Pre-match: CL 1/2 FINALS 1ST LEG |FC Bayern München-Real Madrid | 4.23.14

Ronaldo out of Cup Final too. I wonder if he will be able to play in the first leg vs Bayern?

 

Probably, they're simply not taking any chances prior to the two decisive games against Bayern. The copa final is simply not important compared to the Uefa Champions League title.

 

From what I read he'll be ready for 1st leg..

We pretty much were expecting them play their best players anyway..

 

Anyone have an opinion about the CDR cup Madrid just won beating barca today?

Is this a worry for us? Did they just boost their confidence and build their momentum just in time for our clash?

Tbh I would've rather have Madrid meet us on yet another loss to barca..

 

I don't think it is any indicator at all. Barca had a 2nd string GK and Bartra and Mascherano as starting CBs. It still took a moment of brilliance from Bale for Madrid to win a mostly poor match.

People are reading too much into "confidence boost" this, "low confidence" that.

Didn't we just lose 0-3 at home to BVB then win 5-1 against FCK in the DFB Pokal semis 4 days later?

 

you are not asking the real question here.
the question you should be asking .. did they drop the cup while they celebrate and the bus ran over it?

 

Barca is pretty much at its nadir! Even at that with a decent goalie and CB they could easily have won! Not forgetting Neymar's glorious miss at the death. I was so sure Barca would lose I bet on Madrid

We just need to play to our strengths! This is a game for Javi Martinez who I expect to batter Modric to a pulp. Starve the wingers who are naturally averse to tracking back and we should be fine

I also expect Ribery to do much better and punish a Coentrao who is hardly a defensive juggernaut

Oh and for the love of God let's start this game well and much better than the last two UCL away games

 

And yeah I want that f#!#&cking guy Müller to start as well

 

Hopefully Javi starts, and not in defense. :S

 

Next to Schweinsteiger.

Even if it's not Pep's vision for the future and it's not how we will play next year, I think Al Davis' advice is pertinent for semi final and final matches; Just win baby!

 

That's a pretty dumb statement. You must have become an NFL fan in the past 10 years.

You should google the man before saying something ignorant and disrespectful like that. I hate the Raiders but Al Davis was class and extremely successful.

 

Well ladies and gentlemen. We have just 4 games left to defend our titles...

I hope the players see it in large banner in the locker room. Just 4 games, that's it.

Back to this match. I think Madrid are going to come out full force like they always do for the first 20 mins. They have a habit of coming in with a lot of pressure then about 20mins into the match they seem to lose a lot of steam.

We just defend the early pressure and then take back the match.

We definetely need goals here, so I wouldn't care if we lost 3-2 even..

 

If Pep does indeed go ahead with a 4-2-3-1, I hope he plays Javi alongside Schweini, unlikely though.
Ribery would be up against Carvajal and Robben up against Coentrao. IF Muller plays CAM, we might see a lot of interchanging of positions.

 

All that hype for Bale's goal against Barca, Robben's solo run against Schalke was way better.

 

It isn't about the goal being better, it's about that run! Did you see the way he ran past Bartra, despite Bartra having the advantage?

 

but he was cramping right? (menstral)

Bale, like that, will be a challenge

Oh, BTW... #respect

 

Playing Schweini and Kroos would be overkill for this match IMO! Its either Kroos starts or Schweini starts. I want Mueller in because of the big game urgency he would give us

Ribery better get his shyte together! He has been pure merda this knockout round

 

I was talking about Robben's run, too. I agree Bale's run is formidable and impressive but not more so than Robben's against Schalke. Especially since the Dutchman pulled it off in over-time.

 

Robben's run also displayed a lot more skill on the ball. Bale's run is full of bad touches and ends with a lucky finish against a poor GK.

I'm not really impressed by the kick the ball real hard and run faster than the slowest player on the pitch move. That was some amateur hour defending by Bartra. As soon as Bale played that ball past him and tried to run around him, Bartra should have just taken him out and accepted his Yellow card.

 

that goal says more about his track & field skills than his footballing skills

 

One thing's sure though, we need Dante + Boateng at CB and not Martínez who is far too slow to handle Bale on the right. Boateng's speed will be vital while Dante's physicality should take care of Benzema in the middle.