FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid CF | Copa del Rey final | El Clasico | 16.04.2014 | 21:30 CET

I think we should do what Granada did. Give them 85% possession, generate 1 chance, and fluke into a goal. It worked, so it must be the right decision.

 

Agreed and Athletico just didn't press and close space, they knew where the cules wanted to play the ball and cut off passing lanes as well. Their movement into spaces was as good as the fact that they occupied the space to begin with. They might play 4/4/2 which is criticized as being antiquated but they have a well defined objectives that they accomplish in that formation.

 

One of the positives this season is how we shifted from being a reactive side under Mourinho to being proactive. I like that, fits our stature and makes games more exciting, problem is at times we seem unprepared in games or tactically outschooled.

 

The line up chosen by some of Marca readers:
http://www.marca.com/2014/04/15/futbol/copa_rey/madrid-barcelona/1397583119.html

 

Now I know where Ancelotti sets his lineup. It is the correct one.

 

I have zero faith in Ancelotti in the big games. He has been schooled by Tata before and I can see it happening again.

 

Someone bump the P*ssy of the Week thread so I can access it easily tomorrow night please

 

So Ramos starts tomorow?

 

it days like these where i realise how much i ********ing hate Barcelona.

 

But he understands how to foul over and over without getting a yellow. A distinct advantage.

 

No it won't be a disaster if Madrid don't win. In fact, it won't mean much at all, just like how Madrid DOMINATED Barca last year meant nothing because Barca won the league. The only positive of winning this game on Wednesday is so you can say you wont the TREBLE when the CL/League trophy come in. Outside of that...meh

 

Are you serious?

 

These are the things that I see that needs to happen for us to win:

1.) Forwards need to transition back on defense and help the mids on defense. We cannot have our mids running around chasing the ball. This was explained by Xabi weeks ago.

2.) We need to hit more crosses with Di Maria feeding them. Barca are midgets and I would be surprised if they don't do this.

3.) Discipline backline and watch for the overlaps. Iniesta's goal was a result of poor communication between Dani and Bale. The pass from Messi to Neymar killed us too.


As for whether we should play an open game or more conservative defensive game? I am not sure what we should do. Playing an open game is to our advantage but against Barcelona it can hurt us. I am not sure if the team is ready to sit back and play with discipline. They haven't done it all year, not against a good team, but they did in the 2nd half against Dortmund.

I will reserve judgement till the 2nd half, to see if we make any adjustments.

 

Replace Ramos with Varane and that's my lineup. Hasta el final!

 

If your argument is that you can play a vertical game and at the same time keep the ball, then I don't know whats even the point of a debate.

 

You mean in our last year with Mourinho. Saying we beat them "all the time with Mourinho" is selective memory.

I don't believe Chelsea has ever done it successfully against them. They find a way, whether that means sticking their gameplan with patience or diving and waiting for the ref to turn the game on its head. Inter did it successfully as did Bayern but those were two polar opposite sides in terms of tactics.

Messi hasn't particularly troubled us this season. He's scored against us yes, but he's not the reason they've beaten us. I think Ancelotti has done fine in terms of keeping Messi on the periphery. Have we lost twice? Yes. I'd argue the team and Ancelotti were fine at the Bernabeu until the red card. The biggest part of the blame that Ancelotti can have in that match is that he failed to react appropriately.

I'll give you the Camp Nou with his Ramos in mid strategy.

What @Zidane05 said is correct. There's no concrete "blueprint" on how to beat this Barcelona side. The Cules have swept aside teams that both employed Mourinho as well as possession based tactics.

However, I do think the key ingredient in a Barcelona defeat is mentality and discipline in the big matches.
We've seen a few flickers of mentality in the big matches this season but rarely ever any discipline.

 

Messi destroyed us in the 2nd game. Those passes through the defense was a thing of beauty.

 

We're already in the final, bro

 

It means, till the end. Not till the final.

 

It honestly doesn't matter if Barca keep possession. It seems the last few times they had control over possession they were on the losing side.

I agree that we shouldn't change the lineup. Isco at LW seems logical.

Every time Ancelotti changed the lineup for a big game we ended up suffering. I also blame the 2-0 at Signal Iduna Park for his insane lineup. During the second half he employed our regular 11 except with Isco and we ended up holding more possession and giving them less of a chance to score. Plus, we only had one shot in the first half and when he went back to his normal lineup in the second half we had 9, which is a noticeable difference.

We should take a page from Atletico's book, throw the ball forward and use Benzema and Bale's height to control the ball. Di Maria should do what he does best, receive the ball, look up, and toss it to the closest winger/striker.

I believe if we have a first 20 minutes like Atletico did, we won't end up missing half as much. But I could be wrong.

The players know they can beat Barca, we should have done that at the Bernabeu, bar two penalties and a red card following Gaymar's Oscar winning theatrics.

Keep it simple, stick to our old lineup and do what we've been doing all season.

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

Yes, they did not allow certain passing lanes, but they leave wide open those lanes that they aim to press immediately after the pass is attempted. Their pressing is a bit different in that regard from, say, Borussia's.

 

I'm gonna miss these guys in tonights game.

 

we got defeated not because of exeception play from messi but our own wrong doing.... if we loss this game Ancelotti is gone for season , i am not comparing mou to ancelotti but mou was tactically better than ancelotti in big matches ...