Lliga: (El Clasico) FC Barcelona - Real Madrid 2-1

StarLord

New member
Good win and three points but a terrible advert for Spanish football.
The cheating ,diving and play acting was ridiculous.

Why do British fans have to repeat this tired cliche all the time?

Yes there is some diving and silly playacting etc during Clasicos, and yes that is quite negative, but it is such a marginal aspect of the whole thing which is ludicrous to pretend that it genuinely distracts from the spectacle on display.

As I was watching the game last night, my main thought was: "what other football fixture on the planet can provide the quality displayed here"?

Yes the playacting is embarrassing but it happens in two or three instances throughout an entire football game, no reason to blow its relevance out of proportion.
 

Barcaman

Administrator
Staff member
Good win and three points but a terrible advert for Spanish football.
The cheating ,diving and play acting was ridiculous.

:lol:

Missed 11 Chelski girls surrounding the ref 2 weeks ago? Or Aguero diving last week?

That's only 2 games I watched recently as those were in Champions League (cool advert for 2 best epl teams btw.).
Can't imagine what goes on in epl.
 

Vlom

Previously known as Mehssi
:lol:

Missed 11 Chelski girls surrounding the ref 2 weeks ago? Or Aguero diving last week?

That's only 2 games I watched recently as those were in Champions League (cool advert for 2 best epl teams btw.).
Can't imagine what goes on in epl.

They don't have to fake in EPL, because people are getting hurt/stomped/skull-opened with boots for real :lol:
 

xXKonan

Senior Member
I notice some EPL fans, on Other Forums that always Complain about Players in La Liga constantly Diving and Surrounding the ref or even Say "Lol if you even Tackle in La Liga it's a automatic Yellow card or Red card" There's a Difference Between a Good Challenge and Trying to Butcher someone. Diving and Surrounding the Ref aren't Exclusive to La Liga it's a problem everywhere.
 

FCBarca

Mike the Knife
I'm happy of course but continue to be less enthused than many I guess...Thought there were many positives on the night to feel buoyed by but things that still look troubling in terms of CL success.

Most happy about Piqué's form as he hasn't ever looked that good, IMO...You never know how these things can work out in the end but Luis Suarez has been a phenomenal addition - everything the club has lacked in many seasons...He has now been instrumental scoring in the biggest matches of the season, Neymar on the other hand has not been nearly clinical enough...The attacking trident remains the best thing about this team and getting Messi as many touches as possible...The midfield, however?...Less of a factor than anytime I can recall in over a decade - we're seeing a team that eschews the personality of the coach rather than Barcelona

Benzema, Modric, Kroos & Ramos were excellent for the enemy...If Flo built a team focused on getting the best out of them, they'd be a far more formidable side, for me...That backheel from the Frenchman
clear.png
:blush:

Haven't seen RM look that good against us since before Ronnie yet everything changed after Luis' goal...The palpable surprise of the crowd itself underscored how un-Barcelona it was but the team now has attacking options to exploit that it didn't have before

I thought it was a high quality match over all with some segments the best the sport has to offer really...But a lot of nonsense too, on both sides...Complete with diving (Including the outrageous exploits of Crissy the diver which was impressively booked, for once), baiting the ref and sloppy passing...Could be they just wore themselves out but I thought the Clasico lacked a bit of the overall excellence it has enjoyed in the past 5-6 years...Even Lahoz was all over the place although he showed a general intolerance to simulation which was surprising...Of course, it didn't prevent him from still being his typically permissive self either

Yet, treble talk back on after a lull in the club's fortunes since Pep - things could be worse
 

Gaudi

Senior Member
Very good second half, First was not that good though I feel mental block was a big factor.
All the good things are known so to focus on bad ones:
we still lack proper balance. Our attacking trio is amaizing, therefore our game in general changed, we are now focused more on delivering quicker to them than to control the midfield. I don't mind that. But our balance in mid and defence is still not the best.
RM played without DM on paper, Bayern uses Lahm whenever they can yet they don't get as exposed as we.
Busi is for me, and many, our best holding mid, but he was never pit bull...it's not that he declined, it's just that his shortcomings in covering are more visible when Xavi declined. with Xavi declining tiki-taka and total control was lost, and we shouldn't try to mimic that unless we can clone Xavi. I actualy think Rakitic brought some of that balance, and I belive we are better today than same day last year. Sometimes you don't need the best players on paper but those who fit the system better.
Now, in mid I think we could benefit from a player like Koke or Pogba (easier said than done of course) but even changing to 3-4-3 with one of those guys would work in some games.
Our main problem is defence balance...two midget full backs are just over exposed by stronger teams. We had that balance with Abidal when we basically played 3 men defence, or changing it during the game from 2 to 4 men defence. I would use Alba over Alves (i like his tenacity but those brain farts are killing me) and buy strong RB/DC type of player.
Of course in the future Iniesta will have to be replaced but we don't need to rush it, he is 31 not 40.
 

pacp_96

Chief Of Footballing Matters
Our main problem is defence balance...two midget full backs are just over exposed by stronger teams. We had that balance with Abidal when we basically played 3 men defence, or changing it during the game from 2 to 4 men defence. I would use Alba over Alves (i like his tenacity but those brain farts are killing me) and buy strong RB/DC type of player.

Bartra?
 

serghei

Senior Member
The team lacks another top midfielder for sure. That's the only serious minus as far as the squad is concerned.
 

Bucky

Penya Member
Got to page 44 and I'm throwing in the towel, a lot of posts to read and quite frankly tired.

Astonishing really.

The game was fairly level at the beginning with RM's advances being quashed by some brilliant tackles and generally stealing the ball back which gave confidence that we could prevent them pressing forward and being a threat.

Ronaldo is a dirty diving s.o.b, utter filth, gtfo!

The midfield battle, that was painfully obvious that passes could not be strung together. RM had that one chance in the first 2-4mins when Ronaldo hit the the bar which I thought was going in but thank fk it didn't. On the break we did get awarded a foul in a key position. Low & behold Mathieu put in an excellent header that had us all bouncing. Just what we needed.

What we didn't need was more of Neymar's bs, what an absolute sitter that would have killed the game but instead it was a sloppy hit that seemed to buckle off of his calf or shin straight to Casillas instead of directly to the near post with what should have been a simple side foot or tap in none the less.

That was a defining moment that would come to haunt us I felt and funnily enough it did almost straight away on the counter as that's when that Ronaldo goal went in. Someone should have been marking Ronaldo dead on and I think Mathieu was the one caught sleeping as Ronaldo stepped on the gas to run onto Benzema's pass. Something of which RM kept trying to do if you watched, attempting fancy flicks but that one pulled off unfortunately.

It knocked the confidence and made us look so shaky & nervous; it was then that RM looked absolutely lethal and should have punished us as our midfield & defence fell a part. Just went to pieces and looked disorganised. We were lucky to not be 3-1 down at HT and honestly I was nervous and thinking I would be happy with a draw.

The pressure kept up for about 10mins where RM looked like doing the same, but you could see them lagging. What a joke considering we had a game midweek. RM's fault for not taking the opportunity. Suàrez took a chance that in all honesty, wow, what a goal. The angle was insane and completely fooled Casillas sending him the wrong way. That was a defining moment as RM truly lost momentum and looked on the back foot. There were a couple of times when they pressed up and got the ball in our box but we were covered. Thankful Busi came on to calm the midfield and get their heads straight. Although I'm sickened and furious those chances by Neymar weren't put away, I was screaming when Messi passed to Ney instead. Messi's shot was so so close. Alba too, omg, unreal.

A win is a win and I hope that 4pt cushion can be sustained and I'll be rooting for every team to cause an upset to RM to increase the gap; granted we win ours.

Piqué was a beast and loved the moment when he denied being nutmegged, so difficult to pull that off. Marcelo's silky touchline tricks had me in awe (annoyingly).

The ref... unbelievable. RM are seriously lucky to not have had a red card, maybe the ref wanted to keep it 11v11 in such an important game but those vast amount of players on yellows deserved to be booked for a second time, not all of them, but at least 1 or 2 for some of the crap they pulled. No foul given but then a lighter challenge awarded a foul or heck a lighter foul on one of RM's players almost immediately after when we should have had one was ridiculous. I was cursing him as being a Madridista, so f'n obvious he was playing for them.

Great that we got the win but ffs Neymar, wake the hell up!

In essence because of the missed opportunities and the way we played was just not like Barça, it feels like we still have something to prove and almost, almost feels like a loss.

Also last time I checked, this is a Barça forum. So why the fk are some people acting like they should be treading on egg shells :lol:
Congrats on having a multi team forum but at the top it says barcaforum? Welcome all but remember who we are? :thinking:
 
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