2015 CL Final: Barca - Juve 3-1 !!!CAMPIONS!!!

[serghei]

2011 side wins the battle in midfield and starves MSN of quality service. 1-2 goals margin win for 2011 side. 3-1 or 3-2.

MSN were lethal that year, but IMO they still needed traditional quality service. Which they wouldn't get against 2011 Barca due to the superior pressing of that team.

 

[KingLeo10]

2011 side wins the battle in midfield and starves MSN of quality service. 1-2 goals margin win for 2011 side. 3-1 or 3-2.

MSN were lethal that year, but IMO they still needed traditional quality service. Which they wouldn't get against 2011 Barca due to the superior pressing of that team.

MSN mostly created for themselves (and mostly Messi whose playmaking was superior to that in 2011). No chance MSN only score 1. At least 2 goals in them.

I actually think 2010-2011 is the better team but in a one off match, 2014-2015 takes it more often than not, IMO. They were flawless in the business end of the season and beat every top team in Europe that season: RM, AM x 4, PSG x 3, City x 2, Bayern, Juventus. And lots of away wins too against the likes of PSG, City, and AM.

If they played 10 times, Xavi would figure out a way to press the midfield superiority more. And it'd be something like 5-6 wins 10/11, 3-4 wins 14/15, and a draw or two.

 

[serghei]

MSN mostly created for themselves (and mostly Messi whose playmaking was superior to that in 2011). No chance MSN only score 1. At least 2 goals in them.

I actually think 2010-2011 is the better team but in a one off match, 2014-2015 takes it more often than not, IMO. They were flawless in the business end of the season and beat every top team in Europe that season: RM, AM x 4, PSG x 3, City x 2, Bayern, Juventus. And lots of away wins too against the likes of PSG, City, and AM.

If they played 10 times, Xavi would figure out a way to press the midfield superiority more. And it'd be something like 5-6 wins 10/11, 3-4 wins 14/15, and a draw or two.

Sure, in a one off anything can happen, just saying the 2011 team is more cohesive and will win the battle in midfield. And that 2015 defense can't hold them back once 2011 Barca settles in their half for 75% of the time.

MSN magic is great, but let's not forget peak Messi and prime Villa, and prime Pedro is close. Not to mention peak Alves, peak Xavi, peak Iniesta. In these match-ups, it really comes down to the defense. To stop 2011 Barca you needed an iron tight defense and great counter ability. 2015 Barca is not defensively good enough to fight off Barca's positional attacks.

 

[Luis Suarez]

2015 Barca would counter them to death. The pressing was more sophisticated too.

Would be a match with plenty of goals on both sides.

I concur.

Ppl forget that all the passing for the sake of keeping the ball sometimes got a bit boring , and I'm a tiki taka lover.

Even Pep himself hated the term.

 

[KingLeo10]

Sure, in a one off anything can happen, just saying the 2011 team is more cohesive and will win the battle in midfield. And that 2015 defense can't hold them back once 2011 Barca settles in their half for 75% of the time.

MSN magic is great, but let's not forget peak Messi and prime Villa, and prime Pedro is close. Not to mention peak Alves, peak Xavi, peak Iniesta. In these match-ups, it really comes down to the defense. To stop 2011 Barca you needed an iron tight defense and great counter ability. 2015 Barca is not defensively good enough to fight off Barca's positional attacks.

Not saying I completely disagree with you (what you say is possible) but check out this defensive stat for 14/15 Barcelona:

36 goals conceded in 60 games across LL, CL, and Copa. Statistically up there up with the dominant Milan and Chelsea defenses. Except we scored 175 goals to go along with only 36 conceded while those sides barely broke 100.

 

[Luis Suarez]

Not only was tika taka sometimes boring, it was downright ineffectual at times.

We didn't win Champions Leagues every single year of the Guardiola era did we.

 

[Luis Suarez]

I think people forget Barcelona was a defensive juggernaut in addition to being an offensive one.

 

[serghei]

I think people forget Barcelona was a defensive juggernaut in addition to being an offensive one.

Which team? 2011 yes (due to insane pressing and pressure we put in attack and midfield), 2015 not so much. In the 2015 final, it was 14-17 shots for Barca vs Juve. Pretty close final hanging in the balance at times until Suarez scored. Now if you put the 2011 stats, total domination: 19-4.

The 2011 team will press better, combine better, create more chances, defend better, not to mention have the better players overall, and clearly the better manager. Sure, in some games, 2011 Barca probably miss more chances, and MSN might kill them on the break (basically convert better). But more often than not, 2011 Barca dominate in midfield and beat them imo.

MSN are legendary, but imo this is the only edge 2015 Barca might have had. It's way too little.

Let's not forget we're talking about peak Messi, and the best scorer in Spain's history David Villa + big game Pedro in attack. That attack right there is by far the strongest MSN Barca ever faced.

 

[Luis Suarez]

Which team? 2011 yes, 2015 not so much. In the 2015 final, it was 14-17 shots for Barca. Pretty close final. Now if you put the 2011 stats, total domination: 19-4.

Talking about 2015 Barcelona, obviously. Throughout the season. Not just one game.

Fergie himself said 2011 Barcelona put Utd on a passing carousel that one day but as we know it didn't always succeed all the time. All that passing amounted to nought vs 2012 Chelsea.

 

[Luis Suarez]

2013 Bayern vs 2015 Barcelona. Now that'd be more of a fair matchup. Still fancy 2015 Barcelona though.

 

[serghei]

Talking about 2015 Barcelona, obviously. Throughout the season. Not just one game.

Fergie himself said 2011 Barcelona put Utd on a passing carousel that one day but as we know it didn't always succeed all the time. All that passing amounted to nought vs 2012 Chelsea.

That 2012 tie was all about us missing an incredible about of chances. When you miss that many cleat chances, of course, you can expose yourself to being knocked out. Especially if the opponent converts basically every chance in return.

 

[serghei]

2013 Bayern vs 2015 Barcelona. Now that'd be more of a fair matchup. Still fancy 2015 Barcelona though.

This one is a pick'em. Absolutely could go either way in an arbitrary mode. I'd add 2014 Madrid to the mix as well.

 

[Luis Suarez]

This one is a pick'em. Absolutely could go either way in an arbitrary mode. I'd add 2014 Madrid to the mix as well.

2014 Madrid? Would have thought 2017 Madrid.

 

[serghei]

2014 Madrid? Would have thought 2017 Madrid.

Or 2017, agree.

 

[Joan]

2013 Bayern vs 2015 Barcelona. Now that'd be more of a fair matchup. Still fancy 2015 Barcelona though.

That's the one I'd like to see. 2013 Bayern is probably the most underrated recent team. I'd fancy them over 2020 Bayern and 2019 Liverpool. Even 2017 Real.