? Who knows???

 

[inchy14]

big question is do we play two up front or try and be more evenly matched in midfield? Bayern bullied us in midfield at home until we matched up numbers - by which time it was too late

One up front. Anything else is football suicide as Bayern highlighted. Switch to two if needed.

Nope, 2 upfront especially at home, give them something to worry about.
Plus why change the way we play, it's to our strength and it's their biggest weakness.
When they've got the ball our 2 fullbacks took in and wide players drop back to compress the space in the middle. We shouldn't have to worry to much from crosses I hope so make it hard for them centrally.
Their back 4 will be shitting bricks at thought of our front players running at them.
And set pieces are going to be key to this game. We score quite often from them and hopefully can do against them.

 

[SuperSilva]

Has he ever beaten them though?

Pellers record vs Barca

Lost 10, Draw 2, Won 0

Oh dear

The above is Mostly vs Pep Guardiola...

Pellers broke that record by whipping Pep and his Bayern boys in their neck of the woods...

Against Martino... Pellers will put up a great fight and we should not be surprised if we beat them... Barca are genuinely worried about us, the way we play, our managers and his tactics and finally our players (Aguero, Negredo, Navas, Kompany, Zaba, Yaya and Fernan)... just as much as we are of them !

Those players I have mentioned are some a mate of mine think Barca will struggle to play against... particularly Yaya (and his marauding drives down the middle - just hope he is in the mood to show Barca!), Fernan as a lot of Barca fans think he is better than Busquets and Navas as he has previously (pardon my french) 'raped' them down the right flank when he played for Sevilla.

 

[kp789]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7hEqCdAwjs[/youtube]