Copa | Semi Final: Real Madrid - FC Barcelona 1-4 agg.

[AndreC]

Im really disappointed with the team. And impressed with Madrid approach to this game.
Horrendous first half. Madrid penetrated like butter. Barça bad organized and super slow in defensive transition. They had 3/4 clear chances. A more incisive or precise Vinicius or a courageous/bold Kroos could have closed this. Madrid much superior in 1st half. Barça with no identity whatsoever. It sucks...
Barça second half was better( couldnt be worse than the first-half) but not enough.

Messi obviously wasnt fit. He tried to immediately adapt, but its difficult when the opponent has the game under control. Lets hope he doesnt has nothing serious.
Doesnt matter how good Messi is, I dont believe in this team to win the champions league. They are too inconsistent and unreliable.
Madrid (with Cristiano) could have easily won the 4th consecutive champions. I dont think they will win it, but they are clearly in the race for it (even without him).

 

[eaman]

Kind of thought it might be a draw seen as Messi didn't start and real are better these days. Also they are usually close games at the nou camp. Hopefully the real who can't handle the pressure of their own crowd turn up for the second leg Wasn't a bad game really and at least Malcolm and semedo played well. Busquets was very good also.

 

[Arizona Scott]

1-1 draw not bad with the intensity Madrid put in to try to end the tie in the 1st half. Have to consider no Dembele, Messi for only 30 minutes and 3rd intense match in 1 weeks time where Madrid were sitting on this game a little bit. Only conceding 1 away goal squarely puts the tie in Barca's hands. Some really bright spots with the play of Semedo and Malcom, who I thought were fantastic.

 

[FCBfan22]

1-1 is a good result. Especially since 2nd tie is at Bernaleo and we will be full force then.

 

[soul24rage]

[youtube]qEc62erU_Tk[/youtube]

chills

 

[Horatio]

The players are dumb too. What is complaining going to do? Make referees reverse a decision? They know Lahoz doesn't like players bitching and complaining all the time yet they continue to do so.

For all his flaws he's probably the best referee in Spain and seem to be well-liked by all the players outside of the game

Players are instructed to complain if they can as to influence the ref on the next decision. It might make the referee more reluctant to whistle on a consecutive foul.

 

[Giginho75]

Usually (especially in the last years) against RM, Barca plays better away than at Nou Camp.

I mean that the result of yesterday is enough good.
We often (almost always) scored two/three goals at Bernabeu.

 

[Gaudi]

I couldn't watch the game, can someone tell me main thing: did we look ok, or like many worry, one of those games we could end up having in CL and getting knocked out?
Did we create chances, defence?

 

[FCBfan22]

I couldn't watch the game, can someone tell me main thing: did we look ok, or like many worry, one of those games we could end up having in CL and getting knocked out?
Did we create chances, defence?

I wouldn't take too much from this game, since our 1st offensive weapon played at 60% and our 2nd was out. I expect a different match with Leo and Dembouz.

The most important things that have shown yesterday are: Pique can still perform if motivated and Semedo is growing into his role.

The negatives? We have still have dire patches during the 90 minutes. Also, Busi-Raki midfield doesn't work anymore. But we have known that before.

 

[EdmondDantes]

I wouldn't take too much from this game, since our 1st offensive weapon played at 60% and our 2nd was out. I expect a different match with Leo and Dembouz.

The most important things that have shown yesterday are: Pique can still perform if motivated and Semedo is growing into his role.

The negatives? We have still have dire patches during the 90 minutes. Also, Busi-Raki midfield doesn't work anymore. But we have known that before.

It's been my biggest takeaway from the match.


Valverde is finally coming along with Rakitic's role in the team and how his perennial starter/sacred cow status is undeniably dichotomous with his performances.


Over the last few weeks, Valverde has tried Rakitic in Busquets' role as a holder and now this is the second game he has correctly substituted him after another poor showing.


The signs are there, the problem is Vidal has been worse than him over the past month and a half whenever he starts games and Busquets hasn't been all that great either.

But it seems he's finally seeing this Barca team is passing him by.


Edit:


For those who think Valverde doesn't notice things, look at his reaction when Sid Lowe asked him about Rakitic, Coutinho & Busquets giving the ball away in dangerous areas in the first half:

[youtube]E3tSIk8ur1U[/youtube]

Minute 6:40

 

[Giginho75]

Busq too much important in this team.
Never seen a player like him in that role.

Clearly he can do some mistakes sometimes because of the pressing of the opponents.
But his class and calm is too much important for us.

EDIT: I forgot his cleverness to recover a lot of balls in defence zone.

 

[FCBfan22]

Busq too much important in this team.
Never seen a player like him in that role.

Clearly he can do some mistakes sometimes because of the pressing of the opponents.
But his class and calm is too much important for us.

True, but he needs a controller on the field with him. He is not very press resistant on his own and combine that with age, we suffer.

 

[Giginho75]

True, but he needs a controller on the field with him. He is not very press resistant on his own and combine that with age, we suffer.

Yes, maybe...but he's still too much important.
We cannot renounce to him.
Our most important player after Leo.
This is my opinion.

 

[Giginho75]

Busquets-Arthur great couple.

 

[Leo_Messi]

I want to see Malcom in action for more than 5 minutes although that is extremely unlikely. I think that a more open game would suit him very well and give him a much needed boost. It would be a good thing to have a somewhat confident substitute like him in this hectic month and when the season gets decided.

Other than that, Messi and Dembélé should NOT be risked if they are not fully ready to play by any means. We can defeat/get a good result against RM without them and CdR should be our by far lowest priority this season. Even 2 games away from a new final.

Great to see Malcom getting a REAL chance and taking it. Messi with a less good 30 minute performance but given his match fitness it was kind of expected. Great game by Busquets and Arthur (second half in particular) as well. Piqué great/good/above average as well in the big games. Semedo with a great match as well. One of his best. Showing promising offensive moves and runs too which was/is his weakness.

A very bad first half of the first half where RM, with some sharpness, could have scored more than once. However so could we, in particular in the second half. Overall a decent result all things considered. Once Dembélé returns and Messi is match fit and ready to start the return leg, it will be a completely differently ball game. In recent years we tend to perform better at the Santiago Bernabéu than the Camp Nou.

Coutinho once against a complete and utter waste of space. Not surprised as I saw this coming already 2 years and wrote about it openly here as one among a tiny minority of users. The sooner we sell this enormous flop the better. Not even Hristo's open letter changed anything for the better, nor the continuous playing time that he has been receiving lately. His attitude and body language is as bad as usual as well. I have NEVER been more frustrated with one of our players as I have with this guy. To think that we bought him for €160 million, is just stuff of nightmares.

Happy that Malcom, a player that I have continuously been defending here, shinned and took one of his very, very rare opportunities against our most historic rivals at home. Hopefully we will see a resurgence of Malcom and thus Coutinho's permanent presence on the bench or on the tribune. At this point in time, I don't want to see this version of him playing at all.