CL R16 game 1: Newcastle - Barca 1-1

[JamDav1982]

Of course risk has to be taken in league.

Even if drop points then still would be top and against a fairly poor Real currently.

If cant take risks in league at home to Sevilla then you are more or less playing strongest team each game from here and that wont work.

Anything can happen and always danger can drop points but the players are more than good enough to beat likes of Sevilla even if lost last time round.

 

[serghei]

I would be willing to take more risk for CL if this was quarters and playing for a semis or if the lead was bigger than 4pts, but we also need to be careful in the league. Anything goes bad vs Sevilla, and the starters have to be put in to turn the game around.

It's a lot of pressure on the squad to at least prove their worth against a mid table La Liga teams on Camp Nou. I'm speaking about Rashford, Casado, Tuna, Roony, that new kid from La Masia.

 

[JamDav1982]

If Flick doesnt rotate he isnt doing his job.

One of advantages the better La Liga teams have is can rotate more against these type of teams with less risk involved even if still there.

 

[serghei]

Starters atm are Cancelo, Garcia, Cubarsi, Martin, Pedri, Bernal, Fermin, Raphinha, Yamal, Olmo. These should start vs Newcastle. Lewa dropped for Olmo.

This means we should see vs Sevilla Araujo, that new kid from La Masia Xavi Espart, main CB pair, then Casado, Olmo or Fermin, Rashford, Roony, Ferran Torres. Garcia if he feels well.

Might as well use both Torres and Lewandowski vs Sevilla. I wouldn't start either vs Newcastle. Both are comical.

 

[behindbrowneyes]

Good away result for a CL tie and everything to play for in Camp Nou.

Team and especially some key players look tired though so I also would rest players vs Sevilla and let them only play 30min in 2nd half vs a more tired opponent to stay in shape and rhythm.

I think we will see a different Barça at home and the atmosphere will be great.

 

[Porque]

Good result, bad performance.

But you get these in away games in Europe around this stage against lesser clubs. For Newcastle it is a final and the only way to get over the talent gap is with intensity and speed. I don't think they have lost at home in the CL this year either apart from versus us the first time.

We definitely need to weather this fitness dip and injury crisis though as Atleti could smash us all over again in the quarters.

I don't think any big side are playing particularly well right now either way. PSG are in a worse dip than us and could have been out versus Monaco had they not get a sending off in both KO games. Liverpool lost to Gala, Arsenal are Arsenal and far from their early season form, Madrid are shite.

Only side looking decent are Bayern. So yeah, plenty of time to flip this.

 

[Haraldinho]

Sorry guys : we don't know who is going to win it but we know who is not going to.

 

[MagIX]

I watched only the second half (fortunately): awful, physically overpowered/ bullied, completely dominated from start to finish. We were practically unable to build up or play out from the back; all long balls intended to bypass the press were lost. We can't romantically think we'll always win just because we're more elegant and more talented. To put it briefly: we absolutely need to add height and physical presence to our team, and urgently improve athletic conditioning. On the field, it was like watching 11 bulls against 11 lambs.

Credit to Newcastle, they played an excellent match.

 

[jamrock]

People are paying way too much attention to the performance here honestly, even at full strength we would probably have played the same, think about the first 25 minutes the last game & that the players are both physically & mentally drained from the atletico game.

It was a results game today & we got one.
Take it & move on.