CL Round: Newcastle - Barca 1-2

Who wins?


  • Total voters
    21

serghei

Senior Member
Howe kind of played against his Midfield today as well TBH, he didn't try to have them be a vocal point.

Which is not to take anything away from pedri and de jong.

Whom both were good, but I was more impressed with our defense that those two today.

But technique always wins, Always.

This Barca side is also fast, has a great coach, and a squad that it is improving year by year. More than just technique. Also speed, fitness, hunger, proper team that is just missing a stadium and some 2-3 quality missing pieces to really be no1.

Manager is a key piece. Got it spot on. Superstar is checked even though Lamine gives me some nerves lately. Keeper, appears solved. Stadium, loading. Many pieces are falling into place. Then you add our philosophy, and you got a special mix.
 
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ToranagaSama

Active member
Very good win. Newcastle last season did not lose to Liverpool, City, Arsenal and Chelsea at home. Not easy to win there without our star player, semi-fit Lewa and Rafinha on the wrong side.

First time since Lucho days that I trust this team to compete against anyone. We might not always win like against Inter last season but I don't fear any humiliations and 3 goal difference losses anymore. Well done to Flick.
 

Maradona37

Well-known member
I generally think how xG is arrived at is very weird. But in this case it makes some sense. Rashford's goals must have been low xG as they were both very well taken, and I can't remember that many other clear cut chances for Barcelona. On the other hand, Newcastle had a chance or two early on and their goal looked a good chance.

This is always weird though. Remember when Spurs hammered Man United a year ago (it finished 4-3 but Forster gifted United two goals late didn't he?). They scored four yet had an xG of like 0.8. It made no sense because the Kulusevski goal alone was a finish from like 8 yards out with just the keeper to beat.

And the other day apparently Man City had an xG lower than 2. But aside from Haaland's two goals being great chances (less so Foden's), Haaland also missed a sitter off the post with an open goal, and Reijnders was clean through and missed. I am sure they had another one on one too.

I am just ranting because you have posted this. I think xG can be a valuable tool (though it needs to take into account game state and quality of finishing of the player shooting) but some of the figures arrived at make little sense to me.

Do you ever feel the same?
 
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draconifire

NTC with a Positive attitude
I think it was a slow day for us. We could have been much, much better.

7/10 performance.
Fermin was subpar
Lewa was subpar

Feel like we're still jelling in.
 

Temptation

Well-known member
xG is the dumbest stat in existence.
No it isn't. It's one of the most useful stats ever. Only people who don't understand what xG is say that.

xG is used to measure the quality of chances or attacking scenarios created. It's calculated using historical data and factors like shot location, distance, angle, shot type, etc.

It will tell you the approximate probability of a goal based on the quality of the chance created. An xG of 0.3 means there's a 30% chance of the goal being scored.

A higher xG doesn't necessarily mean you were the better team and dominated the game. It means you created better quality of goalscoring chances.

The numbers for the Barca Newcastle game makes perfect sense. You were the better team but they created more high quality chances on the break. Rashford's second goal was very low xG because you don't expect a player to score from there. Infact it's hardly a goalscoring chance.

Most Football fans (Game's gone brigade) tend to be tribal dinosaurs who reject any sort of modern technology, new development or statistical data driven decision making/analysis but the reason these metrics are developed is because it helps the industry massively. Data and eye test are both very important. Keep up with the times.

I believe you have misunderstood the meaning, purpose and application of xG. @Birdy

Mods should probably pin this comment somewhere for anyone who moans about xG in the near future.
 

Rebels Blaugranes

Active member
No it isn't. It's one of the most useful stats ever. Only people who don't understand what xG is say that.

xG is used to measure the quality of chances or attacking scenarios created. It's calculated using historical data and factors like shot location, distance, angle, shot type, etc.

It will tell you the approximate probability of a goal based on the quality of the chance created. An xG of 0.3 means there's a 30% chance of the goal being scored.

A higher xG doesn't necessarily mean you were the better team and dominated the game. It means you created better quality of goalscoring chances.

The numbers for the Barca Newcastle game makes perfect sense. You were the better team but they created more high quality chances on the break. Rashford's second goal was very low xG because you don't expect a player to score from there. Infact it's hardly a goalscoring chance.

Most Football fans (Game's gone brigade) tend to be tribal dinosaurs who reject any sort of modern technology, new development or statistical data driven decision making/analysis but the reason these metrics are developed is because it helps the industry massively. Data and eye test are both very important. Keep up with the times.

I believe you have misunderstood the meaning, purpose and application of xG. @Birdy
hey man,what did you think of the game?
 

FCBarca

Truth
Lewandowski was getting battered and ref allowed it

But agree, Fermin did not follow up the Valencia match with a very productive one but on balance I would continue to prefer him starting over Olmo - but there will be rotations anyway

Araujo predictably gets little credit but did a great job
 

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